Morgan Success

[Bob Bull]

Jason Wright’s Lola T70 won a race of attrition for the FIA Masters Historic Sports Car Championship. He ran away clear of Mike Donovan’s T70 Mk3B until Donovan felt his engine go flat. Rather than damage it, he brought the car back to the pit lane. After early charges from Enrico Tonetti (Huffaker) who ran out of brakes and Steve Hart/Tim Cousins (Chevron B19) who fell into the gravel in the final laps of the race, Graham Adelman (Lola T210) took second place from the ever-consistent Andy Newall in the JCB-liveried Chevron B8. Chris Jolly/Steve Farthing (Cooper Monaco T61M) were denied a Pre-66 win after the car ran out of fuel gifting honours to Keith Ahlers/Billy Bellinger (Cooper Monaco King Cobra). Howard Jones (Lola T70 Spyder) took second in the category from Arthur Bruckner’s Lotus 23B.

A combined grid of Gentlemen Drivers Pre-66 GT Cars and Pre-66 Touring Cars produced an exciting 90-minute race, after early leader Michael Gans (AC Cobra) spun and Marcus von Oeyenhausen (Jaguar E-type) lost two laps after a pit stop with mechanical woes. That allowed Kiwis John Hitch and Barry Hare to score a win in their Lotus Elan, chased by the similar car of Graham Wilson who spun into the gravel with two laps to go allowing Keith Ahlers/Billy Bellinger (Morgan Plus 4 SLR) and Andy Wolfe who recovered the Gans AC Cobra to third place. The combined class for touring cars fell to Enrico Spaggiari (Ford Mustang) from the Mini Coopers of Andrea Stortoni and Ron Maydon.

An extract from a Masters Press release.