It was a Cobra one-two into first corner with Emanuele Pirro chasing Michael Gans, while Richard Meins in the E-type dropped from third to fifth at the flag putting the TVR Griffith of Mike Whitaker into third. The Cobras, separated by a mere half second began pulling away from the pack at a rate of a second per lap.
Having harried Gans through a gaggle of traffic, Pirro took his chance up the inside at Lavant, snatching the lead just before the driver change window opened on Lap 10. Whitaker remained in touch in third throughout before pitting after 12 laps, Mike Jordan re-joining in sixth. A late stop by Pirro saw his co-driver Shaun Lynn retain the lead over driver number two in the second place Cobra, Andrew Wolfe.
A fastest lap on lap 21 by Mike Jordan moved the TVR up within touching distance of the lead pair, beginning a titanic three-way fight for the lead. Wolfe regained the lead along the back straight on the following lap before Mike Jordan’s move up the inside at Lavant put the TVR into second place on lap 23.
Wolfe and Jordan pulled away from the rest of the field before a sensational move around the outside of Woodcote on Lap 27 put Jordan in the lead where he remained for the rest of the race. A problem in the closing laps saw the second place Wolfe lose six seconds per lap but his lead allowed him to take second place, with Lynn third.
Image by Nick Dungan.
Graham Hill Trophy
75MM
Members Meeting
78MM
MMFM
Mike Jordan
TVR
Griffith
Emanuele Pirro
Richard Meins
Jaguar
E-Type
Race Report