Brabham clocks up Rolex win

Californian racers dominated the Formula One event during the 30th Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races at the Laguna Seca circuit in August. From a 27-car grid of 3-litre cars, Dan Marvin claimed victory in his Brabham BT44 from the Tyrrell 011 ofJim Busby and the Tyrrell 009 of Rick Knoop.

Rod Jolley made the trip with his Cooper T45/51 and won the Pre-1965 single-seater race from the Lotus 22 of Tom Claridge, while Rob Hall claimed fifth in his Cooper T51 behind the mighty 1960 F1 Scarab of American Don Orosco. Having jumped into his Lotus 15, Orosco then took victory in Sunday’s up-to-2.5-litre sports-racing car event.

A magnificent field of over 40 Bugattis was a real highlight of the weekend and European visitors led the way as German Michael Gans won in his 1928 T35B. The similar cars of British racers Allan Rippon and Mike Preston both claimed top-five finishes, with Rippon taking second at the expense of San Franciscan Charles McCabe in his later T59.

AC Cobras dominated the GT race with Phil Gallant’s 1964 example leading home the Shelby Daytona version raced by Le Mans legend Derek Bell. The field also included 10 Shelby GT350 Mustangs.

Other notable winners at America’s most important historic racing weekend included Mark Gillies, who beat Ian Landy by a whisker in a battle of the ERAs, and Bill Murray in one of nine Ford GT40s in the over-2500cc sports-prototype contest.