News in brief, January 2005

Ian Duncan, winner of the 1994 Safari Rally, is the latest driver to enter the East African Safari Classic, which will run in December 2005. The Kenyan will drive a David Sutton-entered Ford Escort against drivers like Stig Blomqvist, 2003 winner Rob Collinge and Frédéric Dor.

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South African veterans John Love and Neville Lederle are expected to be reunited with their early 1960s F1 cars during the David Piper-organised Tour of South Africa in the New Year. Love’s old Cooper T79 and Lederle’s Lotus 21 are both travelling to the country in the hands of their US owners.

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Historic race and rally driver Nick Whale has been appointed to the board of the Motor Sports Association. The 2000 British Historic Rally champion hopes to be able to put something back into the sport after 25 years of competition.

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Two more cars will join the burgeoning Group C/GTP series in 2005: TGP front-runner Christian Gläsel has acquired the ex-Boesel/Cheever Jaguar XJR8 for selected races, while brothers Garry and Michael Woodcock will share an Argo JM19. A range of Group C/GTP cars will star at Autosport International.

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Masten Gregory will be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in February. “The Kansas City Flash” died of natural causes in 1985 after a long career, topped by victory at Le Mans in 1965 with Jochen Rindt.

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The VSCC has added a ‘Yorkshire Speed Weekend’ to its 2005 schedule. This will comprise a sprint at Elvington and a hillclimb at Harewood over July 9-10.

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The third San Remo Classic will be held on May 7-12 and will be part of the European Regularity Trophy. Based in San Remo, it is open to pre-1986 cars in the regularity category.

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Murray Sinclair won two of the three opening races in the New Zealand F5000 Challenge at Manfeild in November aboard his Lola T332 (below). The series resumes in February with races at Ruapuna and Invercargill.