Racing returned to Donington Park for the opening Masters Historic UK event on the weekend of April 2 – 3.
The first venue for this year’s Masters Historic Racing in the UK was held at Donington Park over the Easter weekend of April 2 – 3.
The sunny but cold weekend treated drivers and enthusiasts to seven glorious Masters races.
Despite crowds being absent this year, fans enjoyed all the action through Master Historic Racing Donington Park 2021 live stream on Saturday afternoon.
Masters Endurance Legends – Race 1
Jack Dex overcame all the challenges thrown his way by Steve Tandy’s Lola B12/60 and even teammate Max Lynn in another BR Engineering BR01 to claim a well-deserved win in the first Masters Endurance Legends race at Donington Park.
Starting from pole, Dex’s first trial was to stay ahead of the fast-starting Tandy. When the Lola spun off at Redgate, the next challenge came from Max Lynn providing mid-race pressure on the lead. When Dex crossed the chequered flag, he was a full 21 seconds ahead.
Towards the end of the race, Lynn was pressured strongly to keep his position from his father, Shaun, who was in another BR01 P2 prototype.
Coming after the BR01 1-2-3 finishes, the MG-Lola EX257 driven by Mike Newton came in fourth. Next was Richard Cook in the Riley & Scott Mk3C, and in the last of the BR01s was Richard Meins.
In the GT class, Olly Bryant in the Ford Mustang GT-S1 was in a class of his own.
Masters Endurance Legends – Race 2
Despite the pressure coming from the BR01s of Jack Dex, Max Lynn and Shaun Lynn, Steve Tandy received a well-deserved victory.
After the halfway pitstops, Tandy’s Lola B12/60 took the lead where he was able to keep it despite well over 15 minutes of intense pressure.
Mike Newton’s MG-Lola EX257 showed form in the first share of the race, placing pressure on the newer BR01s and Tandy’s ex-Dyson Racing Lola.
Masters Historic Formula One – Race 1
After losing out in qualifying, Mike Cantillon was able to turn things around against rival Steve Hartley in the first Masters Historic Formula One race at Donington Park.
Only four laps into the race, Cantillon’s Williams FW07C sped past Hartley’s McLaren MP4/1 and disappeared into the distance.
Cantillon claimed victory with a 17.8-second lead. In third was Lukas Halusa in the McLaren M23 needing to overtake the more recent Lotus 91 driven by Steve Brooks to claim the third position as well as the pre-78 class win.
Brook’s engine violently expired just a corner away from the finish line, so he could not meet the chequered flag, but he was still placed in fourth in front of post-83 class winner Mark Hazell who claimed an overall fifth in the Williams FW08.
Masters Historic Formula One – Race 2
Mike Cantillon waited patiently before he laid on the pressure to long-time race leader Mike Hartley into making an error two laps before the finishing line, as Cantillon took home victory yet again in the second Historic Formula One race for the weekend.
Cantillon in his Williams FW07C tormented Hartley’s pole-sitting McLaren MP4/1 lap after lap. Just as it looked like Hartley was to going to win, he drove wide in the Roberts chicane, allowing Cantillon through for another F1 victory of the weekend.
Masters Pre-66 Touring Cars
Competing against a five-strong Ford Mustang challenge, Ben Clucas and Marcus Jewell held their own as their Ford Lotus Cortina was too strong for anything that the American V8s could produce, winning the Masters Historic Pre-66 Touring Car touring race at Donington Park.
Steve Soper dominated the first half of the race in the Mustang shared with Henry Mann. Jewell had kept in touch while battling Richard Dutton Cortina. The race shifted when the safety car came out to recover Mark Martin’s stranded Cortina right after the pit window closed.
Masters Historic Sports Cars
In the opening stages of the Masters Historic Sports Car race, Tom Bradshaw in the Chevron B19 was able to fend off Alex Brundle in the early stages of the race to come out victorious. On lap 7, the Lola T70 Mk3 B driven by Brundle suffered a broken gear linkage and eventually had to limp towards the pits.
Jonathan Mitchel in the Chevron B19 went head to head against Chris Beighton in the Lola T70 Mk3 B to take out the final podium positions of the race. Beighton was able to slip past Mitchell in the final part of the race, but Mitchell would not go down without a fight and regained the second podium position with only two laps remaining in the race.
Gentlemen Drivers
With an exhilarating 5-way battle at the 90-minute Masters Gentlemen Drivers enduro, Gary and John Pearson were able to came out victorious.
Following John Pearson and settling for second was Mike Whitaker driving the TVR Griffith.
Having led with James Cottingham driving, the Cottingham/Twyman Cobra obtained third after the Mark Donnor/Andrew Smith E-type Jaguar retired just minutes from the conclusion of the race.
The next event for Masters Historic Racing is the Masters Speed Festival at Weathertech Raceway, Laguna Seca on May 15-16.
[Source: Master Historic Racing. Photos courtesy of Masters Historic Racing]
