BRIAN PHILLIPS
BRANDS HATCH
MSVR
4-5 MAY
A truly ‘classic’ battle brought the early stages of the first Equipe Classic race to life on a GT World Challenge undercard featuring some huge grids on the full Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit.
No fewer than 45 cars lined up for this one, and spectators were treated to a fascinating contest between the brute force of David Methley’s Cobra and Ben Adams’s Jaguar E-type, and the nimble handling of Tom Smith’s Lotus Elan.
Chris Beighton’s Le Mans Sunbeam Tiger shadowed this trio, and he was rewarded with third place after the Elan stopped when its differential failed. Adams broke clear to head Methley, who lost second gear, and best of the rest behind Beighton was Robin Ellis, a distant fourth in his Shapecraft Elan.
Beighton and Ellis were familiar faces in a different cast for Sunday’s race, and they took first and second. Jamie Boot’s TVR Griffith surged up behind Ellis and passed the Elan for second on the last lap, but spun into the Westfield gravel trap, promoting Bruce White in another Lotus.
After setting fastest time in Miata Trophy superpole, Aidan Hills was well in control when the first of the Mazda MX-5 races was stopped early with five laps on the board. This followed Colin Wells demolishing a stretch of tyre wall and denting the metal barriers opposite the pits, with his car coming to rest on the track. A respectful distance behind Hills, Michael Knibbs, Declan Lee and John Langridge finished in that order after some lively place-changing. Hills also dominated the return bout at the end of the day, the chasing trio joined this time by Daniel Parrans-Smith.
The first race in round three of the Britcar Trophy ended disappointingly under caution with the leading runners line astern, poised for a last-gasp dash to the flag. Long time-leader Jack Mitchell (Ginetta G56) had already retired with drivetrain problems and, after 26 closely contested laps, Maurizio Sciglio (G56) trundled across the line behind the safety car, followed by Niall Bradley’s M3 and the shared Cupra of Simon Mason and Chris Bialan.
Bradley triumphed on Sunday, passing Axel Van Nederveen’s G56, which benefited from a shorter compulsory pitstop time, a lap from the end. The Mitchell Ginetta reappeared with a new gearbox, but co-driver Stephen Fresle sc
