Some wins feel bigger than the result sheet. This one belongs to father and son Charlie and Olly Birkett, who took victory in the Competition class for Groups D/E/F at the 2026 Modena Cento Ore in their AC Shelby Cobra 289.
October 12, 2026
A coast-to-coast epic
Organised by Canossa Events with Scuderia Tricolore, the Modena Cento Ore is one of the toughest tests in historic motorsport. The 2026 edition was titled “Coast to Coast”. Over four days it ran from the Adriatic at Riccione to the Tyrrhenian Sea at Forte dei Marmi, then on to a finish in Modena’s Piazza Roma. A hundred crews took part, and the event mixes circuit racing, special stages and long road sections through some of Italy’s best driving country.
Pursuit brought two cars along to tackle this iconic event. The Cobra and Scuderia Bear GT40, driven by Andrew Smith and Johannes Stengel, who started on the front row and led the majority of the stages. They finished a respectable 5th after suffering a minor issue late into the tour.
Three circuits, ten special stages
The route took in three legendary Italian circuits, each with its own Grand Prix session:
• Misano World Circuit on the opening day, after a route through San Marino, San Leo, Pennabilli, Urbania and Urbino
• Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, which opened the second stage before the cars crossed the Apennines to Mugello and on to Florence
• Mugello Circuit, which started the third stage, followed by the Garfagnana and a finish by the sea in Versilia
Ten special stages were spread across the event. The final day alone had four of them, on the climb from Forte dei Marmi through the Passo del Vestito, Careggine, Vagli and Barga. The cars then crossed the Passo delle Radici and Frassinoro on the way to Modena.
The Cobra delivers
Competition class for Groups D/E/F is reserved for cars built up to 1965. It is a deep field, and our Cobra finished ahead of a 1962 Jaguar E-Type in second and a 1962 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta in third. The Birketts’ car also won Period F, the class for the Cobra’s own era.
Over four days, with a hundred crews and hundreds of miles of mountain road, the Cobra’s strengths were all on show: power and pace, along with the reliability that comes from thorough preparation.
Finishing in style
The finish in Piazza Roma, in front of the Palazzo Ducale, was greeted by a big crowd, and the closing prize-giving took place that evening. Event organiser Luigi Orlandini said the response from the people of Modena “literally flooded” the paddock.
A huge congratulations to Charlie and Olly, and to everyone at Pursuit who worked on the car. Next year’s Modena Cento Ore is a new route from Argentario to Modena, 3–8 October and we can’t wait to see what the refreshed event will bring.
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