While Donington Park played host to a smorgasbord of classic machinery during the Equipe Classic Racing weekend, it was the John Chatham Healey Challenge contest that delivered the most excitement, as Jack Rawles took the flag after a ferocious dice with Marc Campfield and Jack and Oliver Chatham.
It was Rawles’ Healey 3000 that led on the opening tour but quickly lost out to the Chatham duo’s similar car on the second lap. Soon it was Campfield’s turn to lead the squabbling trio before a quick pitstop from Rawles enabled him to emerge ahead, until he unexpectedly slowed.
“Coming along the front straight, the engine suddenly cut and then came back in,” explained Rawles.
“Something really weird was happening, and I feared the worst. It took me about half a lap to realise that the overdrive switch was playing up and that’s what allowed Marc to get back in front of me.”
The trio continued to jostle for position with Campfield hurling his Healey around the Leicestershire circuit to keep the marauding pack at bay. Rawles was simply waiting for his moment, however, and pounced on the final lap on the drag to the line, snatching victory by just over a tenth of a second. Worse was to come for Campfield, as he picked up a five-second track-limits penalty that dropped him to third behind the Chathams who were competing in the race that honoured their father.
Max Windheuser came out on top in the Sports Racing Cars contest after a measured drive in his Elva. Initially, it was the Chevron B6 of Nick Thompson duelling with Alan Purbrick’s B16 for the lead before a clash at the chicane put both Chevrons out of contention.
Clash of the Chevrons helped guide Windheuser to the win
Photo by: Mick Walker
“I knew sooner or later Nick was going to get past me,” said Windheuser, who had a front-row view of the incident. “He got past and then Alan got past too but on the next lap I could see Alan was a little enthusiastic. He was too late on the brakes, and they touched.”
Windheuser had a quiet race after that, taking the chequered flag a lap ahead of David Beatty and Colin Elstrop (Chevron B8).
Mike Thorne (Austin-Healey 3000) managed to take top spot in the Equipe Historic Championship after several frontrunners retired. Early leader John Caudwell was sidelined following an engine malady on his AC Cobra, while a late excursion into the gravel for John Tordoff (Lotus Elan 26R) forced him to retire in the pits, allowing a delighted Thorne to take the flag. Following an overnight engine swap, Caudwell bounced back to win the British All-Comers contest the next day.
Mark Wright took a lights-to-flag victory in the MG Cup opener after using the superior traction of his mid-engined MGF to lead on the run into Redgate from second on the grid. Wright was never challenged from then on as he took a comfortable win ahead of Chaz Ryles (ZR). Rhys Higginbotham triumphed in race two after fighting up from third in his ZR 190.
The Equipe 70s contest turned into a race of attrition with Tim Bates (Porsche 911 RS) defeating Joe Gomm (Ford Escort RS1600), who were the only finishers. Elsewhere, Jamie Boot’s TVR Griffith took the flag in the mixed Equipe Libre with Equipe GTS encounter following a well-timed pitstop during a mid-race safety car period.
Boot kicked on into Equipe GTS/Libre lead after well-timed pitstop
Photo by: Mick Walker
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– The Autosport.com Team
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