Adrian Willmott’s racing career began with single-seaters, competing against the likes of Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert. He made a brief return to single-seaters to win the Formula Palmer Audi Championship in 2002, but it was when a friend offered a shared drive in his Aston Martin DB4 that he had his first taste of historic motorsport. “I haven’t looked back since,” says Adrian. So how did he move from racing a friend’s Aston Martin to his own Studebaker Lark Daytona?
This Studebaker Lark Daytona is as fast as it is unusual
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When he sold his business and took semi-retirement, he wanted to tick some boxes in historic racing. One was own a car capable of being competitive in the RAC TT Celebration race, another was to own a racing that’s unusual. Enter the Lark.
Being unusual was not enough on its own. Adrian wanted a car that would stand out from the grid while being eligible not only for the St. Mary’s Trophy and Sprint at SpeedWeek presented by Mastercard, but other races at other events, such as the Pierpoint Cup at Members’ Meeting. He shortlisted a number of cars before focussing on the Studebaker.
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It has some Goodwood history having finished in second place in the hands of Matt Neal in the St. Mary’s Trophy in 2018, so manages to combine being out of the ordinary with being competitive.
“When I bought it, it was a bit hot roddy,” says Adrian. “I wanted to make it more Goodwood-esque.” Some of the more trick bits were removed, and the car was given a new paintjob.
While the car was selected for being unusual, that hasn’t detracted from how much of a joy it is behind the wheel. “It’s a beautiful thing to drive,” says Adrian. “Mike Jordon and Andy Jordon have driven it, and now Nicolas Minassian, and they get out of it with a big smile.
“It’s got a beautiful, smooth engine, and it’s so compliant. It just flows. Being big and long, it doesn’t do anything in a hurry. Goodwood is such a flowing circuit it suits it perfectly. You just set it up and it drifts nicely.”
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When we spoke to Adrian, Minassian had been out and Adrian was looking forward to qualifying – and his first competitive outing in the car – the following day. But it’s clear that he had already bonded with it: “It’s a definite favourite. It has its own character.”
How did the car get on? With Minassian at the wheel it finished in second place in the St. Mary’s Trophy. With Adrian at the wheel the following day it finished in first place. Adrian is no doubt now looking upon it even more favourably.
Photography by Joe Harding, Tom Shaxson and Jordan Butters.
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