We are the Champions

Formula Junior Champions

After the final round in Jerez in October, the 2023 Lurani Trophy results are in with seven class champions.  

Class A Giampaolo Benedini (OSCA FJ)

Class B2 Duncan Rabagliati (Alexis HF1)

Class C2 Carlo Del Conte (Wainer)

Class D1 Bob Birrell (Lotus 20)

Class D2 Pierre Guichard (Lynx T3)

Class E1 Horatio Fitz-Simon (Lotus 22)

Class E2 Petter Huse (Focus Mv IV)

Overall, the most points were achieved by Horatio Fitz-Simon, driving a Lotus 22.  The UK Silverline Championship was won by Nic Carlton-Smith, who drove a Kieft FJ, Elva 100 and Elva 200 during the season.  Highest scorer in the Silverline Front-Engined Championship this year was Alex Morton driving a Condor SII.  Congratulations to all the champs and to all who participated.

Tyrell Tops Masters Racing Legends 2023

With the Algarve Classic Festival’s schedule running late on the back of a few earlier delays, the Masters Racing Legends field hurried to get on the grid for their second race of the day – and their final one of the season, on Saturday afternoon.  Just a few laps into the race, the safety car was called out as the Tyrrell 011s of Jamie Constable and Ken Tyrrell were leading in that order.  Some four minutes remained when the green flag was waved, and it would be a sprint to the chequered flag.  At the restart, Tyrrell got the drop on Constable to take the lead, and Werner d’Ansembourg followed him through into second.

Showing great style, Tyrrell clocked the fastest lap of the race to put nine tenths between himself and his Belgian pursuer, and going into the final lap, added three more tenths to take his fourth win of the season and the 2023 Masters Racing Legends Post ’78 Championship.  In the words of our reporter, “It was the perfect way for Tyrrell to cap a title-winning campaign in what has definitely turned out to be one of historic motor racing’s fairy tale stories – the American namesake of the legendary Formula One team owner turning up in the actual Tyrrell chassis in which he briefly sat as a teenager to not only start winning races, but also to lift the coveted title in his third year of trying.” 

Other Masters Champions

Already known were the F1 champs, with Nick Padmore taking the pre-‘78 class and Ken Tyrrell taking the win for cars with ground effects.  Second and third behind Tyrrell were Lauda class winner Michael Lyons (Lotus 92) and Mike Cantillon (Williams FW07C).  Matthew Wrigley (Penske PC3), and Stewart class winner, Ewen Sergison (Surtees TS9B) shared the pre-‘78 podium with Padmore.

Amongst other winners was Masters boss Ron Maydon himself, who took the prototype title in the Masters Endurance Legends series, driving a Ligier-Nissan JSP3.  GT honours in the same series went to Günther Alth in an Aston Martin GT3.  

The overall sports car trophy went to Stephan Jöbstl and Andy Willis for their efforts in a Lola T210 and Lola T70 Mk3B over the season.  John Spiers and Nigel Greensall (McLaren M1B) and  Jason Wright (Lola T70 Mk3B) finished in joint second place.

Spiers and Greensall also took overall Gentlemen Drivers honours, in a TVR Griffith, with Giles Dawson (Lotus Elan) coming second and winning the CLP class.  Ron Maydon and Robin Ward took a Ginetta G4R to third.

New Masters Touring Car champ is Sam Tordoff (Ford Falcon, right), with Harry Barton (BMW 1800 tiSA) and James Hagan/Stephen Mawhinney (Ford Lotus Cortina) taking second and third respectively.

VHC VdeV Endurance Challenge

Paul and Matthieu Chateaux 

2023 Champions

At the end of the three events that made up the 2023 VHC V de V Challenge calendar Paul and Matthieu Chateaux have won the season title.  Competing in the first two races of  the year at the wheel  of a BMW 635 CSI prepared by them, they showed  great  consistency, and thanks to  their  second place overall   (first in the  Touring category) in the 6H V de V at the Grand Prix de France Historique, then their overall (Touring Car category) victory at the 6 Hours of Barcelona, the  Chateaux family was at the  top of  the  provisional general classification before the  final round of the 2 Tours d’Horloge run in November. 

Rather than finish the season with their Munich sedan, they chose to take on a new challenge and, two months before the last race of the season, the Châteaux family embarked on the preparation of a Chevron B16.  The quality of their work shone through, with a fourth overall finish and first in the SP category with Matthieu and Paul Châteaux teamed up for the occasion with Alexandre Faucher and Franck Morel.  A result that consolidated their lead and their victory in the final general classification of the VHC V de V Endurance Challenge.

Alfa Revival Cup

Michael Erlich is the new Alfa Revival Cup champion, after he completed a consistent run of great performances in the F TC 1600 class in his OKP Alfa Delta Racing Team Alfa Romeo GTA.  Behind him in the points were fellow Swiss drivers Peter Bachofen and co-driver Roberto Restelli in their GTAm, racing in the most highly contested category with the most entries.  Third in the overall standings, Edoardo Caponi and Fabrizio Sabatini (Jolly Car Squadra Corse), also drove a GTAm.  Series sponsor OKP Alfa Delta Racing Team was winner of the team award supporting a high number of top-level cars and crews.

HSCC 2023 Champions

After the last month’s HSCC Silverstone Finals meeting (see the November issue), the points have been counted and the 2023 HSCC champions have all been named.

Historic F2 –  Luciano Arnold Brabham BT36

Guards Trophy – Steve Nuttall Chevron B8

Historic F3 – Samuel Harrison Brabham BT 21B

Historic FJ – Nic Carlton-Smith Kieft

70’s Road Sports – Mark Leverett Lotus Elan S4

Classic F3 – Ben Stiles Van Diemen RF82

Historic FF2000 – Graham Fennymore Reynard SF81

Historic FF – Callum Grant Merlyn Mk20A

Classic FF – Ben Tinkler Van Diemen RF80

Historic Touring – Nigel Cox Lotus Cortina

Historic Road Sports – John Shaw Morgan Plus 8

Aurora Trophy – Frank Lyons Lola T332

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to all the new Champions!