GalleryThe opening Woodcote Trophy race for 2008 at Monza was shaped by the weather: dry in practice and very wet in the race itself. This meant that fortunes changed rapidly. The Kurtis of Chris Keen and Richard McAlpine, which was quickest in practice, soon slipped down the field, while spectators were robbed of the anticipated neck-and-neck battle between the two Allards, which the qualifying times had led them to expect…
In practice, the owners of the two Allards – Malcolm Verey and Chris Phillips – were very close in times, as were their two co-drivers – Gregor Fisken and Barrie Williams. However, come the race the rain poured down and Barrie Williams put on an outstanding display of driving in the wet to leave Chris Phillips’ Allard behind – and giving Gregor Fisken no chance of catching up, come the driver change. Nor was it just the Allard which Williams left behind… he defeated the rest of the field in fine style, and was first past the chequered flag.
Also putting in a stunning drive was Gavin Pickering, who worked his D-type up the field to snatch third place from the Kurtis on the very last lap, and finish hard on the heels of Marc Devis’s Maserati 250S which came second. Other class winners included Neil Hardy and Jeremy Welch’s Austin-Healey 100M; Richard Frankel’s Ferrari 750 Monza; the Connaught ALSR of Stephen and Ben Gibson; and the Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica of Richard Lake and Jane Varley.
Unfortunately, the wet conditions meant more than simply slipping back a few places for Austin-Healey drivers Mike Thorne and Johnny Todd, when Todd landed up in the Armco at the chicane. But it was no indictment of his driving skill, considering the problems that even the most experienced racers encountered. Said Adrian Hall, “It was the slippiest track I’ve ever raced on.”
Said Duncan Wiltshire of Motor Racing Legends, “The whole meeting was incredibly well-organised, with all support vehicles excluded from the paddock and all the race cars in open-sided tents. It made it a pleasure, as well as an honour, to be involved in the highly prestigious Coppa Intereuropa weekend at Monza.”
* Post-race scrutineering saw three cars subsequently excluded from the official results for being underweight.
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