EVENT // SILVERSTONE CLASSIC 2010

I have the utmost respect for classic car enthusiasts, as it really shows that car passion knows no bounds. When you own, let alone race a car that is 4, 5 or maybe 6 decades old you know that it’s not the easiest thing to take care of, and to have the patience and dedication to look after such a vintage car is a merit in its own right.

So cue the Silverstone Classic, one of the biggest UK’s classic car events of the motorsport season. Fun for all the family, it’s the one place you’ll find classic car enthusiasts from all ages. If you have an eye for classic cars, there are hundreds of cars new and old to ogle at... [read more]

And if you’re a speed demon, there’s plenty of action on the track ranging from sports touring cars to classic Formula 1 racing machines. Quite simply put, it’s so packed that one article and a handful of photos can’t quite sum up the event, so I won’t even try. For now, let’s take a look at some of the action that took place on the track.

The majority of the weekend comprised of 20 minute races for each of the disciplines featured at the event, with a few select disciplines having races lasting up to 60 minutes including a mandatory pit stop. One such race was the pre-66’ Masters Gentlemen’s Drivers discipline which pitted pre-66’ GT cars against one another with a field ranging from big muscle cars like the Chevrolet Corvette and AC Cobras, to agile British classics such as the Jaguar E-type and the Lotus Elan.

I think you’ll agree with me when I say that Formula 1 cars these days are fast but quite stale. When you look back at what F1 drivers used to race with in decades past, it really shows you how dangerous these machines can be. Such monsters on display during the Grand Prix Masters F1 races included the likes of Tyrell, Arrows and Williams cars, all of which from the 66-85 era before the turbos dominated the sport. It saw the rising popularity of the Cosworth DFV engine revolution before ground-effect technology slowly became normality.

If you cast your mind back even further in the realm of F1 we find ourselves within the pre-66’ era of Grand Prix racing. No sponsorship and no aerodynamics, just nerves of steel were needed to fuel these iconic cigar shaped racing cars back in day when legends such as Graham Hill and John Surtees were on the track.

No classic racing event would be complete without an appearance from classic Touring Cars. All cars had engines under 2 litres, so the field was heavily dominated by Ford Lotus Cortinas and BMW 1800s, as well as appearances from the odd Mini Cooper S and Fiat Abarth here and there.

One of the more stand-out races of the weekend was the World Sports Car Masters which saw Le Mans-type Group 4 prototypes from the mid-1960s to 1974 competing against each other. In particular, the Lola T70 dominates the grid but that doesn’t stop Ford GT40s and Chevron B8s making their presence too in this prestigious race. Even Adrian Newey, CTO of Red Bull Racing decided to spend the weekend at Silverstone rather than at Hockenheim for the F1. He competed in a GT40 and put on a good effort for the duration of the 60 minute race but finished in 26th place.

I think you’ll agree that the Silverstone Classic throws more classic racing action at you then you can possibly ask for, and coupled with the brilliant weather the track conditions made for some excellent sights and sounds from the heyday of motorsport racing. Stay tuned for the next report as we dive deeper into the other attractions from the weekend.

Photo/Editorial: Calvin Chu