Bentley Drivers Club at Silverstone: Eastick triumphs in Golden Jubilee Times Trophy race as Bentley celebrates 100 years of motorsport success

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Press release

Ben Eastick took the plaudits when he won the 50th anniversary Times Trophy Bentley scratch race at the Bentley Drivers Club’s 73rd annual Silverstone race day on Saturday 7 August.

The meeting – an institution on the British club motor-racing calendar – saw another day of fantastic racing at its very best, with the Times Trophy encounter the blue-riband event of a packed 10-race programme.

Bentleys of all ages – many raced by Club members – shared the entry list with Morgans, MGs, TVRs, Jaguars, Alfa-Romeos, Aston Martins, Lotuses, ACs, Austin Healeys, Triumphs, Frazer Nashes, Allards, and many more marques besides.

Ben was racing the T Type single-seater his father Barry had developed and raced in the late 1970s and which he has restored to racing spec over the last few years.

It was Ben’s first win in the 10-lap Times Trophy race and he duly added the Eastick name to the coveted trophy once again following Barry’s triumph in 1973. Ben was presented with the Times Trophy by Dominic Carter, of News UK (owner of The Times) and applauded on the podium by the Club’s special guest HRH Prince Michael of Kent.

Ben had started at the very rear of the grid after a staggered start had been newly introduced to this year’s event, with the faster cars placed at the back, in an effort to spice up the race action.

He powered his way through to win by over half a minute from the second placed Alfa Romeo 8c Monza, with the hard-charging Clive Morley, the BDC’s current Racing Driver of the Year, finishing in a well-deserved third place, just two seconds adrift.

Clive’s 3/4½ Litre had spent much of the race involved in a thrilling scrap with Oliver Llewellyn’s 4½ Litre, the 2019 BDC Racing Driver of the Year finishing only three seconds behind in fourth.

Special mention must also be made of Chris Townsend (Mk VI Special), who recorded a superb top-10 finish, in eighth place, on his circuit racing debut.

Seventeen Club Members and their Bentleys made up the strong 25-car grid, with 3 Litres, 3/4½s, 4½s, Mk VI Specials and a Derby 4¼ Litre Special all vying for honours.

Meanwhile, William Elbourn Snr appeared to surprise himself when he triumphed in the Bentley Handicap encounter, his 3/4½ Litre being classified almost half a minute ahead of runner-up Guy Northam’s 4½ Litre, with David Ratcliffe (3 Litre) third. Seventeen Bentleys took the unusual pit-lane start for the eight-lapper.

Elsewhere, there was success for Oliver Llewellyn and dad Tim (Allard J2) who triumphed in the 30-minute FISCAR race by the comfortable margin of 10 secs after starting from pole position. It was Oliver's second successive victory after also winning last year.

In other supporting races, there was a brace of victories apiece for Oliver Bryant (Morgan Plus 8) and Ollie Neaves (MGB GT V8) in the Aero Morgan Challenge Series and MG Car Club BCV8 Challenge double-headers.

Aside from the racing, the day also celebrated 100 years of Bentley racing success, with Bentley Motors kindly displaying a host of notable race cars from its illustrious Heritage Collection – including EXP2, the car which scored the marque’s first-ever race victory at Brooklands in May 1921.

Also present was the Speed 8 2003 Le Mans-winning machine which thrilled the crowds with a handful of hot demonstration laps in the hands of BDC racer and well-known journalist Andrew Frankel. Keeping it company on track was a second-generation Continental GT3.

The remainder of the Heritage Collection cars all enjoyed a more sedate track procession, with Birkin Blower No2, which led at Le Mans in 1930 and is regarded as one of the world’s most valuable Bentleys, being driven by Prince Michael. Others in the procession included the Pikes Peak Continental GT which set the production car record over the feted US hill climb course in 2019.

Race winners:

Race 1 – Aero Morgan Challenge Series (first race): Oliver Bryant (Morgan Plus 8)

Race 2 – MG Car Club BCV8 Challenge (first race): Ollie Neaves (MGB GT V8)

Race 3 – Bentley Scratch Race for the Times Trophy: Ben Eastick (T Type single-seater)

Race 4 – FISCAR: Tim Llewellyn/Oliver Llewellyn (Allard J2)

Race 5 – BDC Classic Challenge with Morgan Techniques Trophy: Jack Bellinger (Morgan Plus 4)

Race 6 – Bentley Handicap: William Elbourn Snr (3/4½ Litre)

Race 7 – Aero Morgan Challenge Series (second race): Oliver Bryant (Morgan Plus 8)

Race 8 – Ecurie Classic Racing: Allan Ross-Jones (Triumph TR4)

Race 9 – BDC Open Allcomers Race & TVRCC Challenge: Gwyn Pollard (Crossle 9S); TVRCC Challenge: Aaron Moyce (TVR Tuscan)

Race 10 – MG Car Club BCV8 Challenge (first race): Ollie Neaves (MGB GT V8)

For more information contact: Stuart Newman, Communications Manager, on 01295 738886 or email stuart.newman@bdcl.org

www.bdcl.org

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