New Brands historic meet

Busy festival for May weekend

MSV and Masters group to offer classic bank holiday race package

Brands Hatch is to host a new historic race meeting in 2007. MotorSport Vision and Masters Racing Series Ltd have joined forces to promote a packed programme for the May 27-28 bank holiday weekend. And the event will be in association with Motor Sport magazine. Feature events promised for the Masters Historic Festival include two outings for 1970s F1 cars and a World Sportscar Masters race which should see a bumper field of T70s and GT40s, while a highlight for many will be a Group C/GTP race on the GP circuit. The Swiss-based U2TC saloon car series has been invited to guest at the meeting. There will also be classic car club displays.

Circuit owner Jonathan Palmer said: “I’m delighted that Brands Hatch will be hosting the inaugural Masters Historic Festival. We’re keen to establish it as a permanent fixture in the Brands Hatch calendar and I’m sure the Masters Racing Series team will do a great job.”

In a separate development, Masters Racing Series has acquired race promoter Top Hat Racing. The new Top Hat Masters programme for 2007 has been streamlined, with plans for race meetings in France, Spain, Belgium and Portugal in addition to UK fixtures. Top Hat founder Julius Thurgood will continue to run meetings alongside MRS director Christopher Tate.

Thurgood commented: “It will now be possible to guarantee a complete environment where competitors can exercise their historic cars on an even playing field, while their family, friends and supports share that very special experience to the fullest.”