Glittering Weekend Of Success For Lyons At Catalan Classic Festival

International GT Open racer Michael Lyons successfully returned to his historic racing roots at the weekend, 13th/14th April, with a sensational outing at the Catalan Classic Festival in Spain – the Briton starring with two FIA Masters Historic Formula One Championship wins and adding podium finishes in the FIA Masters Historic Sports Car Championship and Gentleman Drivers encounters.

As well as driving for his family’s Frank Lyons Racing team in Historic F1, the Felsted ace gladly took the chance to partner Mike Wrigley at the wheel of his Jaguar E-Type in the Gentleman Drivers race and he also shared Wrigley’s Chevron B16 in the Historic Sports Car outing.

“That was an incredible weekend”, said the 22-year-old, “Four podiums from four races, two wins in the F1, was fantastic. The second of the F1 races was the best, we managed a Frank Lyons Racing clean sweep of the class podium with me first, James Hagan second and dad third! It was great partnering Mike Wrigley in the sportscar races too, a huge thank you to him for the opportunity.”

Michael won both FIA Masters Historic F1 Championship races in the ‘early car’ class at the wheel of a Hesketh 308E, finishing fourth overall in the first outing and a superb second in race two. He did actually have the outright lead in the opening encounter against much quicker, more modern F1 machinery but was boxed in by a lapped backmarker and had to settle for class victory instead.

In the Gentleman Drivers outing, featuring a stunning array of classic touring cars, the Essex racer took the wheel of a vintage E-Type Jaguar for the first time in his career. Partnering well-known historic racing enthusiast Wrigley, the duo raced to third in class and sixth overall.

Michael’s final outing of the weekend came in the FIA Historic Sports Car Championship where, with Wrigley again, the pairing produced a fantastic display to take third overall against a huge number of vastly more powerful cars, including monstrous Ford GT40s.

“The whole event was fantastic, a lot of fun to be involved with but even better with so many trophies to take home!”, said Michael, “It’s great to start the historic season so strongly, hopefully I’ll have the opportunity to do quite a few more of the races during the year when my commitments with AF Corse in the International GT Open allow.”

It is the world of contemporary sportscar racing to which he next returns with the opening round of the 2013 International GT Open taking place at Paul Ricard in the south of France on 27th/28th April. Michael will partner Italy’s Matteo Beretta in an AF Corse-entered Ferrari 458 Italia GT3.

Tags: Classic Racing Cars