The Motor Sport Month - Historic News
Jags to star at Silverstone
Races for the E-type Challenge and Group C cars will have star billing at the Silverstone Classic (July 22-24), with primetime slots on the Saturday evening.
After a break in the programme for a grid walk and air displays, the first of the F1-type races will start at 7.45pm and will be followed by a half-hour Group C race.
With 22 races, over 800 cars and up to 1200 drivers, the 2011 event will mark the 21st anniversary of the first classic festival at Silverstone and will be the first to use the latest version of the Grand Prix circuit.
Classic boss and Cooper Formula 1 racer Nick Wigley says this year’s event will be the best yet. “The race line-up is nothing short of sensational,” said Wigley. “We have gathered together the finest categories from across Europe and with the move to the new Grand Prix circuit we can run bigger grids than ever before.”
To accommodate the huge entry the event will use both Silverstone pit complexes, with around half the cars in the existing paddock and the other half based in the new Wing complex. “It will be a logistical challenge,” said Grahame White, race organiser for the HSCC, who will manage the racing operation. All starts and finishes will be based at the new Wing pits near Club Corner.
New on the bill is a celebrity race on Saturday afternoon using modern racing Morgans. Drivers will include 2010 winner Rick Parfitt Jr, Travis drummer Neil Primrose and motorcyclist Charley Boorman. Music concerts will include a performance by 10CC.
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Chelsea show to star Moss
Sir Stirling Moss will be the patron of the 2011 Chelsea AutoLegends, London’s unique gathering of desirable competition, classic and supercars, which will be held in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea on Sunday September 4.
This year’s highlights include an even bigger line-up of the finest past and present racing and road cars, this time with a special focus on the Swinging Sixties.
“I was lucky enough to be asked to open last year’s event and couldn’t believe the fantastic cars on show,” said Moss. On display will be the Rob Walker-entered Ferrari 250GT SWB in which Moss won the 1961 Tourist Trophy at Goodwood.
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Jaguar’s peak of success
The 50th anniversary of the Jaguar E-type and the 60th anniversary of the C-type winning at Le Mans will be marked at Shelsley Walsh on June 4/5.
Jaguar Heritage is expected to take six of the most iconic cars from its museum, including Cand D-types which won Le Mans. There will be a competition class for Jaguars during the weekend as well as demonstration runs for significant cars up the famous hill.
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Donington Festival a hit
Plans are already being laid to run the Donington Historic Festival again in 2012 after the inaugural event was judged a great success. Event promoter Duncan Wiltshire reported a total of 12,000 people on site and very positive feedback from the 300 competitors.
“This was the first time we’d run the festival, so we couldn’t be absolutely certain how it would turn out,” said Wiltshire. “But it exceeded our most optimistic expectations in every way and it was so good to be back at Donington.”
Wiltshire hopes to retain a similar date for the 2012 festival, but says that he has no plans to run such events at other tracks.