Masters Historic Festival - Day One
The opening day of the Masters Historic Festival at Brands Hatch featured three races - Rui Aguas winning the opening event of the weekend, the Masters Endurance Legends.
A clash on the opening lap between Niki Leutwiler’s ORECA and Auguas’ Peugeot-mounted teammate David Porter saw the early part of the race run behind the safety car, a situation that turned out to have a profound effect not he race. The safety car stayed out until after the opening of the time window for the compulsory pitstops, allowing Auguas to bring his Peugeot 908X in and reduce the effect of his extended pit time due to his professional driver status.
That still meant Aguas emerged in seventh, but he quickly climbed the order and and closed on Alex Kapadia, who had taken over the ORECA started by Martin Rich. Into the lead on lap 19, it was only a brief delay behind a back marker that allowed Kapadia to close on the final lap.
The first FIA Masters Historic Formula One Championship race of the weekend saw Nick Padmore and Martin Stretton locked together for much of the race, Stretton showing his Tyrrell’s pace with several quickest race laps but never able to find a way past Padmore’s Williams.
The race was halted early after Katsuaki Kubota and Steve Boultbee-Brooks clashed at Druids, launching the former’s Lotus into a roll - neither driver coming to harm.
The day closed with a 90-minute Gentleman Drivers race, which went to the Cobra of Shaun Balfe and Andy Wolfe, but only after The TVY Griffith of Mike Whitaker was called into he pits from a handy lead with a loss exhaust.
Whitaker rejoined to take second ahead of the similar TVR of Mike Spiers.
Masters Endurance Legends, Race One:
1 Rui Aguas (Peugeot 908X) 24 Laps
2 Martin Rich/Alex Kapadia (Oreca 03 LMP2) +2.133s
3 Steve Tandy (Lola B12/60)
4 Martin Short (Dallara SP1)
5 Nigel Greensall (Riley & Scott MkIII)
6 Keith Frieser (Oreca FLM09)
Fastest Lap: Aguas 1m20.854s (108.34mph)
FIA Masters Historic Formula One Championship, Race One:
1 Nick Padmore (Williams FW07C) 12 Laps
2 Martin Stretton (Tyrrell 012) +0.429s
3 Mike Cantillon (Williams FW07)
4 Simon Fish (Ensign N180)
5 Gregory Thornton (Lotus 77)
6 Katsuaki Kubota (Lotus 91/7)
FL: Padmore 1m21.254 (107.80mph)
Gentleman Drivers (90 Minutes):
1 Shaun Balfe/Andy Wolfe (AC Cobra) 49 Laps
2 Mike Whitaker (TVR Griffith) +50.700s
3 John Spiers (TVR Griffith)
4 Rob Fenn (Lotis Elan)
5 Peter Thompson/Mark Hales (TVR Griffith)
6 Jamie Boot (TVR Griffih)
FL: Whitaker 1m44.416s (83.89mph)
