Ashworth tops the pile in his MGB

HSCC Classic Sports Championship

The HSCC Classic Sports Car series remains something of an enigma. Grids ranged from overflowing to paltry and the invitation class sports-racing cars that invariably set the pace did not qualify for championship points.

Beneath those facts were some good races for the Appendix K GTS cars that remained at the core of the championship, and it was the MGB of Simon Ashworth that pipped the Jaguar E-type of Les Ely for the overall title.

No one driver won more than once, although the ex-Chris Amon Elva Mk8 of David Clark and Richard Oldworth topped and tailed the season with a win for each of the co-owners. John Monson (Elva Mk7S) and Robert Hartley (Elva Mk7) both had wins from the invitation class.

Ely, Charles Allison (Marcos GT), David Smithies (Austin-Healey 3000) and Jamie Boot (TVR Griffith) all won races and Boot could have challenged for the title had he tackled more than four races amid his FIA GTS programme.

One of the races of the season. meanwhile, came at Oulton as Sean Walker and Martin Stretton battled superbly in their Lotus Elan 26Rs. Walker’s narrow victory avenged Stretton’s success at Brands a month earlier.