Lurani Trophy Round 2 – Red Bull Ring; 11th – 12th June
You could not write the script; but the covid lockdowns are over, the World has reopened, and the Australian Formula Junior gypsies are back on track in Europe; that is all real World, but what happened next was as unlikely as a platypus having triplets.
The Lurani Trophy, with twelve different nationalities, moved to Spielberg this weekend amongst the Styrian ski slopes, but now bathed in glorious summer sunshine.
Philipp Buhofer’s Lotus 27 set the pace, while Phil Keene had a quick test in Lee Mowle’s 20/22 before Lee bagged the second front row spot, Chris Dinnage regretting that he had not stuck the spare Hethel based 27 in the truck for Phil to actually race.
Race One on Saturday saw Nogaro Doctor, Stephane Rey (Lola 5A) comfortably out front after an incredible series of largely minor mechanical failures sidelined almost all the other disc brakes front runners in the course of the opening laps, but the jinx was about to strike Stephane too, and he rolled to a halt with gearbox failure, leaving Marty Bullock in the drum braked Australian Wren, without a clutch, to claim a resounding victory, from the two Australian Lynx Mk3’s of Dane, Pierre Guichard, and Sydney based, David Kent.
Not only did the Red Bull Ring find the modern Australian national anthem for the podium ceremony, but TWO Australian flags to boot!!
Some semblance of the old order was restored for Race 2, after a great battle between Lee Mowle and Philipp Buhofer was frustrated when Philipp was forced into the pits for a drive-through for jumping the start, leaving Italian Gianluigi Candiani (Branca) and Britain’s Adrian Russell (Lotus 22) to challenge Lee, and to take the remaining podium spots, from a recovered Philipp, and the remarkable Marty, who had personally changed the clutch release bearing overnight.
Aggregate winner was an ecstatic Marty, from Pierrre Guichard, and a consistent, but very surprised Stefan Joebstl in his Hall and Hall prepared Lotus 20.
Front engined honours went again convincingly to Erik Justesen in the actual ex Arthur Mallock U2 Mk2, but the battle of the weekend, in both races, was behind him, between Malcolm Wishart in the red Faranda, Floris-Jan Hekker’s Rayberg and Duncan R’s orange Alexis, with honours shared all round in the races, on aggregate, and fastest laps!!
Next round, Zolder …
DCPR