IN ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB TOURIST TROPHY CENTENARY
Pedro Lamy and Peter Kox, driving the new Aston Martin DBR9, were declared winners of the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy at the British round of the FIA GT Championship on Sunday May 15th at Silverstone. Following in the tyre tracks of many of motor sport’s greats, including Caracciola, Nuvolari, Stirling Moss, Graham Hill, Denny Hulme, Innes Ireland, Andrea de Adamich and Derek Bell, Lamy and Kox continued Aston Martin’s association with the Tourist Trophy in what proved to be a thrilling race, with Maserati fighting hard right to the last lap to take first place.
But Aston Martin weren’t just satisfied with first place and the Tourist Trophy. Lamy and Kox’s car finished just 1.9 seconds ahead of the team's second car, driven by David Brabham and Darren Turner, after a breathtaking final stint during which the two cars battled for the lead, all the while being chased down by the Vitaphone Racing Team Maserati MC 12 of Babini and Biagi.
Aston Martin has won the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy three times since it was launched in 1905. In 1953, an Aston Martin DB3S was driven by Peter Collins and Pat Griffith to take the title. And Stirling Moss drove to success at Goodwood in the DBR1 in 1958 and 1959.
Tim Keown, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club says “The British round of the FIA GT Championship certainly fulfilled all our expectations in providing a perfect setting for the return of the Tourist Trophy in its centenary year. The Tourist Trophy is now, we believe, firmly back in the modern motor sports calendar and this weekend’s event certainly bodes well for us continuing to be associated with the FIA GT Championship for the Trophy in 2006 and beyond.
“The FIA GT Championship, with its world leading manufacturers, teams and drivers offers the ideal platform for reviving what was the ultimate achievement in grand-touring competition. We have now introduced a piece of British motor racing history to today’s generation and that in itself is cause for a celebration.”
The first ever Tourist Trophy was held in 1905 and set the stage for a contest that had appeal spanning a century. It became one of the most prestigious and coveted titles in motor racing, and the return of the Tourist Trophy by the Royal Automobile Club this year ensures that the very best driving skills and automotive engineering continue to be put to the test. Having started in the early 20th century, providing the ideal opportunity to demonstrate the latest in motor sports and motor engineering, the return of the Tourist Trophy will now provide the ideal setting for the best motor sports skill and motoring technology of the 21st century.
