A huge weekend for John McGurk at Donington Park saw him take two brilliant wins in the Historic Saloon races, driving his stunning Ford Lotus Cortina. It was pure motorsport at its finest, close racing, variable weather, and actual driving prowess on display.
Racing the Cortina is always a thrill. Sure, there are ups and downs, classic cars can be unpredictable, but we’re always chasing a podium finish.
We started the season at Silverstone in March, where we had John in a solid fourth grid position. Next in April to Donington – another big field and again John and Cortina were blazing down the road, coming home 4th overall and 1st in class behind 3 blisteringly fast Lotus Elans.
We returned to Donington for the Historic Festival in May, our favourite weekend of the year. With a full grid and some of the best Pro drivers on the classic circuit, we were aiming for a top 10. John was running 8th when, with just four laps to go, gearbox failure brought our race to an end. Frustrating, but that’s the nature of racing.
In a new gearbox, we were back at Donington again. This time, under 30-degree heat, our efforts paid off, and John took home two hard-fought victories, as you will see below.
If all goes to plan, we’ll be racing next at the Silverstone Classic in August. Maybe we’ll see you there?
Here at McGurk, that same enthusiasm flows through every action. As trusted Aston Martin specialists, we care for V8 and V12 models with the kind of attention to detail that collectors and enthusiasts truly value. Be it a full-service, performance tuning, or soul retention of a classic, we do not hesitate to treat your car as our own.
Hats off to John and the team, two well-deserved trophies and a weekend never to forget.