The 7th Silverstone Classic took place over July 22/23/24 and with 22 races and 1104 race entries, on the specially adapted, 3.64 mile Historic Grand Prix Circuit, combined with over 7000 cars, from 120 clubs on display, (including our own in the infield), there was something of interest for everyone.
Central to this year’s Classic, were the Golden Jubilee celebrations for the Jaguar E Type and Global enthusiasts descended on Silverstone, displaying more than one thousand examples of the legendary Coventry ‘cat, led by the driver of the 1961 Geneva Motor Show car and Jaguar test driver , Norman Dewis.
Opinion was divided on the need to conduct the meeting from two paddocks… the traditional, now “National” paddock, accommodated entries for the U2TC, Formula Junior, HSCC Big Engine Touring Cars, pre’56 and ’61 sportscars, whilst the new “Wing” complex, hosted the HGPCA, Grand Prix Masters, Gentleman Drivers, World Sportscar Masters, Group C Endurance and my favourite race of the weekend, the Italian Historic Car Cup. Access and egress were undoubtedly a concern for some entrants with multiple cars, and the service road between the two paddocks, saw more than its share of action over the weekend….
Much reported elsewhere, the track action was fast and furious, the highlights:
- Nathan Kinch’s superb solo drive in the family Ferrari 512M, to win the Italian Historic Car Cup, from a hard-charging Bobby Verdon-Roe, in Harry Leventis’s Ferrari 412P and a further 13 V12 or V8 Ferrari’s making the start.
- Double victories over the weekend went to “Historic “ regulars, Jon Minshaw (Jaguar E Type Challenge), Philip Walker (HGPCA ‘pre’61, in his Lotus 16),Sam Wilson (Formula Junior, in his Cooper T59), Andy Meyrick (Grand Prix Masters, in his March 761), whilst Leo Voyazides achieved his wins in the U2TC (Lotus Cortina) and HSCC Big Engined Touring Cars (Ford Mustang) respectively.
- Carlos Monteverde shared his Jaguar D Type with Gary Pearson to a dominant victory, over Derek Hood and Andrew Smith (Cooper Jaguar)….the margin..81 secs!
- Hans Hugenholtz and fellow Dutchman David Hart, shared the former’s Ferrari 250 GT Drogo in the Tourist Trophy race, and were heading to victory, until mechanical gremlins forced their retirement. The win went to the Aston Martin DB4GT of well-matched pairing, Stuart Graham and Richard Attwood, with Ferrari honour upheld, by a superb second for Willie Green/Carlo Vogele (330GTO).
In a crowded August, the historic racing movement continues at unabated speed, making its eleventh trip to Copenhagen for the Danish Historic Grand Prix and then to the Nurburgring, for the thirty ninth Oldtimer meeting; before crossing the Atlantic to California, the Laguna Seca racetrack, and the nearby Pebble Beach Concours - which will celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the birth of the Ferrari 250GTO and the centenary of Stutz, whilst the week’s five collectors car auctions, will include the sale of two highly prized “lots” - the prototype Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa chassis #0666 and a Concours winning example, of the stunning Mercedes 540K Spezial roadster.
For those who follow the Ferrari collectors car market, there is multiple available in Monterey, and at least two auctions viewable, by “live internet streaming”:
RM Auctions
Gooding and Co
Bonhams
Russo and Steele
Mecum
Me…… I’m off to fill the picnic hamper and head to the Cotswolds, to a highlight of the Vintage Sports Car Club’s calendar, and an event I first attended thirty five years ago…Prescott........see you there!
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