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Heritage Grand Touring Car Challenge
Capacity field for Heritage opener at
Donington
With a capacity grid of sports, saloon and GT cars of the 1960s and
1970s, the 2008 Heritage Grand Touring Car Challenge is set for a mighty
start at Donington Park during the MSVR race meeting on 12/13 April.
The spectacular series of races for period machinery is an incredibly
popular part of the British motor racing scene, with cars ranging from
Mini Coopers to Ford Mustangs and from Jaguar E Types to Sunbeam Tigers
and Aston Martin V8s. The bigger cars have more power than grip, so the
action is always fast and furious and the two-driver format makes for
some great racing.
Topping the entry in a fascinating new driver line-up in the Sunbeam
Tiger of Jackie Cochrane from Northern Ireland. This is the car that set
the pace in several Heritage GT events in 2007 and Cochrane has now
teamed up with multiple BTCC champion Andy Rouse. Although he has never
raced the 4.7-litre car before, Rouse has a vast amount of experience
and they will make a formidable driver pairing.
Ranged against the Tiger is a gaggle of potential race winners,
including the mighty Aston Martin V8s of Chris Scragg and Roger
Bennington/Les Goble. However, another Tiger could be a big contender as
Chris Beighton and Jon Finnemore join the series in their very well
sorted Tiger. Having been stars of the British GT Championship in recent
seasons in a Marcos, Beighton and Finnemore are now switching focus to
the Heritage series and will surely fly.
Thundering American V8s are always a popular element of the HGT entry
and at least eight of them will pack the grid at Donington. Father and
son team Arthur and Boysie Thurtle will be very quick in their 5.9-litre
Chevrolet Camaro, Alec Hammond is a leading runner in his Camaro and the
Ford Mustang of father and daughter Robin and Zoe North is also very
rapid.
But along with all the American V8s, it could be an example of Malvern’s
finest that is setting the pace as Rick Lloyd and Peter Horsman campaign
Lloyd’s Morgan +8.
In class C for the less modified V8s, the hard-charging MGB GTV8 of Roy
McCarthy will be the benchmark and he’s likely to be up among the very
fastest cars in the race. The Morgan +8 of Tony Lees is another class C
contender from a fabulous field of Aston Martins, Jaguars, Mustangs and
the glorious Iso Rivolta GT of Alan Collett.
The two classes for the less powerful cars will produce races within the
race, with the Ford Escort of Laki Christoforou sure to be quick in
class B as the Mini Coopers of Conor O’Brien and Harvey Death take on
the Lotus Cortina of racing newcomer Kate Bennington in class A. Kate
and her father Roger are the driving forces behind the series from
Heritage Racing Support, and they will both have the chance to join in
the fun at Donington Park.
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