Historic Motor Racing News 30th Anniversary Celebration

HOME » Magazine » » » Historic Motor Racing News 30th Anniversary Celebration

On August 23rd at the Silverstone Festival, Historic Motor Racing News in collaboration with Motor Racing Legends threw a paddock party and hog roast to celebrate 30 years of Historic Motor Racing News.  Given the difficulties of getting from one paddock to another and the fact that qualifying went on until 7pm on Friday, at first it was assumed that few people would take up the invitation.   However, as the RSVPs came rolling in, it became clear that a paddock party is just what people wanted, and on the night some 250 guests were at the MRL marquee to help celebrate the HMRN milestone.

Photos Andrew Coles

Addressing a few words to the assembled company, HMRN founder and Editor, Carol Spagg said,  “I’m showing my age when I say that conversation [about the party] led me to the reflection that when the first Silverstone Festivals took place, before the Wing was built, we were all in one paddock and the overflow went into the field behind the petrol station.  Everyone at the race meeting was there, with their motor homes, their vans or their small tents.  This inevitably led to after-hours drinks, barbecue parties and lots of socialising. 

 

Yes, I still remember one or two of the big winners of the races in those times, but I also remember with so much fondness the get-togethers and the atmosphere amongst competitors in the paddock in those days.  We were a tribe, and in the summer months we migrated from circuit to circuit, country to country, and like a tribe, we were all somehow connected, even to the ones we didn’t know well.  And I am happy to report, that connection still exists.  I hope you feel it too here this evening.”  She added, “We at Historic Motor Racing News have always tried to be the print version of that connection  – and to be the place where the paddock conversations can continue throughout the year.”

HMRN founder and Editor Carol Spagg and Vanessa Marçais

She thanked Motor Racing Legends, who co-hosted the party, supplying their capacious and elegant new marquee and the roasting hog, and all the service personnel on the night.  She also thanked, “our petrolhead friends at Chilcomb Valley Estate, who provided the fine English sparkling wine and Vijay Mallya, who provided unlimited supplies of Kingfisher beer!

 

A sub-theme at the party was the Gentleman Drivers Class Reunion 1996-2004, the years when the successful pre-66 endurance racing series was run by HMRN.  Many old friends were present for a happy 

These stories are all from the pages of Historic Motor Racing News.  Some have been abbreviated for this web site.  If you'd like to receive the full version, please visit our subscription page where you will find postal subscriptions available.  A full subscription also entitles you to access the current issue online (available soon), so you can take it with you and read it anywhere, and we are working on providing full access to our archives of back issues exclusively for our subscribers.