TVR Racing Heritage!
On this day, exactly 20 years ago, a new chapter in TVR’s racing history was started when Richard Stanton and Steve Hyde debuted with the new Barclays-Dewalt Racing TVR Tuscan R in the GTO class of the British GT-Powertour Championship […]
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On this day, exactly 20 years ago, a new chapter in TVR’s racing history was started when Richard Stanton and Steve Hyde debuted with the new Barclays-Dewalt Racing TVR Tuscan R in the GTO class of the British GT-Powertour Championship at Silverstone on 1st April 2001. Little did we know back then that this would eventually lead to TVR’s involvement in international GT racing and a return to Le Mans and Sebring some years later.
Although the season didn’t get off to a flying start, the Tuscan R rapidly became a serious contender in a spectacular and thrilling season of the British GT Championship, in which also two TVR Cerbera Speed Twelves were competing in the top GT1 class.
For the first four races the Barclays-Dewalt Racing TVR was the sole Tuscan R on track as Martin Short was still finishing the build of his car while at the same time racing (and outperforming the new TVR racer) with his trusty Cerbera Speed Six GTO. By race 4 at Oulton Park however development began to yield results and Stanton-Hyde scored their first podium finish with a 2nd place in GTO class. In round 5 at Croft they qualified on GTO pole and were from then on joined by Martin Short and Rob Barff in the Rollcentre Racing Tuscan R. On their second outing at Rockingham the latter already qualified 4th overal and took GTO pole in turn.
The Castle Combe race on 24th June marked a new milestone when Stanton-Hyde scored their maiden GTO class win by finishing an incredible 3rd overall, just behind the mighty Lister Storm and TVR Cerbera Speed Twelve. The next race at Brands Hatch was another season’s highlight with an overall win for Bobby Verdon-Roe and Michael Caine in the Speed Twelve and two podium finishes for the Tuscan R: GTO class victory for Short-Barff, complemented by a 3rd place for Stanton-Hyde. Donington saw another GTO pole and class win for the Rollcentre Racing TVR (4th overall), while Stanton-Hyde finished 3rd in class at Thruxton. On the return visit to Brands Hatch, Short-Barff came home 4th overall and 2nd in GTO class. In the last race at Silverstone Stanton-Hyde took the final podium finish with another 3rd in class.
Despite the TVR Tuscan R being an all-new race it scored 3 class wins and 8 podium finishes in its freshman year. The Rollcentre team gave the Tuscan R its international racing debut at the Suzuka 1000 Kilometres in August 2001, finishing 17th out of 35 starters. In the following years the Tuscan R would evolve into the T400R that would be deployed both in British GT and international GT racing. Written by Jo Hemelsoet.
