Sytner takes BRDC Sportscar crown at Spa

Despite moving from Imola to Spa, the final round of the BRDC Historic Sports Car Championship drew a modest field, with 16 cars making the trip fora double-header race in the Ardennes. A win and a second were enough to confirm Frank Sytner as overall champion in his ex-Stirling Moss Cooper Monaco.

John Harper got the better of Sytner in the opening race, finishing just 0.3sec in hand over Sytner after 24 minutes of hard racing. Philip Walker netted third in his Lotus 15 on only his second weekend in the championship.

However, it was the story in the 1500cc class that was helping Sytner’s progress towards the title. Peter Austin’s Lola Mk2 could have hindered Sytner’s title progress, but the small number of Class B cars meant the points on offer were reduced.Compounding Austin’s problems was Mark Griffiths (Lotus 11) who defeated the Lola twice.

Sytner then set the seal on his title in Sunday’s second race when Harper retired, leaving Walker to give spirited chase to the leading Cooper. Alan Minshaw was again the best of the rest in his beautifully presented Maserati Birdcage. Austin took the 1500cc category tide and Nick Wigley topped the pre-54 class in his Tojeiro Bristol.