RACING REPORTS

DONINGTON PARK: MSVR BY PAUL LAWRENCE APRIL 15-16

DAVIES TOPS THE FIGHT WITH THE STARS

The opening laps of the Pre ’66 Touring Car race were as good as anything from their modern counterparts as fourAmerican V8s battled furiously for the lead. It was the opening salvo in an hour-long race that ultimately fell to the Ford Mustang of Craig Davies.

After several laps of remarkably clean door-handle action, the Falcons of Sam Tordoff and Julian Thomas edged a few yards clear of Davies as Steve Soper retired his Mustang to the pits with gearbox woes.

Tordoff drove his freshly rebuilt Falcon beautifully, but Thomas tracked every move of the former BTCC racer. “Julian gave me a really good fight,” said Tordoff, who pitted mid-race, taking an extra 40-second penalty as a solo driving pro-rated driver, but was soon back into the pits to retire with a broken exhaust manifold.

Thomas then handed his Falcon over to Calum Lockie. “I think I roasted the tyres battling with Sam,” admitted Thomas as Lockie set out to try and bring the car home. With a 20s lead, it looked good but a safety car for some debris at the Old Hairpin cost Lockie his cushion and he was powerless to keep the sliding Falcon ahead as Davies moved through for a fine victory. John Spiers and Nigel Greensall drove