4th/5th/6th June MGLive - Silverstone GP . .

'Equipe' GTS shone at the highlight of the MG season, not only producing forty eight cars for practice on the GP circuit but providing some of the best racing of the week-end from a grid comprising of MG, TR, Healey, Lotus, Elva, Morgan, TVR, Porsche, Lancia and Sunbeam.

Salvete and an 'Equipe' welcome to Peter Carrington TVR Grantura 1800S, Ed Foster & Will Foster MGB, Anthony Childs & Christopher Overton Porsche 356a, Roy Chamberlain TR3 and Simon Skentelbery MGB. Brian Ireland also returned to the series with his pristine MGA roadster.

Q - Eyebrows were raised when qualifying times revealed Mike Harris to have taken pole by half a second. James Cottingham alongside may have not been surprised at being usurped, but definitely so at the margin and the culprit. Third to fifth Brian Lambert, Jerry Stock and David Beresford were more likely candidates as established MGB front runners, but certainly Mike pulled a rabbit out of the hat and in hindsight his improvement over the last year was a foretaste. The unfortunate Harvey Woods suffered mechanical gremlins that prevented him taking the grid for race one.

Race One - By the end of the first lap Cottingham and Lambert had pulled a stroke on Harris, and Beresford's fast moustache nosed past on lap two. Lambert was in determined mood and passed Cottingham, only for the DK Engineering car to retake the lead on lap four, but after demoting a frustrated Harris to 5th, Stock's challenge ended on lap 4. Ron Watt had failed to qualify his MGB and he wasted no time in getting from the back of the grid to 17th of the 41 starters and enjoying hassling Graham Bates to the line, while Pete Foster was still having minor niggles with his car and could'nt match Class 5 winner John Andon's pace by an unusually large margin of 16s for this pair of well matched TR4's. Lambert meanwhile took the bit between his teeth and scrabbled past to the front again on lap 5, this time his cause sealed by a huge moment for Cottingham and resulting in a 3.5s margin at the flag. The FM could do nothing to reel in Cottingham, and Harris was sure to be disappointed with his first pole position result. Stephen Bolderson at last had a race devoid of MGB mechanical woes and fully deserved 22nd place, and Diane Osbourne continues to impress in her MGB, despite a misfire on this occasion. Class 2 was dominated by the Lotus Elite of Brian Arculus, with Anthony Childs topping Class 3 in his superb Porsche 356a. The WSM MGB was black flagged on lap 6 for a fluid leak but after examination in the pits allowed out again.

Race Two - Harris was helping celebrate his mothers 90th while Cottingham and the FM got the best of the starts for first and second, but Lambert was loitering with intent and on lap 3 demoted the FM. Lambert filled the Cottingham mirrors and the pressure told on lap10 as the ex-single seater driver found a way through and held on to the flag. Andon and Foster again had a wonderful scrap for Class 5 honours, while Stock stormed up the grid from the back to a quite remarkable 6th place and had the Andon/Foster battle for 4th in his sights. There were two midfield barnies going on - firstly Bolderson, the James Willis Midget and MGB's of Mark Way and Ian Conway ducking and diving, and the second group of MGB mounted Steve Hall, Roy Chamberlain's TR3 and Simon Skentelbery in the MGB once owned by Jim Lowry all being caught by the WSM MGB. Tim Patchett's MGB tore up to 18th off the back of the grid having lost an exhaust on Saturday, while the WSM Sprite of Clive Cocks and MGB of Barbara Lambert were still locked together at the chequered. Lancia Fulvia driver Stuart Downward richly deserved the best of a good tussle with the Porsche 912 of John Hatton, while Willis took a comfortable Class 3 win and Arculus an even easier Class 2.

Click on for results from TSL Timing

Click on for in-car video courtesy of Paul Webb

Pictures courtesy of Peter French of Flying Tigers photography and Bill Emerson and Paul Webb

Pit & Paddock

Vale and a sorrowful adieu to Simon Gurney who maintains he's retiring from racing. Hopefully the mechanical gremlin that curtailed his Sunday race was not the deciding factor as this likeable character has been campaigning his superb MGA Sebring for many moons and will be missed.

Two wins, two fastest laps - do meetings get much better for the Lambert clan . . ?

A thank you to Dave Saunders, Steve Carr and the Gammons family at the MGCC for a well drilled race meeting . .

Puzzled looks around the WSM MGB after black flag . .

It was a close run thing for Driver of The Weekend - Brian Arculus steered the dimunitive 1172cc Lotus Elite into 13th in race one, and 9th in race two - but Jerry Stock's drive from last to 6th in race two was the clincher . .

Spotted - Midget racer and Manx Classic visitor Rob Griffiths (left) still sporting the bottled-blonde . .

You had to feel for Murray Henderson - after kicking around most of the week-end, the MG Midget Challenge racer saw driving partner Ian Hulett complete a sunny first race in 7th spot at lunchtime on Sunday - by 4.45pm the heavens truly opened and Murray's third lap spin and heavy contact on slicks ended with a visit to the Medical Centre where at least they did'nt comment on his beige race suit . .

Next 'Equipe' GTS rounds at Pembrey July 24th/25th . .