Race Report: 2021 Earl Howe Trophy | 78th Members’ Meeting | GRR
Lukas Halusa claimed honours in the Earl Howe Trophy race for two-seat Grand Prix and Voirurette cars.
The preternaturally brave historics ace guided his father Martin’s Bugatti Type 35B on its lock-stops, leading from the second lap of the 18-minute encounter to the last. He bested early leader Gary Pearson who had started from pole aboard Christian Glasel’s Alfa Romeo 8C 2600 Monza. Halusa had assumed the lead with a remarkably committed move on the outside of Woodcote before extending his advantage to two seconds by half-distance, with James Wood a distant third in Nick Mason’s Bugatti Type 35B. The slow-starting Patrick Blakeney-Edwards ran fourth in Peter Neumark’s Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 Monza.
The positions remained static for the rest of the race, the lead quartet trading tenths of a second for much of the duration. Pearson closed in on Halusa amid traffic in the closing stages but was unable to mount a serious challenge on his youthful rival. The Austrian crossed the line 0.327 second ahead Pearson on the run to the line with Wood a further 25.215 seconds in arrears.