A welcome note from Mike Pilbeam points out that on the 50th anniversary of BRM’s only World Championship victory in 1962, another Bourne based marque has scooped the honours in the blue-riband event at the East London Grand Prix Era Revival meeting in South Africa last Sunday.
On the same track that Graham Hill took his BRM to victory 50 years ago, a Pilbeam MP98-Cosworth co-driven by Eddie Keizan and Greg Mills, won the Border 100 endurance race on its racing debut by more than 40 secs from the second-placed Porsche GT3.
Veteran Keizan, who drove a privately-entered Tyrrell and Lotus 72 in three GPs in the 1970s, and who returned to the track this year after a 35-year break, said of the brand new Pilbeam:
“It was the first time I have raced a state-of-the-art modern race-car and what a thrilling experience it was. With cantilever suspension, sequential gearbox, slippery aerodynamics, proper down-force and modern race tyres, this is undoubtedly one of the best cars I have ever driven.”
Co-driver Mills, who is spearheading an African effort with Pilbeam for Le Mans in 2014, and who took the first stint, said:
“The MP98 is a car without any vices. But not only is it easy to drive, it has obvious speed, especially through the infamous flat-in-sixth Potter’s Pass corner where we could pull away from the bigger-engined cars.”
The first Border 100 mile event in December 1934 was also labelled the first SA Grand Prix. The ninth SA GP was held in December 1962, the first such one, however, that enjoyed world championship status.
Mike Pilbeam made the trip to South Africa with PRD fabricator Justin Cole. He summed up the weekend:
“The Border 100 gave us a great opportunity to develop the MP98 and the new South African team towards the huge challenge with a new car for Le Mans in 2014. A most enjoyable weekend.”
Completing the historic circle, the Pilbeam pit crew included Bruce Johnstone on his first visit to the East London GP circuit since 1962 when he finished ninth in the GP as the third BRM works driver. He described the little Pilbeam’s performance as ‘memorable’ on ‘a jewel of a race track’.
