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Masters Historic Festival Brands Hatch

MSVR hosted the annual Master Historic Festival at Brands Hatch last weekend, where spectators were allowed to roam freely and watch a full weekend’s racing entertainment.

Amongst the race highlights Greg Thornton took a fantastic win in his Lotus 91/5 during the second Masters Historic Formula One race of the weekend at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit, seeing off a late charge from race one victor Martin O’Connell. After taking the lead of the race on lap two at Druids, Thornton – who had started on the front row of the grid – stormed away from the chasing pack and crafted a lead of almost three seconds by lap five.

Mike Whitaker wrapped-up an excellent, and largely dominant, victory in the 90-minute Gentlemen Drivers race with an almost faultless performance in his TVR Griffith. After almost an hour and a half of tremendous Masters Historic action, there was a somewhat subdued Safety Car finish due to a car becoming stranded in the gravel with just four minutes to go.Whitaker won from the Shelby Daytona Cobra of Calum Lockie and Julian Thomas, while third position went the way of the Griffith of John Spiers and TV star Tiff Needell. Frustratingly, a luckless penalty for the Jaguar E-Type of Gary Pearson and Alex Brundle cost them an all-but guaranteed podium.

Equipe joined the weekend with their Equipe GTS and Pre-63 grids with two full-to-capacity races. It was an MGB piloted by Tom Smith who managed to convert a pole time of 1.51 into a win in Saturday’s 50 car grid, the race had to be restarted after an incident caused a false start, but the restart got away cleanly and in the closing laps it was the TVR Grantura of Lee Atkins bearing down on an unstoppable MGB in the closing laps.  In Sunday’s race (a completely different grid) Lee Atkins went a second quicker to qualify on a 1.50 sec lap, but the race was won by Mark Ashworth in another TVR Grantura with Lee second and the super fast red Healey 3000 of Mark Holme in third place.

A dramatic conclusion to Pre-66 Touring Car race gave Fenn victory, Ford Mustang driver Rob Fenn took an unexpected win during the one-hour Masters Pre-66 Touring Car race at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit, when a late incident for Steve Soper led to a red flag stoppage with a lap to go. Soper was leading by well over six seconds after a typically sensational second stint in the Mustang he shares with Henry Mann, but an unfortunate excursion at Stirling’s on the penultimate tour ultimately handed the win to Fenn. Michael Cullen made the pole position team-mate Andrew Jordan had achieved in the earlier qualifying session count at the rolling start, holding off Mann. It wasn’t long, though, before Fenn – who qualified third – powered into the lead.

Jeff Smith took the victory in the opening Masters Pre-66 Mini race of the weekend a controlled win from pole position qualifier Tom Bell. Smith made a rocket-ship start from fifth, catapulting him into a position to challenge Bell immediately at the cambered Paddock Hill Bend right-hander, with Michael Cullen maintaining his grid slot of third. Joe Ferguson took the win from Jeff Smith after another fantastic battle in race two

Lola T70 Mk3B pairing Gary Pearson and Alex Brundle eased to a comfortable and controlled victory in the one-hour Historic Sports Car race at Brands Hatch. Winning by 11 seconds from the Chevron B19 of sole racer Jonathan Mitchell, the overall podium was rounded-out by Chevron B23 duo Goncalo Gomes and James Claridge – the top three cars the only ones on the lead lap at the chequered flag. Mitchell led away from pole position at the start with Brundle hot on his heels, and it wasn’t long before the powerful Lola moved through into the lead on the run out onto the Grand Prix loop.

For full race report from Masters races visit: http://www.mastershistoricracing.com/news/

For a link to all race results please visit: https://www.tsl-timing.com/event/203451

Images provided by Robert Clayson to contact robert for hi-res copies please email him on: robert@robertclayson.co.uk

For more images from Brands Hatch- another gallery was submitted by Simon Hildrew – please click here

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