Surprise Winners in Motor Racing Legends Annual Awards
On Wednesday 12th November, Motor Racing Legends held its annual Awards Dinner at the Royal
Automobile Club’s Woodcote Park clubhouse, to announce the overall and class winners of its three race
series – the Pre-War Sports Car Series, the BRDC Historic Sportscars and the Royal Automobile Club
Woodcote Trophy.
Since the Motor Racing Legends-run series are not championships, the trophies are not awarded purely on
race results; hence the winners did not know until the night that they had won. The look of delight on the face
of Adrian Hall who, together with his co-driver Nick Adams, won the highly coveted Royal Automobile
Club Woodcote Trophy for 2008, said it all: “I had absolutely no idea at all that I’d won. I couldn’t have been
more surprised and I’m utterly delighted.” Adrian’s 1955 Lotus X is a nimble racer but, competing in the
under-2-litre class of the Woodcote Trophy, it lacks the power of larger-engined cars and was never likely to
be an outright race winner. Yet Adrian and Nick drove with such skill and consistency throughout the year
that they won their class at all three rounds – Monza, the Silverstone Classic and, finally, Spa.
Meanwhile, Michael Strasoldo’s emphatic victories in his Talbot 105 during the year secured him the 2008
Motor Racing Legends Pre-War Sports Car Trophy; and Jamie McIntyre’s fearsome Lister Chevrolet scored
success after success on track, netting Jamie the 2008 BRDC Historic Sportscars Trophy.
In a short speech before the winners were announced, Motor Racing Legends’ Duncan Wiltshire reaffirmed
his determination to keep strict period specifications at the forefront of his eligibility criteria. “I realise that
strict scrutineering can sound bureaucratic, heavy-handed and dull. But I believe passionately that solid
policing of eligibility is the cornerstone of any successful series. As long as we’ve got that right then we can
concentrate on the much more important issue of having fun. Hence we are setting up an eligibility
committee to oversee our regulations, rule on individual cases and hear any mitigating arguments: a small but
important committee consisting of just three people, and it will not include myself.”
THE WINNERS
Winners are chosen first and foremost on their class performance over the year, but also taking into account
such factors as driving standards and adherence to eligibility criteria.
Motor Racing Legends Pre-War Sports Car Series 2008
Overall winner: Michael Strasoldo – Talbot 105
Pre-War Class 1 – for cars under 1100cc
Riley Brooklands of Richard & Geoffrey Bradford
Pre-War Class 2 – for cars up to 1500cc
Frazer Nash Supersports of Phil Champion & Steve Stanton
Pre-War Class 3 – for cars up to 2000cc
Aston Martin Speed Model of Richard Lake & Jane Varley
Pre-War Class 4 – for cars up to 3000cc
Aston Martin Mk II of Jim Campbell & Andy Bell
Pre-War Class 5 – for cars over 3000cc
Talbot 105 of Michael Strasoldo
BRDC Historic Sportscars 2008
Overall winner: Jamie McIntyre – Lister Chevrolet
BRDC Class E – for drum-braked cars built before 1956
Kurtis of Chris Keen & Richard McAlpine
BRDC Class D – for cars up to 1100cc.
Lotus 17 of Jim Woodley & Iain Rowley (& Rupert Wood)
The winner also received the Dennis Ganley Memorial Trophy
BRDC Class C – for cars up to 1500cc
Lotus 17 of Peter Horsmann & Tony Lees (& Jac Nelleman)
BRDC Class B – for cars up to 2000cc
Lotus 15 of Ewan McIntyre
BRDC Class A – for cars over 2000cc
Lister Chevrolet of Jamie McIntyre & Lister Chevrolet
The Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy 2008
Overall winners: Adrian Hall and Nick Adams – Lotus X
Woodcote Trophy Class 1 – for drum-braked cars up to 1500cc
Connaught of Stephen & Ben Gibson
Woodcote Trophy Class 2 – for drum-braked cars up to 2000cc
Le Mans Rep Frazer Nash of Richard Lake & Jane Varley
Woodcote Trophy Class 3 – for drum-braked cars up to 3000cc
Ferrari 750 Monza of Richard & Andrew Frankel
Woodcote Trophy Class 3a – for disc-braked cars up to 3000cc
Lotus X of Adrian Hall & Nick Adams
Woodcote Trophy Class 4 – for drum-braked cars over 3000cc
Kurtis of Chris Keen & Richard McAlpine
Woodcote Trophy Class 4a – for disc-braked cars over 3000cc
D-type Jaguar of Ben Eastick
For further press information please contact:
Charis Whitcombe, Mob: +44 (0)7977 500693