Robin Ward’s road-going Arnage showed the older cars the way by setting the fastest Bentley time – by some distance – at the Club’s Sprint meeting at Mallory Park on Saturday (26 April).
The rapid 6¾-litre 2008 model piloted by Robin – who set a new Bentley lap record at BDC Silverstone last year (in a T Type) – recorded a fastest time over Mallory’s testing 1,666-metre course of 68.83secs on the first of its two allotted runs.
Robin’s time was 5.31secs quicker than the next fastest Bentley and the Arnage was the only car in the dedicated BDC class to record two runs under 70 seconds, his second clocking in just 0.16secs slower.
Second of the Bentleys was the always competitive Paul Andrew, whose Mk VI Special was expected to be at the sharp end of proceedings, with a best time of 74.14secs.
The third quickest time was an impressive effort given that Soma Boyd-Gibbins was, like his father Grant, making his competitive motorsports debut. Piloting the family’s recently purchased ex-Sidney Gilmore Derby 4¼ Special, the renowned downhill skateboard racer and skier clocked two sub-84secs times, his best being 81.80secs.
Matthew Moore took the honour of being the fastest of the WOs, his 3/4½ Litre recording a best of 82.45secs, some 1.70secs ahead of fifth placed William Elbourn Snr’s similar car. Just missing out on a top five place, by only 0.27secs, was ‘newbie’ Grant Boyd-Gibbins, the former international-standard skeleton racer sharing the aforementioned family Derby.
Fourteen Bentleys, piloted by BDC Members, made up a magnificent field of some 160 cars split into 16 classes. This embraced a host of classic marques from a plethora of recognised motorsport car clubs, including AMOC, Austin Healey, Lotus, Morgan, Austin 7, Porsche, MG, Riley, Allard, Frazer Nash and the VSCC – many used the occasion to host club championship rounds.
The format allowed for competitors to complete a maximum of four runs, with at least two of these from the BDC brigade counting towards the end of season Club awards. The two timed Bentley runs were held 90 minutes apart.
Fastest time of the day was set by Steve Miles in a Van Diemen RF96 (Invitation Class) of 52.00secs.
A fantastic sunny and dry spring day attracted an excellent gathering of spectators to the popular Leicestershire circuit, many of those being family and friends of BDC competitors, there to cheer on their favourite driver.
Fastest BDC Bentley times (provisional)
1 Robin Ward (Arnage) 68.83s (1st run)
2 Paul Andrew (Mk VI Special) 74.14s (2)
3 Soma Boyd-Gibbins (Derby 4¼ Special) 81.80s (2)
4 Matthew Moore (3/4½ Litre) 82.45s (2)
5 Will Elbourn Snr (3/4½ Litre) 84.15s (1)
6 Grant Boyd-Gibbins (Derby 4¼ Special) 84.42s (2)
7 Vivian Bush (3 Litre) 87.11s (1) *
8 Tom Commander (Mk VI Special) 87.51s (1)
9 Edward Sykes (6½ Litre) 88.03s (1)
10 Sebastian Welch (3 Litre) 88.41s (2)
11 Duncan Wiltshire (3 Litre) 88.71s (1) *
12 Steve Allen (4½ Litre Special) 91.81s (2)
13 Rob Pike (3/4½ Litre) 94.57s (1)
14 Iain Warner (3 Litre) 102.28s (2)
*Only run - shared Vivian Bush's car
Full report and images in the June issue of Review.
Image: Harry Johnson