Esprit emerges: Howard-Chappell’s return
Johnny Herbert’s 1992-93 Method 1 Lotus engineer George Howard-Chappell raced his Esprit Turbo for the primary time since 750 Motor Membership Roadsports in 1994 within the Trendy Classics contest at Donington Park final weekend.
Purchased again from Nick Olson, it was rebuilt throughout COVID lockdowns. “The rain didn’t assist us [he spun out after touching a McLeans kerb] however we’d give anyone a run for his or her cash within the dry,” he stated.
George’s stellar CV lists Lotus Engineering – growing Esprit GT2, Esprit V8 and Elise GT1 V8 – British Touring Automobiles with Honda, and 14 years at Prodrive spanning BTCC Ford Mondeo, Ferrari 550 Maranello and Aston Martin’s DBR9 V12 to prototypes. He now works for Multimatic Racing Europe.
Uncommon Alfa: Edmond’s Junior Zagato
Edmond’s Alfa is one in all only a handful of examples on the planet
Picture by: Steve Jones
Homologated in 1969, Nick Edmond’s Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato 1300 is one in all 4 identified competizione JZs on the planet and distinctive to the UK.
Primarily based on a shortened Spider chassis with Zagato-designed physique, the mannequin was twice the worth of a Jaguar E-type when launched!
It was discovered as a shell in Germany, and Edmond rebuilt it right into a racer over 10 years at N-Sport Racing. He completed second in school, and twenty third total, within the Group 1 Swinging Sixties race at Donington.
A nationwide rally champion within the Eighties, driving a Rover Vitesse, Edmond additionally contested world championship occasions, retiring after the 1991 Swedish Rally. He took up racing aged 60 within the BMW Compact Cup earlier than switching to the Alfa.
New Quickest Mini within the World: Billingham’s Clubman
There was no stopping Billingham on the Mini Pageant as he gained each races
Picture by: Gary Hawkins
With Harvey Loss of life’s Rollcentre V8 Mini absent this yr, there was an opportunity for a distinct machine to be topped Quickest Mini within the World within the two races at Manufacturers Hatch’s Mini Pageant final weekend.
That honour fell to Richard Billingham, whose two-litre Vauxhall VXR turbo-powered Austin Mini Clubman dominated each contests.
INSIGHT: Driving the Fastest Minis in the World with a Le Mans winner
Along with showcasing a number of the strongest and extremely modified Minis, the Quickest Mini within the World race additionally attracts drivers from world wide. Making his first look at Manufacturers Hatch on Sunday was Sri Lankan Ashan Silva on the wheel of his two-litre Mini Spaceframe.
After qualifying on the entrance row for the primary race, Silva claimed a podium end in race one with third behind race common Invoice Richards (Maguire Mini Duratec Traveller).
Nasamax in motion: An authentic LMP1
Hancock had a run within the automobile that first raced twenty years in the past as a Reynard
Picture by: Peter Scherer
Final raced at Spa in 2004, the Nasamax LMP1 automobile, which initially competed as a Reynard 01Q, had a check run at Donington Park on the finish of final month in Sam Hancock’s palms.
The automobile tackled the 2003 Le Mans 24 Hours with Robbie Stirling, Romain Dumas and Werner Lupberger utilizing bioethanol, and set the quickest time of the weekend by means of the Mulsanne pace lure. The automobile was the primary ever to be homologated for LMP1 in 2004 and now sports activities a 5.5-litre, 650bhp, Judd V10.
Stirling nonetheless owns the automobile, which was additionally pushed by his son Dean later within the check.
Hancock additionally had a run out within the ex-DAMS Lola B98/10 that took 4 wins within the 1999 Sports activities Racing World Cup, and has been in a museum since 2002.
Pics of the week:
Andrew Jordan (l) and Nick Padmore get a bit of too shut at Manufacturers Hatch of their Mini Miglia battle
Picture by: Gary Hawkins
Geoff Beale will get sideways in his Talbot Sunbeam Lotus at Donington Park
Picture by: Steve Jones