The HSCC Midsummer Meeting at Donington Park on the 21/22 June not only provided plenty of entertaining racing but also presented competitors with an assortment of weather conditions, varying from hot, sticky and humid to light showers, wild winds and heavy downpours all accompanied by bright summer sunshine

Whilst the Derek Bell Trophy and One-Litre F3 went on a ‘field trip’ to visit sand dunes in the Netherlands the remaining HSCC series, with guest Alfa Romeos and BMW’s set up camp at the end of the East Midland Airport runway.

MITCHELL FLIES IN BOTH WET AND DRY

Sam Mitchell came out on top of his duel with Ben Simms in both Historic Formula Ford races at Donington Park.

Pole sitting Benn Simms’ Jomo JMR 7 led initially from Ben Powney’s Jamun T3 on a track made damp by a rain shower shortly before the start of race one, while Gislain Genecand’s Crossle 16F went head-to-head with Mitchell for third.

Into Redgate for the second time Mitchell was up to third, before taking second from Powney a lap later in an identical move. As Simms’ early advantage evaporated, Mitchell got a run on the leader out of Coppice on lap four and was ahead as they exited the chicane at the end of the lap.

Ben Powney was secure in third after shaking off Gislain who finished fourth, winning the Over 50 class with Neil Hose (Titan Mk6) fifth, having leapfrogged Ollie Chapman’s Lola at the start.

Ollie Chapman’s Lola and Danny Stanzl’s Elden had been switching places for much of the race before a brief moment of over exuberance by Danny left his Elden beached in the Old Hairpin gravel. This triggered a safety car period before the chequered flag drew the race to a close.

In race two Benn Simms made the best start again, heading Sam Mitchell and Gislain Genecand into Redgate and pulling out a slight lead.

As the fight for second became a four way scrap, Genecand made it to the front of the quartet into the chicane on lap three, heading Mitchell, Hose and Powney, which aided Simms’ increasing advantage. Two laps later Mitchell reclaimed his lost place at the chicane, but couldn’t shake-off Genecand.

Hose and Powney had numerous exchanges too for fourth place, which saw them lose ground on the dual ahead.

But by lap 12 Benn Simms lead had been eroded, and Sam Mitchell started to attack for the lead, while holding off Genecand too. Two laps later Sam Mitchell nosed ahead on the Exhibition Straight, but Ben Simms was back ahead exiting the chicane.

Benn made it by again a lap from home, sealing his second win of the weekend over Simms by just 0.178 secs, with Genecand equally close in third. “At the end both Benn and I ran a bit wide at Coppice and it gave Gislain a run on us.” Sam Mitchell concluded.

A WIN APIECE FOR MOSS AND LLEWELLYN

After a strong turn-out at Silverstone two weeks previously a slightly depleted field convened at Donington Park to contest the pair of Griffiths Haig Trophy races, the numbers were further reduced when ‘a hard-to-replace’ component broke on Tony Bianchi’s Lotus Elite during testing and he had to withdraw.

Graham Moss qualified on pole in his ex-Stirling Moss Lister-Jaguar and won race one beating the Allard J2 of Oliver Llewellyn. Jonathan Cobb’s red Cooper Bristol Mk2 was third, considerably ahead of the Lola Mk1 of Arne Soedal who commutes from Norway for his racing.

In race two the Allard J2 of Oliver Llewellyn’s was able to lap much closer to the Lister-Jaguar’s of Graham Moss and when the Lister Jaguar faltered with a fuel feed issue on the last-lap Oliver’s Allard was able to sweep to victory. Jonathan Cobb was third and Arne Soedal fourth, repeating their race 1 finishing positions.

OPPOSING FORTUNES FOR FENNYMORE AND GLASSWELL

Graham Fennymore won the first Historic Formula Ford 2000 race at Donington from Ben Glasswell, taking the easy route while his rival made things a little more difficult for himself.

From the start Fennymore, in his Reynard SF81, quickly built up a lead after Glasswell pulled into the pits at the end of the green flag lap for his wheel nuts to be checked.

Once released Glasswells SF77 wasted absolutely no time making its way up the order, and after passing second-placed Paul Allen in his Delta, it looked as if he might even catch Fennymore. However, Fennymore had pace in hand and managed to maintain a comfortable gap to keep Glasswell at bay.

Allen remained third. This was his first 2025 outing in the T78 previously owned and raced by the Grant family and he did well to hold off Glasswell for as long as he did and finishing 20sec ahead of Adrian Reynard’s SF81. Adrian had started fifth, but was passed by Darryl Beckwith’s SF77 and Andrew Storer’s SF79 on the second lap. Fighting back Adrian passed Beckwith late on to settle in fourth.

Race two was red flagged at almost three-quarter distance after Graham Fennymore’s car which had been leading the race comfortably dumped oil on the track from a loose hose to the oil tank.

Ben Glasswell’s had started in ninth, a legacy of his problems in Saturday’s qualifying, but had sliced through the field to second after just over a lap. Before the red flag he and Fennymore had been trading fastest laps

For the five-minute sprint restart, Ben, now at the front of the grid made a storming start, was never threatened. Adrian Reynard was second, his best result of the season. He had been sitting in third for most of the restarted race, but with a determined final lap passed Allen, with both competitors dipping under the 1m13s mark.

MCGURK IS DOUBLE SALOON WINNER

The Historic Saloons tackled Donington twice on the Saturday in the stickiest of the afternoon heat, leading to a pair of wins for John McGurk in his Ford Lotus Cortina.

The Lotus Cortina was the quickest car on the grid, with his closest rival the Jensen CV8 of David Lloyd ahead of Heritage Skills Academy Apprentice Jamie Marriott in a Mini Cooper S previously raced by Anthony Reid.

After a brief shower the first race began on a damp track with a damp track and it initially looked as if there might be an upset, with Stephen Chapman’s little Fiat 600 Abarth getting a good start and James Marriott’s Mini grabbing second spot. Unfortunately the potential challenge disappeared at the Old Hairpin along with the ability to select gears in the Mini forcing Jamie’s retirement.

After Jamie’s departure, David Lloyd retook second place and stayed there. Although Stephen Chapman tried valiantly to keep his Italian machine ahead of Anthony Warnes’s Austin A40. After a tough and entertaining contest, Warnes secured third at the flag. Chapman was fourth and Geoff Mackrill’s interesting Triumph Vitesse fifth.

John McGurk was the victor again in Race 2, on a much drier track where everyone was much faster, not least McGurk himself. Having sorted out the gear box full of mostly neutrals that had troubled Jamie Marriott earlier he started strongly from the back of the grid and quickly carved his way into second position behind McGurk, but Lloyd wasn’t giving up easily, the rumbling V8 Jensen swapping positions with the screaming Mini before the Jensen secured second on the 7th lap and held it to the flag despite the Mini getting alongside on a couple of occasions. Jamie finishing a competitive third, with Anthony Warnes fourth.

HARRISON SWEEPS THE BOARD

Jordan Harrison pulled clear of a massive runner-up battle to win the first SDC Classic Formula Ford race of the weekend.

Harrison, back on the championship trail in his Lola T540E, securing a win that was never really in doubt, negotiating a tricky damp track with relative ease. Behind him, however, there was a much more intense situation, with three drivers going for second place.

Gislain Genecand, in his red Crossle 16F fought off onslaughts from both Tom Gadd’s Van Diemen RF81 and Rick Morris in his Royale RP29, with all three leading the group at times. Genecand probably led the most laps and the result could have gone any of three ways. At the flag Gadd was second, ahead of Morris, who was later demoted to fifth behind Roy Alderslade’s Merlyn Mk20, after receiving a 15-second track limits penalty.

Jordan Harrison then won the second race of the weekend to complete what his children refer to as a Grand Slam of race wins, poles and fastest laps.

The Harrison offspring were delighted with their dad’s performance, which included the only lap time under 1m17s and a winning margin of over 14 seconds.

Second place went to Gadd. He had to fight hard against Morris and Genecand in the early stages, but Genecand was struggling with a throttle that kept sticking open leading to an untimely retirement. Morris continued to trade places with Gadd, but his car’s engine had other plans, with the contents punching a hole in the side of the block leading to Rik’s premature retirement.

This promoted Alderslade to third and his first podium finish. He had qualified fourth and soon put some space between himself and Williams, also passing Rik Morris shortly before his retirement.

Williams would have been fifth without a track limits penalty, having been enjoying scrapping over fourth place with Lillingston-Price and nephew Chapman. The penalty secured fourth for Chapman, who had taken a tough route to the top five, having to run in a car without a functioning clutch, he pushed his way up the grid, changing gear with a sympathetic touch. Lillingston-Price was sixth, behind Jonathan Speak, who had charged up the order in his Class B Merlyn from last on the grid.

CHEVRON ON TOP

Dan Eagling and Dan Pickett were joint winners of the 50min Guards Trophy race, but not before Ben and Robert Tusting used everything they had in their skills locker to try and stop them.

It was Pickett who started the Chevron B16 and he tucked in behind early leader Andrew Hibberd’s Lotus 23B and Robert Tusting in the Lenham. Both stopped early in the pit window and handed over to Eagling and Ben Tusting respectively. Once the leaders had all had their stops, it was the Tusting Lenham that had the upper hand, taking the lead after Hibberd took his stop.

However, with around twelve minutes left on the clock, it was the Chevron B16 that got back in front. Tusting then set a series of blistering laps in an attempt to retake the lead, although in the process received a track limits penalty, so he not only needed to pass Eagling, but put 10sec of daylight between them. Unfortunately a light collision between the Lenham and the Chevron two laps before the flag ended his chances. Eagling spun but regained his composure quickly and held on for the win.

Andrew Hibberd had played a waiting game winning the SRA class and finishing second, he was followed by the Chevron B8 of Chris and Freddie Lillingston-Price. Chris had got ahead of Mark Colman in another B8 in the early laps before son Freddie steered the car home to a SRB class win. Mark Colman co-driving with father Hugh was fourth.

The pale blue Chevron B6 driven by Nick Thompson and Sean McClurg was fifth. It had running in close company with the gold GT40 of Murray Shepherd and Henry Stephenson, but a track limits penalty and a malfunctioning clutch dropped the GT40 to seventh behind Peter and Sam Hamilton’s Lenham.

The last B8 finisher was David Beatty, who was sharing the car with Colin Elstrop. They were eighth. Michael Richings and Dan Cox were ninth in their Merlyn Mk4A, having passed Nick Adams’ Lotus 23B. The last classified finisher was the Lotus Elan of Stephen Reece.

BACK TO…BLUE?

Comebacks were the overriding theme of the first Alfa Romeo and Italian Intermarque race on Saturday, held in blazing sunshine just before another rain shower set in.

Jack Berry was the first first winner in his Alfa Romeo 4C, but at the start, it looked as if he might not even complete a lap. His gearbox and launch control were playing up and later he admitted that the mapping wasn’t working as it should have done. After a couple of stuttering attempts and a pre-emptive yellow flag from the marshals, he finally got away at the back of the pack. It took a few laps to get to the sharper end of the field, before passing Toby Broome’s 147 GTA and locking on to leader Jamie Thwaites in his Giulietta WTCR car.

Thwaites then had his own problems. The Giulietta was dramatically loosing power, dropping back and allowing Berry to escape. With power mysteriously restored Thwaites then set about salvaging his race. He passed Stacey Dennis’s Power Trophy-class Giulietta, Dave Messenger in a 156 and then the old-shape Giulietta of Andy Page, to take third on the last lap.

Berry had a much bigger scrap on his hands in Race 2. He had pole position, but had to manage a standing start twice, as Ben Robinson’s 156 had a first-lap off at the Old Hairpin and a full restart ensued, now with the added hazard of oil on the track.

Both Berry and Thwaites started well this time, and although they left the rest of the field behind, stayed fairly close to one another. Thwaites was able to match his speed taking the lead at just over half distance as the pair negotiated a path through the backmarkers. He would have won comfortably without a punitive 15-second track limits penalty, which handed the win back to Berry although retaining second place.

Third went to Barry McMahon in his rapid Giulia. He was absent from Race 1 due to having no brake pads and having to go home to fetch them. Starting from the back, Barry’s progress on the first lap was really something, going from last to third in just over a minute.

In the battling Punto’s Simon McFie finally managed to pass brother Chris on the penultimate lap of the second race, having been trying all weekend. They were sixth and seventh, separated by 0.215 seconds after two races and 40mins of racing.

BATTLE OF THE DECADES

Rounding off a busy and entertaining weekend were 70s & Historic Roadsports providing a win apiece for John Williams and Mark Godfrey in a battle between the motors of the 1960s and 1970s.

John Williams’s blue Porsche 911SC secured a confident victory in Race 1 earlier in the afternoon, remaining untroubled at the front for the 20-minute duration. He was followed by his 70s rival Goerge Daws, whose silver Datsun 240Z kept within sight, if not within challenging distance.

George had managed to keep clear of a charging Mark Godfrey, whose little Lotus 7 was the first of the Historic Roadsports cars. Mark had qualified poorly due to electrical issues in qualifying but having started in 33rd place, he made his way up quickly through the order

Ant Reeley’s Lotus Elan was fourth and first in an entertaining three-way Elan battle ahead of Robert Rowe and Mark Leverett who managed to resist the close attentions of David Tomkinson in his TVR Vixen. The pair of Morgan Plus 8s came next, with Will Bibb, eighth, and Philip St.Clair Tisdall ninth. Mark Bennett’s MGB-V8, completed the top ten.

John Williams had been quick to play down his speed, explaining that he is no faster than he was last year, but simply making the most of the opportunity as a number of new driver and car combinations in the championship get up to speed.

However,  John’s easy life was just about to face much stronger competition in Race 2.

Mark Godfrey got a good start in his Lotus 7 and leapfrogged Daws within the first lap. It took another trip around the track for him to get onto the back of the blue Porsche, then less than a lap to pass him. Williams was never going to take this lying down and repeatedly attacked Mark, using backmarkers as opportunities and retaking the lead several times, only for Godfrey to find a way back. At one point, Godfrey appeared to have built a gap to Williams, but the Porsche was still able to push back. This exciting contest ended with a final corner drag race between the two, with Godfrey’s nimble Lotus 7 finding the speed at the crucial moment to take the win.

Third went to the TVR 3000M of Antony Ross. He had started in tenth and quietly picked his way through the field until he was right on the tail of George Daws, before slipping upto third when George missed a gear. Ant Reeley was fifth and first of the Elans again after good days racing.

Neil Wood’s Ford Anglia had been enduring a difficult day with engine problems in qualifying and race one. Back on song but starting from the back Neil immediately gained a 10-second penalty for lining up out of position. Unperturbed Neil wasn’t in the mood for messing around, making up 17 places within a few laps to finish seventh behind Robert Rowe.

Mark Leverett was again 3rd closely behind the Elan of Robert Rowe and ahead of the two Morgans of Will Bibb and Philip St.Clair Tisdall who rounded off the top ten.

A full weekend of racing which like the weather provided plenty of surprises, the spectators who stayed for the conclusion of racing past 6.00pm on Sunday were rewarded with a packed programme of entertaining racing with the occasional heavy shower thrown in the keep competitors on their toes.

Edited summary created from original text written by Rachel Harris-Gardiner

Next event: 12/13 July, Legends of Brands Hatch Superprix

All images: Mototrsport Classics Media