One of the most important Grand Prix cars of the 1960s, the Lotus 25 raced by Jim Clark, will make a return to Oulton Park for the Historic Sports Car Club's Gold Cup meeting over the Bank Holiday weekend of 30/31 August.
The Lotus 25 was one of the most significant cars in Formula 1 development of the 1960s, and was the first such car to feature a monocoque chassis construction. Clark won the 1963 World Championship in chassis R4, taking wins in the Belgian, Dutch, French and British Grands Prix as well as in the non-championship Gold Cup race at Oulton Park. In September 1963, Clark dominated the Gold Cup and recorded the first 100mph lap of the Cheshire track.
Now, after a gap of nearly 46 years, Lotus 25 chassis R4 will return to Oulton Park for the Gold Cup weekend to race in the pair of races for the Historic Grand Prix Car Association. Subject to a final shakedown at the Lotus test track, chassis R4 will race for the first time in nearly 40 years. At the wheel will be Lancastrian former touring car racer Andy Middlehurst, who is a life-long fan of Jim Clark.
The famous Lotus sold for close to US $1 million at auction late last year and is not thought to have raced since 1970. The car has spent most of the intervening years in New Zealand and Australia; it is now owned by Australian John Bowers and is being tended by Classic Team Lotus. "The owner wants to see the car race in Europe," said CTL's Clive Chapman, the son of Lotus founder Colin.
Formula 5000 40th anniversary celebrations
To mark the 40th anniversary of the inaugural British Formula 5000 Championship race, the category is being celebrated at the Oulton Park Gold Cup and a number of former F5000 racers will be on hand to join in the celebrations and meet the fans.
Peter Gethin, Gordon Spice, Teddy Pilette, Robin Darlington, Mike Walker and Alan Rollinson are all expected, with both Gethin and Pilette being double Formula 5000 champions from the heyday of the category in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They will be at the circuit on Sunday and will be based in garage number one, adjacent to race control.
As well as the former drivers, there will be a strong presence of Formula 5000 race cars during the weekend in two races for the HSCC's Historic Formula 5000 and Formula 2 Championship. No less than 14 Formula 5000 monsters are due out this weekend in one of the strongest fields of the season.
Tommy Entwistle – 88 years of age and still racing
One of the most remarkable drivers in action over the Gold Cup weekend will be 88-year old Tommy Entwistle, the oldest driver in Britain to hold an international race licence.
Tommy, who has been racing since the early 1950s, will race his TVR Grantura in the Guards Trophy race on Monday and will be partnered in the two-driver race by Trevor Farrington from Knutsford, who also prepares the TVR for racing.
As well as being an accomplished racing driver, Tommy has an amazing background as he was a Spitfire pilot during the Second World War and was one of the first jet fighter pilots in the RAF. Tommy comes from Bamber Bridge near Preston and, apparently, still goes to the gym every day!
Bumper grids for HSCC Gold Cup
Underlining the status of the Gold Cup as one of the most important historic race meetings on the calendar, the Historic Sports Car Club has attracted a superb entry for the 18-race programme.
Around 400 cars will be in action, with near capacity grids for two races for Formula Junior single-seaters, two races for the Guards Trophy Sports Racing and GT Championship and 30-car grids for both the Classic Formula 3 Championship and Historic Formula Ford 2000 Series. Even the smallest grid of the weekend will include 22 cars.
