Storming sports prototypes delight in the Gurney Cup

A grid of roaring sports prototypes from the 1960s put on one hell of a show on Saturday in the ultra-high speed two-driver race, in what was a star-studded battle between the likes of Dario Franchitti, Jason Plato, Rob Huff, Benoit Treluyer. Gordon Shedden and Chris Harris.

And as if the driver list wasn’t juicy enough, the cars they were driving boggles the mind also. There were Ford GT40s, Elva-BMWs, Chevrons, and brutal open-cockpit AC Shelby Cobra complete with the gargantuan 427 engine burbling away at the front. In the face of all that outrageous power, a selection of ultra-lightweight Lotus 23Bs added a touch of sleek style to proceedings.

In many ways, looking at photos of these cars is equally as enjoyable as watching/listening to them tear around the track. They’re brilliantly evocative of those legendary years at Le Mans, symbols of an unforgettable era of sportscar racing that quite frankly is difficult to match for sights and sounds.

The Gurney Cup is doubtless one of the highlights of the weekend, and a brilliant way to get the car racing underway at the 80^th Members’ Meeting.

The 80^th Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport is live now! You can watch every second of the action right here on GRR.

Photography by Toby Whales and Pete Summers.