RACE PREVIEW
Doug Graham ( Lotus Eleven - similar to Martin O ’ Connell ’ s wet winner last year ) and Peter Ashdown in one of the superb little Lola Mk1s .
It is entirely appropriate that this colourful decade of sports racers graced the BRDC ’ s inaugural Historic Festival in 1990 - when Ray Mallock won in Aston Martin DBR2 / 1 - and has been celebrated at every evolution of the event over the past three decades .
Maserati drivers Peter Hannen ( 250S ), Lindsay Owen-Jones ( T61 Birdcage ) and Willie Green ( 300S ) tasted victory too , as did Australian Matthew Martin in a Ferrari Dino in ’ 95 . Since then , Lister-Jaguars , Lotus 15s and Cooper Monaco drivers have done most of the winning , although Alan Minshaw ( Maserati T61 ) and Gregor Fisken and Sam Hancock ( Ferrari 246S ) have kept Italy rejoicing .
Since 2006 , when the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy first presented a separate showcase for Pre- ’ 56 cars , Jaguar D-types - which had not had a look-in overall since Frank Sytner ’ s victories in the mid-1990s - have been under the spotlight once more . Gary Pearson , the most successful driver in the event ’ s history , has thus added six wins to his four in Lister-Jags on the Pre- ’ 61 side of the equation , which Motor Racing Legends has promoted as the Stirling Moss Trophy since 2010 . Cooper-Jaguar T33 ( John Young / Chris Ward ) and T38 ( Fred Wakeman / Patrick Blakeney-Edwards ) models have also won , but Martin Stretton / Fisken ( HWM- Jaguar ) topped the Woodcote runners after an incredible final lap last year . This year ’ s bumper grid will present a hotly contested battle between Chris Ward ’ s Lister Knobbly and James Cottingham ’ s Ecurie Ecosse Tojeiro Jaguar .
No one who braved the wet 2019 edition of The Classic will forget Martin O ’ Connell ’ s
Friday 11:24 - 11:51 RACE 12 Sunday 09:40 - 10:30
exhilarating drive in Sandy Watson ’ s Lotus X1 in the rain and dark , claimed by many to be some of the most difficult conditions they had ever faced . Martin gave a stunning demonstration in a car that , despite having a smaller engine than its compatriots , is nimble and handles beautifully in the wet in the right hands . Andrew Kirkcaldy lines up with Watson this year , another seriously handy driver and he is looking to add to his Robert Brooks Trophy win at Goodwood this spring . Gary Pearson might have other ideas however in the Lister Knobbly that he shares with GT supremo , Alex Brundle . Fred Wakeman ’ s ex-Tommy Sopwith Cooper T38 is always in the fight for the Woodcote Trophy but a prowl of Jaguars will be snapping at his heels , the Rudolf Friedrichs and George Pochciol C-types and Eastick / Jones D-type are well worth an each-way punt as they will be looking to get a trophy on the shelf ahead of the 50s showdown at the iconic Spa- Francorchamps next month for the Spa Six Hours Meeting .
MARCUS PYE
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