RAC Brigton Run

RAC Brighton Run

BEAUTIFUL weather greeted the 330 starters at the Hyde Park start, where GP star Derek Warwick and his wife Rhonda (below) set off in a 1900 single-cylinder Renault. Below left is R. Middleton’s 5, hp Locomobile Steamer, and above that a 1903 De Dion Bouton is overtaken by a 6 hp single-cylinder Speedwell. Despite some problems, MOTORSPORT’s editor Bill BoddY (above, successfully gained Madeira Drive at the wheel of the National Motor Museum’s 9036 hp De Dion, the journey taking six hours.

FORMULA FORD FESTIVAL, BRANDS HATCH

g1-2=,Eerfr°,,rnavt:Pc’oey”,;,” q7,,v:rnotuEt nlindn%Graei rdri luaysnr= Tonna’ et gns

Bancroft and Bertrand Gachot, through Paddock Bend on the first lap of the final. (21 John Pratt began the Festival as one of the favourites, and though he started his semi-final on pole, he spun away his chances on the second lap when trying to take the lead front Buzaid. Here he is just ahead of Tim Jones. The engine in Pratt’s Reynard is the Minister works unit, “Patch” which had powered the previous four Festival winners. (31 Dave Coyne (Van Diemen) narrowly leads Alvaro Buzaid (Reynard) in the second quarter-final. The Brazilian won the heat by 0.07s from Coyne but in the final, his engine blew up when lying third and Coyne was pushed off the track, though recovered to finish 11th. 141 The winner, Gerrit can Kouwen in his Lola T644E, a car which all the “experts. had declared to be uncompetitive this season. By recording the first FF1600 sub-49 sec lap, the Dutchman won himself an additional £5,000 to go with the glory. 151 Completing a splendid first season in motor racing, Jonathan Bancroft brought his Fleynard home fourth to be the first British finisher. Here he is seen fending off Mark Peters’ works Van Diemen.