2025 Salvadori Cup highlights | 82MM

Salvadori Cup highlights

A 20-minute battle between two Lotus-Climax 15s meant the Salvadori Cup was a gripping finale to the 82^nd Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport. Roger Wills got the edge over pole-sitter Bonamy Grimes off the line, and the pair drove away from the pack, leaving James Thrope's Lister-Jaguar ‘Flat Iron’ to run his own race in a lonely third place. Saif Assam made the best start from fifth on the grid, but his progress was stilted after his Lister-Jaguar ‘Knobbly’ became boxed in on the run down to Madgwick.

Away from the lead, another duel was in play between Michael Birch and Shaun Lynn, Birch using his lighter Lotus-Climax 15 to pressure Lynn’s Jaguar ‘Knobbly’ for tenth, while another Climax 15, that of Richard Wilson, was running right on the leaders’ pace as he moved up to 11^th.

Grimes managed to lose a piece of his exhaust pipe in his chase of Wills, but to no ill-affect for the remaining eight minutes. Wilson, now up to tenth, was adding to the pressure Assam was under in eighth from Justin Maeers’ Cooper-Climax T49 ‘Monaco’, and overtook the latter to climb to ninth.

As the clock ticked down, back markers would have their say on whether Wills or Grimes would prevail. Wills’ lead has shrunk to under one second as Grimes was setting fastest laps, and with minutes to go he made his move, late on the brakes on the outside of Madgwick, the two brushing briefly. The presence of Julian Majzub, who would finish 17^th in the Sadler-Chevrolet MkII, hindered Wills’ chance of getting back at Grimes, who took the win.

Photography by Toby Whales, Jordan Butters and Charlie Brenninkmeijer.