Surprises in Ascari Trophy meet

Heavy rain upset the form books at Imola’s ninth annual Alberto Ascari Trophy (30 September-1 October), particularly in the first leg of the HGPCA Pre-1961 Grand Prix Cars race in which the ERAs of Jost Wildbolz (R4A) and Tony Stephens (R12B) beat post-war opposition. Philip Walker (Lotus 16) grabbed third from John Harper’s BRM P25 with a last-chicane lunge.

A more regular order resumed in race two, with Walker winning after Harper’s BRM dropped a valve to take aggregate race honours from Stephens, Wildbolz and Barrie Williams (Connaught A4).

Rob Hall won the HGPCA Pre-1966 event in the ex-Innes Ireland BRP-BRM; Andrew Gamer, sharing his Costin Lister-Jaguar with Gary Pearson, won the 2½-hour Gentlemen Drivers race by 12 seconds. And Silvio Kalb scored a rare March 76S victory in the German Supersports Cup event. AC