A 1973 Porsche 911T piloted by Peter and Zoe Lovett has finished the Trans-America Challenge, crossing the finishing post in San Francisco in first position. Their victory cames hot on the heels of the couple’s success at the inaugural Road to Mandalay Rally in February.
An honourable mention must be given to Phil Garratt and Keiron Brown, who led the rally’s early and middle stages at the wheel of their 1977 Triumph Stag before mechanical maladies put paid to their chances on the 17th day.
With the Stag out of the equation, Paul and Sandra Merryweather found themselves in second place in their 1974 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL, closely followed by the 1954 Jaguar XK120 of Phillip and Yvonne Haslam.
The Vintageant Class was won by Martin and Olivia Hunt, who were campaigning their 1927 Bentley, while Marco Halter and Claudia Engelhardt in a 1963 Ford Falcon Coupe and David and Jo Roberts in a 1968 Triumph TR250 also picked up class wins.
Malaysia’s Hok Kiang Sia and Eric Kuan Rong Sia scooped one of two Spirit of the Rally awards for a strong run in their 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II – the largest car on the event. The second went to Richard and Travis Cole who, having abandoned their 1936 Alvis Speed 25 on a recovery lorry on the first day, purchased an unprepared Datsun 240Z in which they completed the rally.
“This has been another superb event with a fantastic mix of cars, crews and driving skills,” said ERA rally director Fred Gallagher. “Our clerk of the course Kim Bannister planned a brilliant route which offered iconic scenery, competitive tests and challenging terrain – everything you could hope for in an event such as this.”
Greg MacLeman is a contributor to and former Features Editor of Classic & Sports Car, and drives a restored and uprated 1974 Triumph 2500TC