Legacy Outlaws Racing Return the Lola T292 to Victory at Charade.

Charade · July 2026

There was no time for the Legacy Outlaws Racing team to head home after the Le Mans Classic. Instead, the Lola T292 remained in France as preparations immediately began for Round 3 of the Motor Racing Legends 2.0 Litre Sports Car Championship – the prestigious Trophées d'Auvergne at the legendary Circuit de Charade.

For everyone in the team, and for both drivers Jan Magnussen and Chris Ward, Charade was completely new territory.

Thursday's test day became a lesson in learning one of Europe's most iconic and demanding circuits. The team enjoyed a track walk the evening before, but Chris later admitted he wasn't entirely sure it had been a good idea. Walking the circuit highlighted just how unforgiving Charade really is. Concrete walls line much of the track, while through the spectacular volcanic section the circuit is bordered by mature trees, dramatic elevation changes and breathtaking scenery. It certainly made him question whether driving a racing car flat out through such an environment was entirely sensible.

Those thoughts disappeared the moment he climbed aboard the Lola T292 and left the pit lane.

Both Jan and Chris quickly settled into an impressive rhythm, and testing proved extremely productive. The car immediately showed excellent pace, but the team identified that the suspension settings carried over from Le Mans were too stiff for Charade's relentless twists, cambers and elevation changes. The engineers set about changing the springs to soften the chassis, allowing the car to work with the circuit rather than fight against it, giving both drivers greater confidence through the fast, flowing sections.

Friday brought two qualifying sessions under glorious sunshine, with air temperatures exceeding 30°C.

The opening session couldn't have gone much better. Jan and Chris secured provisional pole position with a best time of 1:53.003, but the surprise of the session came from Charlie Webb. On his first ever outing in a Chevron B19, Webb produced a stunning 1:53.178, finishing just 0.175 seconds behind the Legacy Outlaws Racing entry. Steve Brooks completed the top three in his Lola T290.

With four hours between the sessions, there was no thought of taking a break. Instead, Rob calculated a revised set of gear ratios that he believed would better suit the unique demands of Charade. Ben immediately set to work, now something of a gearbox specialist after the relentless changes required at Le Mans just days earlier.

The second qualifying session was used to evaluate the revised setup while also bedding in a fresh set of tyres. Having completed the opening session on the tyres used at Le Mans, fresh rubber was essential. Charade's abrasive volcanic surface is notoriously hard on tyres, especially in temperatures well above 30°C.

The changes proved to be exactly what the team had hoped for.

Once again, Legacy Outlaws Racing topped the timesheets, securing pole position for Jan Magnussen and Chris Ward. Charlie Webb lined up alongside them on the front row after his outstanding performance in Q1, while Jamie Constable qualified third in the ex-Jody Scheckter/John Watson Chevron B26.

The stage was set.

At 10:35 on Sunday morning, the race got underway in sweltering heat and humidity. Charlie Webb made a superb start and grabbed the lead on the opening lap. Chris, however, remained calm. Knowing the team faced an additional 35 seconds of mandatory stationary time during the pit stop, he understood that patience would be just as important as outright speed.

Experience paid off.

When Webb made a small mistake at one of Charade's tight hairpins, Chris immediately seized the opportunity to retake the lead. From that moment onwards his task was simple—build as much of a cushion as possible before handing the car over to Jan.

Lap after lap he extended the advantage with a faultless drive. By the time the pit window opened, Chris had built an incredible 27-second lead, despite knowing it would still not be enough to cover the additional pit stop compensation.

The driver change was executed flawlessly and Jan climbed aboard for the second half of the race. He was immediately on the pace, but then disaster struck.

The Safety Car was deployed.

It could hardly have come at a worse time. Jamie Constable effectively received a free pit stop under caution, dramatically changing the complexion of the race. Once the pit cycle had completed, Jan found himself 59 seconds behind the leader.

The odds were firmly against Legacy Outlaws Racing.

As the Safety Car circulated, Jan managed to claw back a little of the deficit before racing resumed. Gill's instruction on the pit board couldn't have been simpler.

PUSH.

A message Jan has become rather familiar with.

What followed was a remarkable display of speed and determination. Lap after lap the gap tumbled. It took eight laps for Jan to catch and pass Constable, reclaiming the lead, but he wasn't finished. Over the remaining eight laps he continued to pull away, demonstrating the pace that had been evident throughout the weekend.

Despite carrying a 35-second Elite Driver compensation, overcoming a badly timed Safety Car and recovering from a 59-second deficit, Jan crossed the finish line an extraordinary 32 seconds clear of the opposition.

It was a truly special victory.

The result was the reward for a complete team performance. From analysing data and refining the suspension, recalculating gear ratios, changing tyres, delivering faultless pit stops and executing the race strategy to perfection, every member of the Legacy Outlaws Racing team contributed to another memorable success.

Perhaps the most fitting part of the story was the car itself.

This very Lola T292 won the Trophées d'Auvergne at Circuit de Charade in 1973, driven by the legendary Guy Edwards.

Fifty-three years later, the car returned to the circuit where it had written its name into the history books and did it all over again.

Pole position. Fastest lap. Victory by 32 seconds.

Some stories are simply meant to be repeated.