Equipe Classic Racing 6 Hour Endurance Race

In a bold change from previous race formats Equipe Classic Racing promoted its first 6 hour Equipe Endurance Race at Donington Park on 5th July.

Thirty-three teams and 100 drivers accepted the challenge with both Pro and Amateur trophies and class prizes up for grabs. Strategy for fuel and driver stops was the talk of the pit lane with a 90-minute qualifying session giving everyone time to check fuel consumption and driver order.

Equipe Endurance Race Hour One.

1:00pm… the red lights extinguished and Rory Butcher got the jump on Pole sitter, John Tordoff, and took an early lead in the Elan he was sharing with Ben Barker and Ben Tinkler. Elans had dominated in qualifying but in the race the Cobra Daytona of Jeremy Cottingham made a great start to run in P2. Butcher set a scorching pace and had amassed a 17 second lead by lap 39 when the safety car made an appearance and slowed proceedings for three laps. Behind Butcher Cottingham came under pressure from Michael O’Brien in the Shapecraft Elan which move up to P2 on lap 38.

The Cobra started by Nick Sleep was also going well and was up to fourth after nine laps, the Cottingham Daytona Cobra having hit problems. Also on lap 38 Andrew Jordan took over the Elan started by John Tordoff and started to fly up the order but he lost a couple of laps when he pitted with a puncture after 55 laps.

At 100-laps it was Butcher still leading, Jordan having fought his way up to second, O’Brien third and the Elan started by Graham Ridgeway and shared with Alexander Fores and Tom Smith fourth.

Equipe Endurance Race Hour Three.

As the race progressed it was clear fuel consumption was the crucial factor, the lead Elans aiming to go quickly but get just over the halfway mark before making their single planned fuel stops. The thirstier V8s would need to refuel twice. Jordan was the first of the leaders to pit just on the three-hour mark to hand over to James Dorlin and fuel the car. Butcher was in three laps later to hand over to Barker and top up the lead Elan.

After four hours of racing it was Barker ahead, Dorlin the only other car on the lead lap, while the yellow Cobra, now with Alex Montgomery on board, was going well three lap down in third. In fourth was the Elan shared by Dominic Mooney, Ben Caisley and Connor Kay which had suffered issues early on but was now running quickly.

A drive of note was from the fifth placed car – the oldest and smallest engined in the field, the 1955 Lotus MKIV started by Carles Angrave which was still lapping consistently.

Equipe Endurance Race Hour Six.

Into the final hour there were 19 cars still running, all hoping to make it to the finish. Tinkler had handed the lead Elan back to Butcher. Jordan was back in the second placed Elan and just on the lead lap while Kay was third having moved up past Sleep’s Cobra. The Elan of Gerry Buggy, Rob Cull and Tom Smith was up to P5.

At the end Rory Butcher brought the Elan that had led pretty much all the way across the line for the win, judging the fuel so finely the car ran out halfway round the slowing-down lap. Andrew Jordan was still on the lead lap in second, that puncture pretty much the time difference between the two cars, while Kay claimed third. A fine fourth, and first car without a Pro category driver on board was the fourth placed Cobra of Nick Sleep and Alex Montgomery, the duo delighted to claim that position. 

Equipe Endurance Race Summery.

Every car that finished was a winner in a real test of race craft, teamwork and reliability. Bruce Duckworth, Jamie Mason and Graham Hill were first MGB home and seventh overall while one place further back and the first of the Austin Healeys was the car of Mike Thorne, Sarah Bennett-Baggs and John Todd. A special mention for Team Willmott, family members, Rick, Harry, Joe and Jack finished 2nd in Class 3 with their rapid and reliable MG B Roadster.

As well as elation in the crews who saw the chequered flag, there were stories of disappointment up and down the pit lane. The saddest of all was perhaps in the Engrave, Hudson and Witherington garage, their plucky little 70 year old Lotus Mk IV which had started in P10 and completed more than 400 miles, fell off the timesheets on lap 212 with less than an hour remaining.

It was 251-laps of great racing, close to 500-miles completed by the lead cars, one hundred drivers involved and every car having its own story to tell afterwards. It was a great six-hours and testament to Equipe Classic Racing who took the gamble of trying something different. A resounding success with the overriding consensus being that it was a great day of racing with great team spirit – the drivers really enjoying the challenge.

Congratulations to the winners.

Pro – Rory Butcher, Ben Tinkler & Ben Barker – Lotus Elan 26R

Amateur – Nick Sleep & Alex Montgomery – AC Cobra

In the words of Andrew Jordan, former BTCC champion “This has been a great event, nice and laid back, the Equipe guys really nailed it and have made us all feel so welcome.”

Stop Press: Following the event feedback – Equipe are confirming that they plan to repeat the Equipe 6 Hour in 2026.

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Previous Equipe Classic Racing reports.