Events: 2016 Silverstone Classic - FIA Masters Historic Sports Cars

[Steve Holmes]

Race 9: FIA Masters Historic Sports Cars

The pole-sitting Andy Willis’ Matra MS650 led the 50-minute FIA Masters Historic Sports Cars race from the start with Chris Ward’s Lola T70Mk3B taking second from Nick Padmore’s Chevron B19 before the Lola grabbed the lead to cap an entertaining first lap.

Padmore then slipped past the Matra too, and the Chevron began to catch the leading car before things settled down with Oliver Bryant holding off Gary Pearson – both in 5-litre Lola T70 Mk3B’s – battling for fourth.

Willis was the first of the front-runners to make the mandatory pit-stop handing over to team-mate Rob Hall, looking to capitalise on Hall’s speed to regain the lead.

Up front, Ward and Padmore continued to battle for the lead, the little Chevron briefly nosing ahead before the grunt of the Lola helped it retake first place.

The two leaders pitted together but with Hall’s Matra now lapping faster than them on track he took the lead, with Max Smith-Hilliard now in the Chevron coming out in second and Ward’s Lola now driven by Paul Gibson in third.

Bryant, running the whole race solo, passed the Chevron and quickly set after Gibson, passing the T70 soon afterwards.

But Rob Hall was too strong for the field in the light blue Matra, pulling away to take an impressive victory, and the second of the day for the French equipé.

• Andy Willis / Rob Hall (Matra MS650) 23 laps
• Oliver Bryant (Lola T70 Mk3B) +28.536s
• Chris Ward / Paul Gibson (Lola T70 Mk3B) +52.577s