New for Old

David McKinney reports on the HSCC’s 30 year celebration meeting and MotorSport Trophy

Rob Hall moved into the joint lead of the European Historic Formula 2 Championship when he took his March 712 to two dominant victories on the new International Circuit at, Silverstone on June 15, helped by the retirements of his two closest rivals, John Harper through engine trouble in his matching March, and former champion Fredy Kumschick (Lotus 69) who tangled with fellow Lotus driver Eberhard Metke while disputing second. This allowed defending champion Bob Juggins to place second in his improving Lola T240, with Gary Pearson taking a fine second in John Beasley’s carb-fed Tecno. Of the Historic Formula Racing Car contenders, Steve Hartley’s F1 Ensign N179 actually finished second on the road, with Mike Whatley (F5000 Surtees TS8) fourth.

Harper took over a spare March for the second race, for the MOTOR SPORT Trophy, and repeated his Donington duel with Hall, who was hampered by an overheating engine. At the end there was just half a second between the two Marches. Kumschick joined the field with two new corners and a replacement wing on his Lotus, and held off the close attentions of Juggins until the last two bends, when the Lola went ahead to snatch third place by 0.1sec. Pearson was a distant fifth.

Mike Wilds added yet another victory in the RJB Mining Sportscar championship to his tally with the Chevron B31/36 of race sponsor Richard Budge when he led an out-of-retirement Sean Walker (Toj SC205) over the line. Helen Bashford, who had held second until slowing with a blown head-gasket towards the end, kept her Chevron 19 ahead of Steve Arnold’s 19 to claim third, with Jeff Wilson’s Osella PA7 right behind. Jona Qvarnstrom had been in the thick of the battle for second until the engine of his Chevron B19 slipped its cam-belt.

In other events at the Reliance Security Raceday promoted in conjunction with MOTOR SPORT to mark the HSCC’s 30th anniversary, Rob Moores pipped Keith Norman right at the end of the Oregon Timberframe Homes Classic F3 race, both driving Chevron B38s, Historic F1 stalwart Geoff Farmer dominated the Classic Racing Cars event at the wheel of Roger Swanton’s Brabham BT18B, Whatley in his Crossle 20F was a comfortable winner of the Chris Alford Historic FF1600 race, David Methley (Marcos GT) won the Richardson Hosken Classic Sportscar race after a battle with David Bennett’s similar car, the E-type Jaguars of Nick Randall and Harvey Cook crossed the line virtually side-by-side at the end of the Motorcare Services Road Sports race, and Nevil Smith (Lotus-Cortina) took the Historic Racing Saloons event.

A static display of Lotus Xls marked the 40th anniversary of the model’s Le Mans debut, with former drivers Keith Hall, Les Lesion, Peter Jopp (1956 LM class-winner) and Tom Barnard in attendance. They paraded in the lunch-break, together with entrants in the MOTOR SPORT Concours dElegance, which attracted more entries than ever.

Mark Anderson (Bentley 3-litre) was placed first in the Concours class, with Michael Birtwhistle’s SII E-type second, while the Masters’ class went to Barbara Morns, who became Champion of Champions for her magnificent Volvo P1800S Sue Bagshawe (GT6) collected the Triumph Six Club trophy, and Alan Sanderson the Roadster Club prize, while the judges’ special award for most interesting car went to Alexander Fyshe for his rare Monteverdi 375S.