Silverstone

Vintage Season in store with record breaking grids for the VSCCs ‘Spring Start’ Race Meeting, Silverstone, 21 April 2012

As the new racing season beckons, the VSCC’s ‘Spring Start’ Race Meeting at Silverstone, the season opener for Vintage and Historic Racing, has once again attracted an exemplary entry with full grids across the board.

The Patrick Lindsay and Amschel Rothschild Trophies Memorial Race has attracted a stellar entry including seven ERAs of which 4 drivers will be flying in from the USA to race.  The 12-lap dice will be one of the talking points of the year as the ERAs do battle with Tony Smith’s exquisite, ex-Phil Hill, 1960 Ferrari 246 Dino and Rod Jolley’s 1958 Lister Jaguar Monza. Two cars make their VSCC racing debuts having both been mothballed for decades; Julian Bronson’s 1960 Scarab Grand Prix in the capable hands of Mac Hulbert and Tom Dark’s 1938 Bugatti 59/50B ‘Cork Car’.

The Historic Grand Prix Cars Association (HGPCA), who will mostly race on the continent for the rest of the season, get their year underway with a 12 lap race for Pre ‘ 66 Grand Prix Cars.  Two ex-Rob Walker cars will make their debuts in this race: Stephen Bond's Lotus 18 ex-Stirling Moss 1961 Monaco & German Grand Prix winning car and Chris Lunn’s Cooper T45 which won the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix with Maurice Trintignants at the wheel.

Pre-1931 Vintage Racing cars are out in force for the ‘GP Itala’ Trophy Race, where Geraint Owen will be hoping to repeat his 2011 victory in his 1930 Type 35B Bugatti, one of three entered for the race, which also features Chris Williams’s 24-litre Napier Bentley and 2011 VSCC Ladies Trophy winner, Sue Darbyshire, in her nimble 1929 Morgan Super Aero.

A capacity grid of 1950s Sports Racing Cars will not disappoint and Pre-war Sports-Cars have flocked to enter five races, including the prestigious Fox and Nichol Trophy.

Club President, and former ERA racer, Tony Stephens commented; “The Club are heartened by the excellent turnout given the tough economic climate.  As well as  great home-grown support, it’s fantastic to see so many drivers travelling from all over the world to race with the VSCC at Silverstone.  With unrestricted paddock access, spectators can enjoy some of the best vintage and historic racing in the UK this year at a fraction of the price of some of the more high profile events”.