From the drop of the flag on Saturday to the final chequered on Sunday, Aston Club Racing’s showcase meeting of the season saw high-class action from start to finish of the two-day Brands Hatch extravaganza. Every one of the eleven races were well supported with spectacular machinery, their drivers creating memorable battles and gripping action from their performances on both the Grand Prix and Indy circuits.
The event was supported by revered modern and historic races, which swelled ACR grids with rare competition cars and talented drivers. The dedicated AMOC Racing core demonstrated that AMOC Racing is a hotbed of talent, pulling out all the stops with many gallant perfomances against the visitors. This was no-more so demonstrated than in the two Intermarque Championship races, supported by CLS, where the main-stay ran head to head with their comrades from the AMR GT4 Challenge of Great Britain who had already enjoyed their own dedicated endurance race on Saturday. Chris Scragg verified his talents with two wins in his Aston Martin V8, staving off machines that were in the main 40 years junior to his 1973 raider. Similarly, AMOC Racing regular, Nick Naismith powered his 1961 Aston Martin DB4 to double AMOC ‘50s Sports Car incorporating the Vredestein Jaguar XK Challenge victories thwarting challenges from Till Bechtolsheimer’s burly Allard J2 on Saturday and Ben Suckburgh’s potent Lister Jaguar on Sunday. The ‘50s races were supported by Coffetek.
A highlight of the weekend for many was the Pre-War Challenge as Frazer Nash expert, Patrick Blakeney-Edwards, defied the challenge of the rain sodden track, gliding his unique ‘Nash saloon, ‘Owlet’, to victory, twenty seconds ahead of Clive Morley’s fiendish Bentley 3/41�2. John Payne and Brian White ensured their 1963 Triumph TR4 is the one to beat in “Equipe”GTS taking a victory apiece in their 2.1 litre raider in races supported by Archover.
Motor Racing Legends' prestigious RAC Woodcote Trophy for genuine sports cars from the Pre-'56 era saw an esteemed grid contest Sunday’s opener. After the pole sitting Lotus Mk X of Malcolm Paul and Rick Bourne spun off on the first lap, a thrilling dice between Cooper Bristol racer, John Ure and Joe Singer’s Kurtis 500S developed. Excitement intensified as they were then reeled in by Simon Hadfield, the second driver in Wolfgang Friedrichs’s stunning Aston Martin DB3S; the top three crossing the line split by a mere 6.9 seconds at the conclusion of the 55 minute race.
Sunday’s finale was an impressive endurance race for the GT and Sports Car Cup which saw Chris Scragg back in the winner’s enclosure after a fine performance in the Jaguar E-Type he shares with Matt Nicoll-Jones. He held his nerve from looming Jaguar E-Type pilot, Gregor Fisken to win the hour and a half epic that was made memorable by heavy rain showers and safety car periods.
Peter Snowdon extended his dominance of the ‘Innes Ireland Cup’, completing a hat-trick of poles and victories in Matt Le Breton’s potent 1961 Jaguar Lightweight E-Type. We’ll find out if he can complete the picture when he contests the final round at the next AMOC Racing event at Snetterton on 29 September.
