Stretton And Padmore Secure The Masters Historic F1 Wins

A hard-fought win apiece by FIA Historic Formula 1 champions Nick Padmore and Martin Stretton wowed Whitsun weekend audiences as the wail of Ford Cosworth DFV engines rent the air above Brands Hatch’s Grand Prix Circuit at the Masters Historic Festival. Pre-’78 honours were also split, between Greg Thornton (Lotus 77) and Max Smith-Hilliard (Fittipaldi F5A).

Poleman Padmore (ex-Carlos Reutemann Williams FW07C) controlled Saturday’s race, but Stretton ragged Martin Adams’ ex-Stefan Bellof/Martin Brundle Tyrrell 012-5, holding it in lurid powerslides as he pressured Padmore to the chequered flag. With Michael Cantillon (Williams FW07), Simon Fish (Ensign N180) and Thornton chasing them, the race was red-flagged when behind Thornton a lunge by Steve Boultbee Brooks (Lotus 81-1) turned team-mate Katsu Kubota (91-7) over at Druids. The Japanese driver escaped injury. Earlier Steve Hartley (Arrows A4) had tripped over Joaquin Folch (Brabham BT49C) at Surtees.

With Saturday’s top eight finishers reversed, Stretton made lighter work of Sunday’s race than Padmore, screaming past Smith-Hilliard at Druids on lap two and staying there as Padmore joined him next time round. “I got a couple of lucky breaks,” admitted Stretton. Fish ambushed Smith-Hilliard for third after Cantillon spun Thornton round at Druids, putting himself out and triggering the full-course caution under which the race finished. Hartley and Boultbee Brooks completed the top six.

Back where Formula 2’s European championship ended in 1984, the first Historic F2 race was a fascinating tribute. Poleman Mark Charteris and new leader Mark Dwyer (March 742s) were opportunistically passed by Dean Forward (782) at Surtees but “two into one didn’t go” on the exit. As Forward and Dwyer touched, spinning the latter out, Charteris retook the initiative only for his gearbox to jam in fourth seconds later. Forward thus won from Chris Lillingston-Price (Chevron B40) and Matt Wrigley, first time out in dad Mike’s FAtlantic March 79B. From the back, Richard Evans (742) was fifth when his BDG’s drive belt jumped a tooth.