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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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Historic Lotus returns to Goodwood – Marçais’ Madgwick Magic
The Lotus-Bristol Mk10 in which 19 year-old Oliver Marçais finished third in the Madgwick Cup race at the Goodwood Revival, placed 12th overall (second in class) in the 1955 Goodwood Nine Hours as #25 with Cliff Davis and Reg Bicknell (of Revis 500 fame) driving. Racing is in Marçais’ genes, through parents Flavien and Vanessa, but his experience of the Lotus amounted to “15 minutes up and down the A41” prior to driving the circuit for the very first time in practice.
Success for New Lime Rock Consortium
As the track celebrated its 65th year of operation in 2022, Lime Rock Park experienced its best season in recent history this year. With a new group of investors taking ownership in the spring of 2021, the Connecticut motoring and event facility has been going full speed ever since. Under the leadership of its new investment group (Lime Rock Group, LLC), the circuit has seen a concentrated effort to upgrade the visitor experience that included upgraded catering, as well as a rebranding and continued growth of sponsorship development.
Autumn Motorsport Day, Brooklands
Held in beautiful October weather, the Brooklands Museum staged its annual Autumn Motorsport day mid-month and attracted a large crowd to the historic site in Surrey, reports John Whiteman. An Autotest was held on the Finishing Straight and there were runs on the Test Hill, but the main action took place on the adjacent Mercedes-Benz test track and skid-pan.
La Passione
A collection of Ferrari-inspired original artworks created by historic racer and international rock star musician Chris Rea are being offered at auction by Anglia Car Auctions (ACA). The 68 dramatic pieces, offered on Rea’s instructions, are part of a unique collection entitled ‘La Passione’, themed around Ferrari and the Cavallino Rampante. For details visit www.angliacarauctions.co.uk.
Chantilly Arts et Élégance
Arriving on the international concours scene at the highest level in 2014, the Chantilly Arts et Elegance Richard Mille has continued to progress both in terms of spectator attendance and the richness and rarity of the cars entered for the various concours. This year, 20,000 spectators were seduced by nine cars in competition for the Concours d’Élégance and by the almost 100 cars that came from all over the world for the Concours d’État, Amongst the most beautiful cars in the world, they were all contenders for victory in their respective classes and for one of the two supreme Best of Show titles awarded according to their age.
Motogiro
For vintage bike enthusiasts, the Motogiro d’Italia is to motorcycles what the Mille Miglia is to car drivers. It is the re-enactment of the oldest and most prestigious Italian motorcycle road race. Born in 1914, it also ended in its pure racing form in 1957, the year of the abolition of all road racing in Italy after the terrible accident at the Mille Miglia.
Frazer Nash Centenary
Amongst the Frazer Nash Club centenary celebrations owners and supporters of the marque gathered at Tom and John Duffins’ nostalgic Stonehurst Farm in Leicestershire on the weekend of 12 August for various driving activities and tests, and a gala summer ball. George Scholey took this evocative photo of Patrick Blakeney-Edwards putting his Frazer Nash single seater through its paces.
Simon Diffey Award
The winner of ‘The Simon Diffey Heritage Motorsport Apprentice Award 2022’ (see our September 2022 issue) was announced at the Goodwood Revival after a month of discussions, deliberations and interviews with employers. The Award Patron, Simon’s wife, Sarah Jane Adams-Diffey, and the Directors of the Heritage Skills Academy (HSA) are announced that Miss Emilia Brown, an apprentice and employee from Jim Stokes Workshops Ltd (JSWL) has been selected as the worthy inaugural winner of ‘The Simon Diffey Heritage Motorsport Apprentice Award’.
New Chairman for NKHTGT
Roelant de Waard will be taking over the reins as Chairman of the highly popular Dutch Championship HKHTGT series. Bert Mets handed over the reins during the club’s dinner party at Anderstorp, but it will not become official until the annual members meeting prior to the ‘23 season. In a short speech,
Porter Press Motoring Literary and Art Festival
A new event will be launched on 6 November and is set to be a first in the automotive world. A motoring-themed literary and art festival, organised by leading publisher Porter Press International, will be held at Whittlebury Park, the motorsport-themed hotel located near Silverstone circuit. In the manner of established literary festivals such as Cheltenham and Hay in the UK and the Berlin International Literature Festival or the Miami Book Fair, there will be a programme of distinguished speakers and panel discussions, plus talks by authors, drivers, engineers, collectors, restorers and designers.
Simon Diffey Heritage Motorsport Apprentice Award
Many of you will have seen on social media that the late Simon Diffey’s wife Sarah has created the Heritage Motorsport Apprentice Award in her husband’s memory. Sarah has created a sticker and a donations page.
Opportunities for Young Enthusiasts – From the 4th August VSCC Newsletter
Free: Wanted – under 30-year-old enthusiast to take on a free 1927 Fiat 509 project looking for a good home: Consisting of a very good chassis, with front and rear axles, springs, brakes, hubs, shocks and steering gear.
NKHTGT Honours Ben Huisman
On May, 29 Ben Huisman passed away. Ben was an instrumental figure in Dutch motor racing from the late sixties onwards and was instrumental in saving the Zandvoort circuit in the early ‘70s. Among many other things, he was one of the founding fathers of historic racing in Holland. Ben’s last race car was a red Ford Falcon Sprint, which he used to great effect in the European historic touring car championship in the early 1990’s.
Royal Automobile Club’s Summer Run
Staged in glorious sunshine, predominantly on the leafy lanes of rural Surrey, the inaugural Summer Run, on 21 July was hailed as a major success on all fronts. The welcome new addition to the Royal Automobile Club’s growing list of motoring events has been inaugurated to complement the world famous London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.
RSR Goes to Italia
German-based track day and tuition specialists, RSR has announced it will be going to Italy. “After a long wait due to COVID we are very excited to finally be starting our events in Italy for the final months of the 2022 season,” said RSR boss, Ron Simons. Well embedded with activities in Germany, France and Portugal, Italy was the next logical step in widening its offerings.
Le Mans Extra – Le Fantôme?
British Pair Nick Sleep and Alex Montgomery won the Plateau 5 event in their Lola T70 at the Le Mans Classic, but it took a turn of events worthy of the Michel Vaillant comic book ‘le Fantome des 24 Heures’. Sleep in an Elan broke down at the Mulsanne chicane…
Kristensen at Monterey
The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion takes place this year on 17-20 August at Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca. It usually attracts a top selection of some of the most authentic race cars in the USA and afar. Complementing the planned 24 Hours of Le Mans centenary kick-off celebration will the appearance of record nine-time 24 Hours of Le Mans champion Tom Kristensen who will serve as Grand Marshal. Remarkably he won half of all his Le Mans starts, quite a career. Info at https://hsrrace.com.
Alfa Spettacolo Zandvoort
The Alfa Spettacolo Sportizo returned to Zandvoort in Holland on 2-3 July, finally without the COVID pandemic restrictions of previous years. This festival of the ‘Alfisti’ featured races from the ‘Squadra Italia’ series, including their classes of diverse models from the 1970s upwards and the 105 series cup. There were demonstration runs called ‘Tribunes‘ and also opportunities for visitors to drive the on the track.
Bugatti Tour returns to France
One hundred and eight rather special automobiles gathered in southern France for the annual International Bugatti Meeting, this year organised by Club Bugatti France on 12-19 June. These iconic examples of motoring that were built in Molsheim between 1910-1939 congregated in the village of Najac for a week. There were entrants from 18 countries across Europe, North America, Japan and Australia who came to enjoy the 1200km route, sample some of the Occitanie region’s best driving roads, and celebrate the brand’s history. Among the diverse fleet of automobiles were two outstanding creations from the famous French marque, the 750kg lightweight Type 35 “Grand Prix de Lyon” from 1924, and a 5000cc Type 54, one of four to remain in existence.
Auto e Moto d’Epoca
If an early autumn trip to Italy’s Veneto region sounds appealing, what about a visit to Auto e Moto d’Epoca fair at Padua, which returns on 20-23 October. Only 20 minutes from Venice this classic car and bike show has all manner of delectable items from the rich but not often seen catalogues of collectors from 46 different countries. Up to 5000 models are on show or for sale and there are exhibitions, specialist car parts and automobilia. Visit www.autoemotodepoca.com