Classic Silverstone – Full Steam Ahead

With the all-clear for the UK to go back to (the new) normal from 21st June according to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ‘Road Map’, the Classic at Silverstone will finally be celebrating its 30th birthday, looking back over the years with a ‘greatest hits’ agenda.  Depending as it does on huge crowds, club gatherings, rock concerts and other activities besides racing, Nick Wigley and his team at Goose Live Events are going full steam ahead in the firm belief that the successful vaccination programme in the UK will mean an end to major restrictions there, and they are therefore planning something as big and spectacular as ever.   “Interestingly, the public seems to share our optimism,” commented Wigley, “immediately after Johnson’s announcement, there was a massive spike in ticket sales, and these still remain very strong.”  Clearly the British public is looking forward to getting out and about.

Living up to the anniversary billing, a number of the event’s signature races have already been confirmed – these include Masters’ Historic Formula One, the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy for Historic Cars, Formula Junior, Masters Historic Sportscars and the Historic Touring Car Challenge, and more lately a further six favourites from previous editions have been added to the bill.  Pre-war cars are back stronger than ever, and The Historic Grand Prix Cars Association, present at the Classic through all its iterations over the last 30 years, have confirmed their participation this year too.

Conveniently another Mini anniversary is upon us this year, and so is 2021 the 60th anniversary of the Jaguar E-type, so both will be back on the Silverstone Grand Prix track for parades and one-marque races.

In addition, the busy programme will include the HSCC’s Historic Formula 2 series that proved to be such a big hit in 2019 and produced what is probably a record number of cars in an F2 race, with 56 starters, the MRL Stirling Moss and Woodcote Trophies, and the Masters’ newest grid, the Endurance Legends, which provides the youngest cars at the event.  New to the event will be the HSCC’s re-launched Thundersports series, previously known as Pre 80 Endurance, for cars up to 1979.  This adds up to 16 separate race grids, some with two races over the 30 July-1 August weekend.