April 2023
Content from the
April 2023 Issue....
Good News From Goodyear and Dunlop
Having just missed last month’s issue, Dunlop’s HP Tyres made an important announcement from their sumptuous stand at Race Retro that has put a welcome end to all the suspense about the supply of authentic, period spec tyres from 2024 when Avons will no longer be produced. Not only did…
NASCAR marks its 75th Anniversary in 2023
While NASCAR ran its first race more than a year before, on February 15, 1948, on the beach road course in Daytona, the year 1949 is significant for the first race run under the NASCAR “Strictly Stock” banner. This was the predecessor to the NASCAR Cup Series. The inaugural track…
Sally Mason-Styrron
We are very sorry to learn of the recent passing of Sally Mason-Styrron at the age of 70, a real enthusiast who, along with husband Dudley, owned and exercised a truly splendid collection of sports and racing cars over a lifetime’s involvement in historic motor sport. Among the many cars…
Long Distance Classic
From 1953 until the early 2000s, the ADAC 1000km Race on the daunting Nürburgring Nordschleife was a must-do event for GT and sports car drivers. For the third time, the revival of this unique and legendary endurance classic, will see over 100 cars take to the track for nearly seven…
Canossa Race Season
Usually associated in Europe with rally events, most notably the Cento Ore and the Terre de Canossa, and in the US and Middle East with tours and Concours events, Canossa continues to expand its activities and last year ventured into organising circuit racing after purchasing the Alfa Revival Cup, which had been started and run for many years by Tommaso Gelmini.
Boss GP
With the Masters’ new series for “modern historics,” or what Jon Dooley used to disparagingly call “used car racing,” we thought BOSS GP should also get a mention. The Big Open Single Seater Series was founded in 1995, initially racing with “used” Formula 1 cars in Great Britain, and later on other racetracks in continental Europe.
New Vintage Sports-Car Club President Simon Blakeney-Edwards
Outgoing VSCC President Paul Tunnicliffe has announced his replacement will be Simon Blakeney-Edwards. From a dyed-in-the-wool VSCC family, Simon grew up around vintage cars and has held positions on the VSCC board and Eligibility Committee. After 20 years as a professional musician he founded Edwards Motorsport in 2000, specialising in…
Royal Automobile Club Summer Run
Last year the Royal Automobile Club decided to give the owners of cars usually seen in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run in November an excuse to exercise their cars in high summer. The Summer Veteran Car Run was such a huge success, the Royal Automobile Club has confirmed that the event for pre-1905 cars will make a welcome return in July and become an annual fixture on the Club’s calendar.
Code of Ethics
After an unprecedented number of incidents last year, most notably at the Silverstone Classic when several cars in the Stirling Moss and Woodcote Trophies race were damaged in a multi-car incident under a pace car, Motor Racing Legends has published a Code of Racing Ethics (‘CORE’), spelling out the standards…
Goodwood 75
Announced at the Goodwood press day, Goodwood 75 will be a year of celebrations across the Goodwood campus and its motorsport events in the year that the Motor Circuit reaches its 75th anniversary.
Patrick and Viviane Zaniroli – Foot off the Throttle
Grandson of the pre-war racing driver Robert Sénéchal (Delage, Bugatti, Chenard and Walcker), multiple Dakar participant, Patrick Zaniroli, was also a journalist and long-time rally organiser, most notably as a member of the organising team of the Paris Dakar for 12 years.
Rally For the Ages – For Free!
Amongst the announcements made at Race Retro, HERO-ERA Competition Director Guy Woodcock revealed plans for a youth-focused ‘Rally for the Ages’, which is designed to encourage younger people into historic rallying as an extension of HERO-ERA’s policy of introducing more young people into the world of classic cars and classic rallying. “We work closely with Bicester Heritage, StarterMotor, and The Heritage Skills Academy to encourage younger people into the sport and industry,” Said Woodcock.
London to Lisbon
This hugely popular 10-day adventure is back on the calendar for 2024. Starting in London, the route winds its way down the western side of Europe through four different countries to the Atlantic coastline and Portugal’s capital city.
Worrying Reports from Mallorca
Rumours emanating from Rally Isla Mallorca are troubling. After the cancellation of a number of stages due to bad weather, no one expected that further stages would be cancelled for political reasons. One competitor told us, “There is a burgeoning anti rally movement (German Greens!) on the Island.
Gravel Romania
Entries are open for the Gravel Romania Rally, which will take place in Transylvania on 20-24 June in the heart of Carpathian Mountains. This five-day Rally, run in as many loops around the town of Covasna, will take place over a 1,200km route and feature 29 special stages adding up to more than 430Kms of timed rallying all 100% on gravel.
Rallye Neige et Glace
For its 68th edition, the Rallye Neige et Glace once again started at the Peugeot Adventure Museum in Sochaux. After a day of administrative and technical checks and dinner in the museum on February 12, 80 crews set off into the night for the first four regularity tests, covering nearly 175 kilometres as they headed towards Pontarlier and Malbuisson, which would be rally headquarters for the next three days.
Race Retro, Stoneleigh Park
Returning to Stoneleigh Park for the first time following an enforced break since 2020 the popular Race Retro may not have quite achieved its former glory, but it made a very good start. Situated in three inter-connected halls, one of which was new to the event, the club-oriented show attracted over 22,000 visitors over the weekend, with traders generally reporting brisk business despite the economic downturn.
XIX Rally Isla Mallorca
The nineteenth edition of the Rally Isla Mallorca took place at its usual time of year on the second weekend in March. Severe weather afflicted the Mediterranean island in the days before the event, in particular the Tramuntana Mountains, with heavy snowfalls and fallen trees.
The ICE
The International Concours d’Elegance, (The ICE) seems to have burst onto the concours scene from nowhere in just three editions, two of them curtailed from fully realising their potential by COVID. It’s creator, Marco Makaus is no stranger to the concours scene.
The Vintage Sports-Car Club Pomeroy Trophy
The Vintage Sports-Car Clubs ‘Pomeroy Trophy’ held at Silverstone on Saturday 25th February has been won again by a ‘modern’. John Felstead driving a 2004 Subaru Impreza finished on 426.06 points closely followed by Martin Short in a 2021 Toyota Yaris GR on 415.2.