Through the 1960s , Ford Anglias were a constant in Special Saloon racing . More than half a century later , they are still a competitive proposition in Historic Touring Cars , notably in the very capable hands of Neil Wood and Harry Phelps . Paul Lawrence found out more .

Neil Wood

Harry Phelps

Phelps at the Oulton Park Gold Cup

Historic Touring Car racing is often fronted by Ford Mustangs , Ford Falcons and Ford Lotus Cortinas . But there has always been another option from the blue oval in form of the Anglia . Back in the day , Anglias were raced by a wide array of drivers from Terry McNally to Roger Williamson and more recently Bob Bullen has been HTC champion in his familiar car . During 2021 , two drivers from opposite ends of the experience spectrum , seasoned racer Neil Wood and novice Harry Phelps , headed the Anglia assault as they took on the V8s and the Lotuspowered Cortinas .

In both cases , racing is in the family and for Neil the story starts at around the time he was born . “ My father Barry started racing in 1961 . He raced an Anglia at Snetterton when I was due , 60 years ago ,” said Neil . “ He designed the Shapecraft Elans and he ’ s still with us and he ’ s 86-years-old .” Barry raced Modsports Midgets and Ginettas until he had a career-ending accident at Castle Combe when he hit a marshals ’ post . “ In the 1980s he bought Mike Crabtree ’ s Lotus Cortina Mk1 . As a toddler I ’ d been going racing with dad . In fact , he even raced a Formula 3 car at one point at Monaco .”

The Crabtree car eventually led the Woods into the formative era of historic touring car racing . “ He bought the Cortinas so I bought this Anglia in 1989 off the guy who built it on a shoestring . His name is Jeff Pollitt , who I was reintroduced to at Oulton Park last year . He actually had a tear in his eye when he saw the car and how it is now .” It was

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