Rich green coachwork and velvety exhaust notes heralded the arrival of 29 Bentley sports racing cars of the era up to 1930 when the boys from Grosvenor Square ruled the Le Mans 24 Hours. A hugely fitting tribute to the spirit of the brand in its 100th year, the Brooklands Trophy promised a hair-raising, roof-dropping feast for the best of British – and it truly delivered.
Race report: Brooklands Trophy – Revival 2019
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In period, Le Mans cars had to start the race with their roofs in place and this tradition was revived as the field lined up at the start, from which Ben Collings sprang away into the early lead. Martin Overington, who famously puts his Bentley 4.5-litre to work as a towing vehicle for other, later Le Mans cars on occasion, clearly felt liberated without a large and valuable load on the back and soon caught and passed Collings’ Speed Model for the lead before the mandatory pit stop window to retract the roof.
With their roofs lowered (or after waiting for a suitable period if there was no drop-top option!), the Bentleys re-entered the fray with Overington well in command. So great was his advantage that even a wild ride over the infield while lapping slower traffic proved no great obstacle and the Union Flag-bedecked behemoth bounded over the line to take a richly deserved win.
Photo by Drew Gibson.
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