10/06/2026
Full Guards Trophy Report from Donington Park by Marcus Pye: Also available on the News page of the HSCC website:
https://www.hscc.uk/post/silver-lenham-is-golden-guards-ticket
SILVER LENHAM IS GOLDEN GUARDS TICKET
The Tusting family’s lightweight 1600cc Ford twin-cam engined Lenham P69 Spyder made a winning re-turn to the Guards Trophy Championship at Donington. Ben soloed to an emphatic victory over Snetterton vic-tor Elliot Paterson’s two-litre Ginetta-BMW G16, with the Chevron-BMW B8s of Mark and Hugh Colman (ex-David Good) and Charlie Allison (ex-Trevor Twaites) third and fourth, 3.171s apart after 31 laps.
Reprising the style which saw him and father Robert land the 2024 title in the silver dream racer, Ben claimed pole with a fine 1m13.622s (96.77mph) lap, outpacing Snetterton’s top qualifier John Davison (ex-Digby Martland Chevron-BMW B6) by 1.664s. The Colmans and early class leaders Samuel Harri-son/Adrian Holey (Lotus 23B) shared row two, the 1963 car on 1:16.513 (90.11mph) by courtesy of Samu-el, whose stellar HSCC CV lest anybody forgets in-cludes Historic FF, F3 and FF2000 titles.
Paterson and defending champ Andrew Hibberd (Lotus 23B) inhabited row three, chased by the Richard Tay-lor-spannered McLarens of Andrew Wareing/Adam Sykes (M1A-Chevrolet) and Marcus Black/Mark Dan-iell (M1B-Oldsmobile), separated by Allison. Nick Fennell’s 23B completed the top 10, with Peter and Sam Hamilton (Lenham P70 Spyder), Chris Por-ritt/Ross Drybrough (B8) and Michael Richings/Dan Cox (Merlyn Mk4A) ganged up behind in the 19s.
Of particular interest were the ultra-low Lenham P68/69 coupe of Jon Waggitt/Peter Needham - the first closed version to grace the series since Dave Methley’s in 2000 reckoned observers - and the American Bobsy-Alfa Romeo of Tom Seckel. The only Lotus Elan in the field was Rupert Ashdown’s 26R spec car, back in closed form after his al fresco Snetterton experience.
Tusting was peerless in the 40-minute race, although Sykes rumbled the white and mauve Nickey Chevrolet McLaren up to second as the order settled behind the leader. Paterson led briefly, by virtue of making his mandatory stop two laps after Tusting’s, but the two second gap between their lap times was too much to counter. The Scot finished 51 seconds down, albeit clear of the black and red Chevrons.
Davison, who had been hounding Mark Colman for fourth, exited stage right after the chicane when a steering arm snapped. “I felt it go and was lucky to stay out of the barrier,” he said later. Wareing had retired his McLaren moments earlier. The surviving McLaren, with MGA to F2 Cooper racer Daniell up, came home sixth behind Harrison. who had supplanted Holey and driven their little Lotus like the wind to a class win. “Anybody who shares will Samuel is going to look am-ateur,” smiled Adrian earlier in the day.
Fennell’s ex-Robin Widdows 23B also led the division early on, succeeding Hibberd’s which was retired with its brakes fried. The elusive repeat problem was finally licked back in Andrew’s workshop, traced to the pow-der coating of a master cylinder cap! “A £2 part which has cost me a small fortune in parts,” he rued.
Oliver Gemmill’s Crossle 9S, Ashdown’s Elan and the Chevron of Colin Elstrop/David Beatty were classified seventh to ninth when the race was stopped, with Drybrough’s B8 stranded in the chicane.
Full results available from:
https://www.tsl-timing.com/file/?f=HSCC/2026/262256gtr.pdf
NEXT EVENT: LEGENDS OF BRANDS HATCH SUPER PRIX;
11-12 JULY
Your opportunity to be part of the Brands Hatch 'Century of Power' 100th Anniversary celebration
Enter today to secure you place in history.
Images: Motorsport Classics Media Mark Colman
