9/5/2012 - 83-Year-Old Lee Talbot Wins The Rolex Award at Historic Festival 30

Lime Rock, CT – The 30th Vintage Festival at Lime Rock Park was something of an octogenarian showcase, as 82-year-old Lee Talbot took home the coveted Rolex Award at the post-race driver's awards gathering, while 82-year-old Sir Stirling Moss was the hardest-working man at the track all weekend, opening each day driving laps with wife Susie in the Osca MT-4 with which he won the 1952 Sebring 12-hour race. From there his daily schedule would sap a man half his age, with meetings, presentations and a never-ending gantlet of hundreds of daily autograph signings.

Talbot was presented with a pricey Rolex chronograph "for outstanding performance on track" in his 1967 Ginetta G4 as cited by event chairman Murray Smith. Talbot finished 2nd in Group 8's small bore production race with a blistering 1:01.83 best lap.

Talbot told VM that it marked his 64th year of competition since his first professional race. Smith added a pair of new awards this year, including, sadly, the Robert Willis award, in honor of the late local Cafe Julia restaurateur who died one week before he was scheduled to race in the fest. The award was presented to the best Alfa Romeo, Peter Greenfield's 1935 Alfa Romeo 8C35 in the "True Vintage" group 3.

The Stirling Salute award was bestowed on David Swig, who came in from California to race his 1957 Monsterati amongst the '50s sports racers. Smith noted the award was also a nod in honor of Swig's late father Martin, longtime vintage racer and California Mille cofounder, who died suddenly in July. The Charlie Gibson award, named for one of the event's original promoters, was presented by Sasco Sports' Dave Handy to now retired racer John Rogers.

As is traditional, the Rolex group awards were bestowed by Smith to drivers who may not have finished on their group podium, but who drove both enthusiastically and safely in well-prepared race cars. The group award winners were:
Group 1 – Kim Baker, 1965 Lola T70
Group 2 – Doug Elcomb, 1961 Dreossi Special Formula Junior
Group 3 – Benjamin Bragg IV, 1935 "Old Grey Mare" Special
Group 4a – Howard Katz, 1973 March BMW Formula 2
Group 4b – James King, 1976 March 761
Group 5 – Jim Newton, 1967 Porsche 911 RS
Group 6 – Tom Malloy, 1958 Lister-Jaguar
Group 7 – Ben Sinnott, 1991 Lola S2000
Group 8 – Laurent Fumex, 1972 MGB
Group 9 – Richard Maloumian, Austin-Healey
Group 10 – Alain Raymond, 1964 Fiat Abarth

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