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Previews of upcoming events, Race & Rally Reports, News, Reviews, Letters and Regulation Information from Historic Motor Racing News.
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East Coast Vintage Racing
Early September will see two big historic meetings on the US East Coast. Celebrating its 40th year, the Lime Rock Historic Festival on 1-5 September in New Hampshire launches into action over Labor Day weekend with a 17-mile tour through the area on Thursday’s Vintage Race Car and Sports Car…
Hillclimbing at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
Continuing a theme of Historic Racing looking for new directions, the iconic race meeting at Laguna Seca on 21 August will for the first time conclude with a reverse direction hillclimb. Advisory Council member Bruce Canepa said the climb will be exciting, “I’ve raced several times at Goodwood Festival of Speed yet doing it up the Laguna Seca Corkscrew is an unprecedented experience. I don’t know who will enjoy it more, the drivers or the fans”. Part of a strategy to engage new fans and give entrants and their attending families a chance to unwind, the ‘shoot out’ will be limited to 60 cars that competed in the historic races or are deemed of special interest.
Masters F1 at Mosport
Supporting IMSA’s Chevrolet Grand Prix Masters USA were two Masters Racing Legends races for 1966-1985 Formula One cars on 1-3 July. Although there were only eight starters at the legendary Mosport circuit in Canada, it was Britons Jamie Constable and Lee Mowle who shared the wins. After a troubled qualifying, Constable starred in Saturday’s race by hauling his Tyrrell 011B all the way from the back, to eventually pass Bud Moeller’s Williams FW08
HRDC Return to Lydden Hill
The Historic Racing Drivers Club took over the lesser-known Kent circuit on 3 July to run double races for the Jack Sears Trophy, Dunlop Allstars and their ever-growing Alfa Challenge. In the latter category, George Osbourne in the ex-Peter Hilliard GRP2 Alfetta GTV normally driven by Chris Snowden, came out on top after close battles with Ben Colburn in a Giulia Sprint GT. Both Jack Sears and Dunlop Allstars races were ruled by Pete Chambers’ Cortina, despite the close attention of Nathan Heathcote’s Mini which, well suited to the short up and down hill track, at least won the first heat.
SVRA Indianapolis Speed Week
June 18-19 saw one of the world’s largest vintage racing organisation return to Indianapolis Speedway after a two-year break. Featuring pre-war Indy cars, single seater classes and numerous sports and GT races there was plenty to attract interest. Champion racer Jimmy Vassar made a return to his roots and won both the Formula Ford events while Formula Vee was popular as ever. The other star attraction was Geoff Brabham, who did almost as well, winning the second of his races in a 1971 1600cc Brabham BT35. It was also the 47th annual convention of the Shelby American Automobile Club.
Mille Miglia 2022 – déjà vu or new beginning?
Fine hot weather and the joy of returning crowds lining the routes and town squares greeted participants in the Mille Miglia run on 15-18 June. Entries were up 25% on last year and over 400 cars were chosen to take the start. Navigating their way through the time trials (some even on dirt) that have taken the place of the original 1950s road race, Andrea Vesco and Fabio Salvinelli won again in their 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C1750 Zagato.
The 26th Vernasca Silver Flag
Picturesque Vernasca lies deep in the Piacenza region of northern Italy where, between 1953 and 1972, it hosted a legendary hillclimb that ascended 290m from Castell’Arquato via Lugnano over an 8.5km course. Many a famous name drove here when it was part of the European Championship in the 1950s and 60s, but these days it is run as an untimed demonstration in a festival atmosphere.
Shock Cancellation of Racing at Mont Tremblant
With a final court appeal denied, it is now all but certain there will be no more racing at the historic eastern Canadian Circuit Mont-Tremblant after a campaign by locals led by the “Association des Résidents pour la Qualité de Vie”. It’s a significant blow to the sport in general and the Historic Motor Sports Association (HMSA) in particular. “I was informed on June 10 that Le Circuit has exhausted all legal options regarding the sound-limit restrictions to continue racing at the track,” explained a shocked and saddened HMSA President Cris Vandagriff.
Taupo Classic – Rain Stops Play
Having taken a cautious approach at the beginning of the season, with just three home rounds scheduled for the 2021-22 season, the SAS Autoparts MSC NZ Tasman Cup Revival Series saw all three of its proposed rounds cancelled due to the ongoing COVID restrictions prevailing in New Zealand.
Simon Diffey
The whole historic racing world is reeling under the shock of losing Simon Diffey in the prime of his life to a car crash on May 14. That someone so full of the passion for life, could suddenly no longer be amongst us seems unbelievable to those who know him….
“Fabulous 208” Marcos Team Wins at Thruxton
It was sixth time lucky for Marcos 1800GT stalwarts Allen Tice and Chris Conoley, who finally landed gold in the Classic Sports Car Club’s Thruxton Mintex Classic K race on April 24. With a fourth place, two thirds and two seconds already on their log at the annual event, this…
French Championships
After rounds at Magny-Cours and Lédenon, the French Historic Championship drivers met in great numbers (over 350) at Dijon Prenois on 6-8 May, with 21 races on the timetable in the circuit’s 50th anniversary year.
New-Look Gold Cup
Following the BRDC’s change of date for Classic Silverstone to the end-of-August Bank holiday weekend, a date usually occupied by the HSCC’s Oulton Park Gold Cup meeting, the HSCC, organising club of both events, found it necessary to change the Oulton Park date. The last weekend of July was…
Mark Lyon
It is with much regret that we heard of the sudden passing from a heart attack, of Mark Lyon, founder and CEO of GTO Engineering. Started in the early 1980s as a one-man band, in a partnership with his wife Rosie, Mark set up a small workshop. After several years,…
HSCC Snetterton
The second event on the Historic Sports Car Club’s 2022 calendar was a race meeting on the 300 circuit at Snetterton in East Anglia on 23-24 April. Paul Lawrence was there… Bright but cold conditions greeted around 200 competitors who made the trip east and it was an event with…
Preis der Stadt Stuttgart
Fourteen grids from a combination of three major organisations, The FHR, the Youngtimer Trophy and their Dutch neighbours, the NK HARC and NK HTGT kicked off their season at the Hockenheimring on 21-24 April, with each grid getting two races over the weekend. The Youngtimer Trophy had the biggest fields…
Porsche Announces Rennsport Reunion VII
Porsche Cars North America has confirmed the next Porsche Rennsport Reunion will take place next year. Conceived by Brian Redman and Porsche Cars North America’s longstanding press spokesperson Bob Carlson in 2001, Rennsport was created to celebrate the racing heritage of Porsche. They envisioned an event at which drivers and…
Spa Summer Classic
Drivers are gearing up for the June 24-26 Summer Classic at Spa, which features a three-hour race in the image of the famous Spa Six Hours. Though there is a class for pre-‘66 cars, the summer version allows cars up to 1976, and it is becoming almost as popular as…
Spirit of Jarama Returns
Four years after the last edition, and six months after the successful Espíritu de Montjüic event in Catalonia, Espíritu del Jarama returns to the Madrid circuit on 22-23 October. Essentially a big party for families who like cars, organisers Escudería Targa Iberia stages music, dancing, children’s games, rides, exhibitions and…
325th Vernasca Silver Flag – “Museums in Motion”
This year the CPAE (Club Piacentino Automotoveicoli d’Epoca) is celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Vernasca Silver Flag, retracing the steps of the Castell’Arquato-Vernasca hillclimb. The Silver Flag is a re-enactment of the 8.5km hill climb that was held there from 1953 to 1972 and in which many great names…