See all Stirling Moss Trophy at the Silverstone Classic Photos

The outcome of the Stirling Moss Trophy race for genuine, pre-1961 sportscars and sports-racers changed dramatically in the final few laps of the hour-long race. From the start, Jamie McIntyre took full advantage of his Lister Knobbly’s pole position to pull out a convincing lead on the rest of the field.

By lap 21, this lead had built to more than 20 seconds over the second car in the field – none other than the Lotus 15 of Jamie’s brother Ewan. However, the result was decided when a fuel pump problem for Jamie’s Lister gave Ewan exactly the opportunity he needed, and he wasted no time in sweeping through to take the lead – just before a mercifully short safety car period four laps from the end. Now struggling to maintain his laptimes, Jamie ultimately dropped to sixth, allowing the father-and-son team of Alan and Jason Minshaw in their Maserati T61 ‘Birdcage’ to finish second, scarcely more than one second ahead of the fabulous Lister Costin of Andrew Garner and Gary Pearson.



In fourth place was the famous, 1959 Le Mans-winning Aston Martin DBR1, driven by the 1970 Le Mans winner Richard Attwood and – in his first race at the wheel of this car – Bobby Verdon-Roe, while the Wood/McCaig Lister Jaguar Knobbly was the other car to make it past Jamie as a result of his fuel pump woes.

 

See all Stirling Moss Woodcote Trophy at the Silverstone Classic Photos

Sir Stirling Moss, in his first race since breaking both ankles in a fall down his lift shaft earlier this year, made a glorious comeback at the wheel of his little OSCA FS372 in Saturday’s Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy race at the Silverstone Classic. Enjoying a friendly ‘grudge match’ against rock star Chris Rea, who was driving a Lotus VI in the same class, Sir Stirling drove with characteristic speed and professional precision, much to the delight of the crowds.

Although Chris Rea and co-driver Richard Hodson qualified nine places on the grid ahead of Sir Stirling and co-driver Ian Nuthall, Moss’s familiar red OSCA climbed steadily up the field, until Sir Stirling was leading the class. But, with just 10 minutes of the hour-long race still to run, he was forced to pull into the pits and retire when his gearbox stuck in fourth – gifting the class victory to Rea and Hodson. “We were flying and I really enjoyed it,” said Moss afterwards.

At the front of the 48-car grid, the competition was just as fierce, with the pole-sitting Jaguar D-type of Gavin Pickering and Spencer Marsh holding its own to claim victory against an incredible performance by Will Arif and Alex Buncombe, who brought their drum-braked C-type to an impressive second place – ahead of the Maserati A6GCS of Lukas Huni and Gary Pearson.

 

See all Masters Historic Racing Photos

Bill Coombs’s two races in the Grand Prix Masters (1970s and 1980s F1 cars) races at Silverstone over the Classic Weekend (July 24/25) had an additional and unexpectedly rewarding outcome for him.

Late yesterday evening, the owner and president of the French horological design company, Bernard Richard, of Bernard Richard Manufacture (BRM watches), decided that Bill was the “Driver of the Silverstone Classic Weekend”, and so awarded him a top of the range BRM watch in the event’s closing ceremony right at the end of the meeting.

Bill had taken third place in Saturday’s Grand Prix Masters race after gearbox problems had dropped him back from an early lead, in the Tyrrell 009 which run by Peter Orlando’s squad. Then in race two on Sunday, in front of a bumper crowd, Bill was able to win from Steve Hartley’s Arrows by just a few seconds – but not by enough to win on combined race results, that honour going to Hartley.

Bill’s racing, however, in the opinion of Monsieur Richard and the fellow judges, was an outstanding one and a real treat for the crowd – the award proved a popular choice as well, marking as it does the first ever time that any Masters racing member has won such an award at one of Europe’s main historic festivals.

Bill Coombs and Tyrrell will next be out with Grand Prix Masters at the much anticipated re-opening of Donington, on September 3-5th.

The 2010 Masters season now races on, with two grids at Castle Combe this coming weekend, and three grids at the Nurburgring Oldtimer on August 14/15.

 

Some of the biggest icons in the history of West Country motorsport will be gathering at Castle Combe over the weekend of July 31 and August 1 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the circuit at its Diamond Anniversary race meeting.

A packed weekend centres around historic race cars, the highlight for many being the 10 lap Historic Anniversary Trophy race for cars from the 50's and 60's.

There are a number of prestigious entries, none more so than three times Monaco Historic Grand Prix winner, Julian Bronson, from Bristol. Fresh from a win at the Le Mans classic in his Talbot, the former Autograsser drives his 6.7 litre Corvette and will be a strong contender for victory.

Veteran Castle Combe driver, Ted Williams from Nailsea, is in a Healey 100, whilst completing the triumvirate of long standing local circuit supporters is Frampton Cotterell's George Douglas in his well known Ginetta G16.

Another great talent is New Zealand driver Neil Cunningham, his versatility extending to a Jaguar this time, with fellow countryman, Ross Maxwell, in a Chevron B8 and other international competition from Patrice Wattinne from France in a Turner.

Other local entries include the Lotus Elan 26R from Dursley's John Watson, plus the Frogeye Sprite of Charles Marriot and the Healey Silverstone of Chris Berens, both from Cirencester.

Invitation entries in the spirit of the race include the legendary Cologne Capri of Vince Woodman from Chipping Sodbury, which is worth attending for on its own. Bristol's Chris Clarkson is also an invitee in his BMW 2002.

Williams, Watson and Douglas also feature in the prestigious 40 minute Guards Trophy race, joined by Nigel Williams from Bristol in a 1965 Alfa TZ. Swindon's Ed Lovett is one of half a dozen Chevron drivers in his B8.

 

FORD V8 legend Dick Johnson and Dakar Rally star Bruce Garland, two of Australian motorsport’s most colourful personalities, won’t race straight for the chequered when they contest the annual historic Leyburn Sprints on the Queensland Darling Downs next month – they’re bound to go sideways!

Three-time Bathurst winner Johnson will take time out from running his pace-setting V8 Supercar team to drive a Ford Falcon GT HO powered by a thundering American NASCAR racing truck engine at the 21-22 August event.

Garland, who finished an incredible 11th outright aboard an Isuzu ute in the 2009 Dakar desert raid in South America, has entered his “other car”, a classic rally 1979 Ford Escort RS2000.

Johnson, wrestling with a 700 horsepower engine and small tyres, and Garland the irrepressible showman should provide spectators with plenty of entertainment as they power-slide their cars around a freshly-surfaced, one-kilometre street course.

“The track will be the best we’ve had in 15 years and provide plenty of scope for Dick and Bruce to demonstrate why they have been among Australia’s most skilled drivers for decades,” Organising Committee President Ann Collins said.

“They’re not only great drivers but also great personalities and they’re bound to be popular with the Leyburn Sprints crowd.”

The six-turn track, which starts near Shane Webcke’s historic Royal Hotel, races past residents’ front yards and finishes near the primary school, was re-surfaced this week with smooth hot-mix bitumen in a $100,000 support deal provided by Boral Asphalt and the Southern Downs Regional Council.