News in brief, October 2004

A 20-strong Lotus class arranged by Classic Team Lotus contested the August event at Shelsley Walsh. Cars ranged from Steve Cropley’s Lotus 6 to the ex-Nigel Mansell 87B of David Coplowe. James Denty topped the times in his ex-Jock Russell Lotus 70 despite a trip into the gravel trap after the finish line.

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Chris Drake has put his ex-Graham Hill Lotus 16 up for sale. The first 16 to be built, it was also raced by Cliff Allison during the 1958 season.

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Frank Sytner was forced to miss the Group 4 races at the Oulton Park Gold Cup meeting after his Lola suffered a broken front hub in qualifying. Sytner had helicoptered in from Donington Park where he was racing his Penske PC3 on the same day. Richard Attwood missed the HGPCA race at the same event when his Brabham BT11 suffered a broken wishbone in practice.

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Simon Pullan missed Group C qualifying at Donington after his Porsche 962 had an engine fire in free practice. With the car repaired, the youngster battled from the back of the grid to third, only to suffer a major engine failure after seven laps.

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Oulton Park commentator Mike Cookson celebrated 50 years of attending the Gold Cup by commentating from Knickerbrook at this year’s meeting. He was at Oulton for the first Gold Cup in 1954 as an eager 12-year-old.

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A record crowd of 10,000 fans attended the Rally Supercar Day at Castle Combe in mid-August. As well as Colin and Alistair McRae, Pentti Airikkala, John Taylor and Tony Mason were on hand, along with a host of cars from the Group B era.

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BRDC Historic Sports contenders Ted Williams and John Harper battled for honours at the Oulton Park Gold Cup, nearly 40 years on from their debuts at the track: Williams first raced there in 1965 in a Ford Anglia, two years before Harper made his debut in an E-type.

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Despite his accident on the Isle of Man, historic Escort ace David Stokes hopes to be competing before the year’s end.