The tantalising prospect of Gareth Evans’ Mercedes-Benz C9 going head-to-head with Nicolas Minassian in a Peugeot 905 in Saturday’s Historic Group C race at the Silverstone Classic sadly wasn’t to be after a problem with the French car’s clutch. Rupert Clevely’s crew had the engine and gearbox out of his 905 three times, to no avail.
Evans took a comfortable win in the twilight first race, though a determined Roger Wills kept him in sight for the first half of the 30-minute contest in one of three Lancia LC2s. “It’s a fantastic car to race,” enthused Wills. “And the three Martini cars looked great – they haven’t been together since the ’80s.”
“It’s always an honour to drive the Mercedes,” said Evans. “It is mighty, but I’m quite gentle with it – and it’s quite gentle with me.” He had to work harder for victory in race two, though, and set the weekend’s fastest lap after an epic scrap with the evocative Jägermeister Porsche 962 that Herve Regout had put on pole in Friday’s wet practice. Belgian Regout was pipped for second by Minassian, who made up for the previous night’s disappointment with a guest-drive in Clevely’s Lancia.