Unusual car: Maguire Stiletto
Xtec Engineering’s Paul Knapton debuted a famous Maguire Stiletto at Silverstone on Sunday, as a shakedown for Special Saloon and Modsports competition next season.
Raced by Brian Cutting in the mid-1980s, the 1040cc lightweight has been owned by Robert Knox since 1994.
“I’ve wanted one since dad and I saw them at Curborough sprints in the ’90s,” said Knapton, who raced Danish client Henrik Lindberg’s magnificent Group C Sauber-Mercedes C8 at the Donington Historic Festival at the start of the year.
Fundraising transformation: Newbery's Legends car
Legends racer James Newbery competed at the weekend to raise awareness and money for research into Motor Neurone Disease, which claimed his father Paddy during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The Sussex driver and his team found a novel way to draw attention to their efforts by switching the appearance of the car between races. Based on scenes from the animated cartoon film Cars, it started as a rusty brown before transforming into duck egg blue.
“We swap all the body panels and it takes about 20 minutes, or even less by the end of the weekend after some practice,” said Newbery. “Our target is to raise about £2500, equivalent to a pound for every mile we’re estimated to cover in a season of races.”
REPORT: Esterson penalty provisionally hands Foster Walter Hayes Trophy
Emotional laps: Turner's Hayes return
There was an emotional return to Formula Ford machinery for Colin Turner at Silverstone last weekend, two years after a serious Walter Hayes Trophy crash resulted in both of his legs being amputated.
Turner drove the Nigel Grant Racing Merlyn Mk20A successfully raced by Callum Grant in historics and completed a couple of demonstration laps during the lunch break on Sunday.
“It’s fantastic,” he said of the chance to get behind the wheel. “To be allowed out in this car is a real privilege.”
Pics of the week:
