Le Mans legend Bell leads Group C extravaganza at Silverstone Classic

Sports Car News

Derek Bell will drive an iconic Porsche 962 to lead the Group C 40th anniversary celebrations for The Classic at Silverstone

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Bell will lead a host of legendary drivers and iconic Group C cars

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Five-times Le Mans winner Derek Bell is set to get behind the wheel once more at the end of this month, driving a Porsche 962 as part of The Classic at Silverstone’s Group C 40th anniversary celebrations.

Four decades after the formidable category’s debut, Bell will be demonstrating 008 #17, the 962 he shared with Hans-Joachim Stuck at the start of the 1987 World Sports Car Championship, and took a podium with at Silverstone.

The sports car icon will lead a field of over 15 Group C machines in runs across both days of the August 28-29 event, with more cars to be confirmed.

“It’s just amazing to think it was 40 years ago that Group C started at Silverstone,” Bell enthused. “It was the greatest era of sports car racing and I was just so lucky to be around and available at that time – those amazing cars are what made my career.

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25 Group C cars will be on display, with many running

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“I have just had an utterly unbelievable week with Porsche driving all their old Group C cars flat chat at their Leipzig test track. It was just spectacular and bought back lots of great memories. Now I’m really looking to being back at The Classic driving the Rothmans 962 I last raced to a podium finish at a somewhat different Silverstone 35 years ago. It’s going to another wonderful celebration.”

Joining him will be a star-studded line-up of Group C racers, including John Watson, Kenny Acheson and John Fitzpatrick.

From the archive

Other Stuttgart machines to be present will be the JDavid-liveried 956 which Fitzpatrick took to 1983 Brands Hatch 1000Kms victory, as well as the Rothmans 956 which cult hero Stefan Bellof used to win the 1983 Silverstone 1000Kms.

In addition to the 11 956/962s present will be three Group C Jaguars, including the championship-winning XJR8 – set to be piloted at The Classic by Alex Brundle – three Mercedes C8/C9s and an Aston Martin Nimrod.

Renowned Porsche Group C enthusiast Henry Pearman has been instrumental in drawing the collection together for one outing, but the weekend is set to see plenty of other machinery too.

The Classic is also celebrating the V10 era of F1 with demonstrations of cars including Ayrton Senna’s 1992 McLaren MP4/7, as well as machines produced by Williams, Jordan, Brabham and Tyrrell.

Being raced in respectful anger will be historic GP machines, touring cars, vintage sports car prototypes and classic Can-Am monsters.

The Classic at Silverstone takes place on August 28-29, tickets can be purchased here.

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