The hot Masters action around the legendary Ardennes track more than compensated for the changeable weather conditions throughout this year’s Spa Six Hours meeting! Matthew Wrigley starred by becoming a double winner in Masters Racing Legends, while David & Olivier Hart, Julian Thomas, Stuart Wiltshire, Darren Howell & Sean Doyle and Michael Whitaker Jnr were the other Masters drivers going home with the top-step of the podium trophies.
Masters Racing Legends for 1966/1985 F1 Cars
In two slightly damp Masters Racing Legends contests, Matthew Wrigley did the business by claiming pole and taking a pair of victories. The Tyrrell 011 driver fought off local hero Werner d’Ansembourg’s Brabham BT49C and series rookie Olivier Hart in an Arrows A3 for Friday’s win, creating one of the youngest Masters Racing Legends podiums ever! On Saturday, Hart initially crowned a sensational debut weekend with a win from returning 2019 champ Matteo Ferrer-Aza in the Ligier JS11/15, but when both were penalised for opening-lap infractions, Wrigley was handed his second victory of the weekend.
Meanwhile, Nick Padmore’s Lotus 77 waltzed to its customary pre-78 class double, but the four-time Masters champion was aided by a spell of bad luck for three-time Grand Prix winner Thierry Boutsen whose Shadow DN5 started from an impressive class pole but was bogged by electrical issues in Friday’s race. On Saturday, the former F1 star bounced back with a brilliant drive to fourth overall and second in class, all the way from the back of the grid.
Masters Sports Car Legends
Olivier Hart jumped on the top step of the podium after a very wet Masters Sports Car Legends race. Sharing a Lola T70 Mk3B with his father David, young Olivier repeated their Silverstone win, but this time they were challenged all the way to the line by John Spiers and Nigel Greensall in their pre-66 McLaren M1B. Spiers transformed a brilliant opening stint into a shock overall lead, after which Greensall refused to admit defeat against young Hart, repassing the Dutchman twice before the pendulum finally swung the Harts’ way. Behind them, James Claridge and Gonçalo Gomes took their Lola T296 to third overall.
Masters Endurance Legends & Masters GT Trophy
The inclement weather meant that the combined Masters Endurance Legends & Masters GT Trophy grid was given just one opportunity to showcase itself, as conditions on Friday night proved unacceptable for a safe second race. In the morning, having already claimed the lead, Stuart Wiltshire became untouchable by bravely gambling to stay on slicks when spots of rain started to hit everybody’s windscreens. By keeping the powerful Peugeot 90X going in the right directions, Wiltshire’s gamble paid off massively, as he ran home an unchallenged victory from the resurgent Christophe & Werner d’Ansembourg whose Pescarolo-Judd 01 came from tenth of the grid, and LMP2 class winner Shaun Lynn in the first of the BR Engineering-Nissan BR01s.
In Masters GT Trophy, a race of attrition saw the previously all-conquering Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evos drop out to hand a shock 1-2-3 to Ferrari Challenge cars. Initially, the Jac & Ties Meeuwissen 488 took over the lead, but in the second part of the race, an unleashed Sean Doyle in Darren Howell’s 488 Evo came back to claim the spoils. William Ashmore’s perseverance was rewarded with third in the Ferrari 430 Challenge prepared by Army Motorsport.
Masters Gentlemen Drivers & Masters Pre-66 Touring Cars
Conversely, the combined Masters Gentlemen Drivers & Masters Pre-66 Touring Car grid hogged all the sunshine of the weekend, with Julian Thomas putting the dry tarmac to best use with a strong win in the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupé. Initially chasing Nigel Greensall in John Spiers’ TVR, Thomas was handed a reprieve when the TVR Griffith suffered a delaminating tyre to drop out of contention. A mid-race safety car then brought the Bram Bontrup/Olivier Hart AC Cobra back into play, but Hart could not re-create the epic Silverstone battle between himself and Thomas. Behind them, Vincent Gaye and Phil Keen took their Jaguar E-type to third. Roger Wills (Lotus Elan) and Jaap Sinke (Austin Healey 3000) convincingly won their respective CLP and C2 classes.
In the concurrent touring car race, Robin Ward’s Ford Falcon did the early running before converging with the rival Mustangs of Michael Whitaker Jnr and Michael Russell/Neil Chilleystone. Whitaker Jnr eventually came out on top in a thrilling three-way battle for the win. The Peter Reynolds/Daniel Quintero Lotus Cortina bagged the 2-litre class from the Paula Rettenmaier Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA.
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