News in brief, November 2004

Organisers of the Angoulême meeting have announced plans to host a race solely for Maserati 250Fs during its 2005 Circuit des Remparts. It hopes to attract a dozen cars. As part of the announcement German Klaus Edel demonstrated chassis 2507 at the 2004 event.

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During the VSCCs See Red event at Donington, Scuderia Ferrari driver Andrea Bertolini unofficially broke the lap record. In a 2002 F1 car (below), he lapped in 54.937sec. nearly a second under the mark set by Scott Mansell’s Benetton in a BOSS race this year.

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Historic racers Chris Smith and Mark Green are recovering well from injuries sustained during the summer. Smith is now home and making good progress after his major shunt at Goodwood, while Green is on the mend after his fiery Lotus 23B accident at Silverstone in July, and is expected back racing in 2005.

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Nick Whale has acquired the ex-Pierre Dieudonne BMW CSL ‘Batmobile’ previously raced by the late Tim Busby. Whale has added the car to his stable, having originally intended to share the car with Busby in 2004.

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As well as the cars contesting the ERA 70th Anniversary Race at Donington, several others were on display in the paddock: Nick Mason’s R10B, ‘Romulus’ R2B and the GP2 E-Type from Donington’s Collection.

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Paul Knapfield took a first win in his ex-Le Mans Ferrari 512BB at Donington in the Shell Ferrari-Maserati Challenge. The car previously finished eighth at Le Mans in 1980 in the hands of Dieudonne/ Xhençeval/Regout. Knapfield acquired the car from America and has entrusted it to Roelofs Engineering in Holland.

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Flip Golding returned to co-driving after 20 years away to partner Francis Tuthill on the Trackrod Historic Cup. Despite several minutes in a ditch on the final stage, their Porsche 911 finished sixth in class. Previously they had finished 12th and first privateers on the 1981 RAC Rally.