Ford GT40 heads Marathon weekend

While most of the action at the 31st running of the Oldtimer Grand Prix took place on the Grand Prix circuit, a 70-strong field of classic sports and GT cars competed on the famous Nordschleife in the AvD Historic Marathon.

Seeking to add another major historic endurance win to their growing tally, Jon Minshaw and Martin Stretton planted the former’s Jaguar E-type on pole in style, but their race came to a premature end with engine dramas as scorching temperatures exacted a heavy toll on man and machine.

Instead, it was Chris Chiles who moved in to add to his impressive 2003 record with his Ford GT40. Coping well with the demands of the 14-mile rollercoaster track, Chiles and Pedro Passyutu romped home more than 2min clear of the rest.

Having won no less than four races at the 2002 Oldtimer, Allen Lloyd was restricted to a single victory this year. Sharing with the man who tends his race cars, Gerry Wainwright, Lloyd claimed the hour-long Pre-65 sports-racing car event in his GT40. Earlier, they had shared Lloyd’s Lola 170 in the pair of European Sports Prototype races. Though Wainwright fended off the Chevron B16 of John Sheldon in the first race, Sheldon later turned the tables on Lloyd. Another brace of class wins for Michael Schryver in his Chevron B6 virtually assured him of the Pre-65 title with only one further race, at Spa, remaining.

Klaus Fiedler took a surprise FORCE Classic GP double in his Tyrrell 007. Peter Williams looked secure in his March 761 until an oil leak left him with little in the way of rear brakes and allowed Fiedler to steal ahead.

With Williams out of Sunday’s race due to a misfire, Fiedler and Nico Bindels (Lotus 77) contested the lead until Fielder slid wide at the Coca-Cola Curve. Bindels tried to go round the Tyrrell, but contact sent the Lotus into the gravel.

Tony Smith propelled his wonderful Ferrari Dino 246 to an HGPCA double, while Urs Eberhardt beat the British Lotus pack in Formula Junior.