Silverstone, 20 – 22 July 2012 

Billed as the world’s biggest classic motor racing festival, the Silverstone Classic powered by the AA with its ‘Rocking and Racing’ theme, took place over the weekend of 20- 22 July, with a 24 race programme spread over the Saturday and Sunday, and a plethora of peripheral activities catering for all members of the family. Although the weather on the Friday wasn’t great for the qualifying sessions, it improved overnight and the remainder of the weekend’s programme was held under predominantly sunny skies and pleasantly warm ambient temperatures, which have been noticeably absent from this summer in the UK. Overall there were around 1000 race entries, ranging from thirties to the nineties, encompassing single seaters in various categories, sports and GT Cars, together with a wide variety of saloon cars. 

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Apart from the almost non-stop track activity, there were vast areas given over to one make marque displays and various classic car clubs, which despite some of them still being a bit boggy from the incessant rain of the previous weeks, attracted a wide variety of interesting and rare machinery. There was also a massive vendor area, an auction, an art gallery, plus the title sponsors AA World, where there was a host of activities for the younger visitor, including live music, Scalextric racing, a “drive live” feature for young drivers, and an AA heritage display. Add in live music in the evenings, trail bike display riding, historic Kart demonstrations, aerobatic displays, track parades, plus much more, and it can be seen that there was something to cater for virtually every taste, even if you didn’t watch any racing. The gathering also celebrated a number of anniversaries, including 50 Years of the Lotus Elan, AC Cobra and the Ford Cortina, plus the 25^th anniversary of the iconic Ferrari F40, with around 60 examples participating in a track parade on the Sunday. The net result was record crowds to enjoy all that was on offer over the weekend. 

If you decided to forgo the racing for all the other activities, then you missed out on some seriously close and exciting battles in a number of the races, many of which featured some really close finishes. On Saturday, Jon Milicevic in his Cooper T59 became the first winner of the weekend in the Historic Formula Junior Race but only after David Methley spun his Brabham BT6 in the closing stages. Michael Lyons in his Lola T400 won the first of two Peter Gethin Trophy races for Formula 5000 and Formula 2 cars from the Seventies in a close finish, again after the leading car, the Trojan T101 of Simon Hadfield , spun away his advantage. Lyons was well on course for another victory, in the recreated Daily Express International Trophy race for Formula 1 cars, when his Hesketh stopped with on the last lap, handing the win to the Tyrrell 009 of Bill Coombs. Shaun McInerney’s Lotus Cortina won the Alan Mann Trophy for under 2-litre Sixties touring cars, with a scant two seconds covering the podium places. 

Alex Buncombe had two wins on Saturday, first sharing a Lister Jaguar Costin with Chris Ward in the Stirling Moss Trophy for pre-61 sports cars, and then solo in the race specifically for Jaguar E-types. The brothers Jason and Jon Minshaw brought the family success, the former winning the race for Pre-66 rear-engined Formula 1 Grand Prix cars in a Brabham BT4, whilst Jon won the Pre-66 GT Race in a Jaguar E-Type shared with Martin Stretton. Another pair of brothers, Gary and John Pearson, also tasted success, sharing their Jaguar D-Type to win the RAC Woodcote Trophy encounter for pre-56 sports cars. 

A trio of Lotus 16s filled the podium in the Pre-61 Front Engine Grand Prix car race headed by Philip Walker, whilst Rick Pearson’s Nissan Primera was victorious in the Fujifilm Touring Car Trophy race for saloon cars built between 1970 and 2000. In the Classic’s annual Celebrity Challenge Charity race, all running identically prepared Morgan Lightweight sports cars, actor Kelvin Fletcher (from the TV soap series Emmerdale) led all the way, to head the podium from AC/DC’s Brian Johnson and Jamiroquai’s Jay Kay. The day’s track action came to a close with a Group C sports car race, featuring the likes of Lancia LC2s, Porsche 956 and 962 models, Nissans and Jaguars, but the win went to the Mercedes C9 of Gareth Evans after a battle with Roger Wills Lancia.  

Sunday’s race programme started with wins for two drivers who spun away almost certain wins in Saturday’s races. David Methley and Simon Hadfield, took the wins in the Formula Junior race and the Peter Gethin Trophy for F5000 and F2 cars respectively. In a bizarre coincidence both Saturday winners in these races retired, whilst once again it was Sam Wilson and Martin Stretton who were runners-up in the respective races. John Young and Andrew Smith won the second Woodcote Trophy for pre-56 sports cars race, but on the aggregate result of the two races it was Gary and John Pearson who took the overall win. Gary Pearson was out again in the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy for pre-63 GT cars, partnered by Jackie Oliver in a Ferrari 250 GT SWB berlinetta. They led comfortably until a mechanical issue forced their retirement, allowing the # 17 Aston Martin DB4 of Nick Naismith and John Young to take the win. 

In both the HGPCA pre-1961 front-engine GP Car race and in the Fujifilm Touring Car Trophy race, the podium order was exactly the same as on Saturday, with Roger Wills and Rick Pearson taking the respective wins. Bill Coombs took his Tyrrell 009 to a second win of the weekend in the Daily Express International Trophy for Grand Prix Masters race. He had to fight really hard for the victory right up to the chequered flag, as there was a race-long challenge from Steve Hartley’s Arrows A4, who finished only 0.210sec behind at the finish. Another two time winner was Gareth Evans and his Mercedes C9 in the second Group C sports car race. He didn’t have it all his own way as there was a race-long battle with the Porsche 962 of Herve Regout, who was passed for 2^nd spot on the final lap by the late charging Lancia LC2 driven by Nicolas Minassian.  

In the World Sports Car Masters race there was a race long duel between the Lola T70 driven by Andrew Smith and Oliver Bryant and the Ferrari 512 M of Paul Knapfield and Martin Stretton, with the former taking a narrow victory. Jason Minshaw was once again the winner of the second Pre-66 Rear Engine Grand Prix race, whilst the final race of the meeting and the second for Jaguar E-Types, saw Alex Buncombe also completed the double with another dominant win. 

Podium results, Saturday 21 July 

Historic Formula Juniors (9 laps)

1^st # 1, Jon Milicevic, Cooper T59
2^nd # 53, Sam Wilson, Cooper T59
3^rd # 70, David Methley, Brabham BT6
Fastest lap: Wilson, 2m20.297s (93.63mph)

Peter Gethin Trophy for F2 & F5000 (11 laps)

1^st # 1, Michael Lyons, Lola T400
2^nd # 6, Martin Stretton, March 742
3^rd # 44, Simon Hadfield, Trojan T101
Fastest lap: Stretton, 1m56.266s (112.98mph)

Alan Mann Trophy for Under 2-litre Touring Cars (18 laps)

1^st # 67, Shaun McInnerney, Ford Lotus Cortina
2^nd #1, Leo Voyazides/Simon Hadfield, Ford Lotus Cortina
3^rd # 89, Andrew Banks/Max Banks, Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA
Fastest lap: Hadfield, 2m32.591s (86.08mph)

Stirling Moss Trophy for Pre-61 Sportscars (21 laps)

1^st # 24, Alex Buncombe/Chris Ward, Lister Jaguar Costin
2^nd # 21, Graeme Dodd/James Dodd, Cooper Monaco T49
3^rd #15, Ewan McIntyre/Jamie McIntyre, Lotus 15
Fastest lap: Buncombe, 2m22.974s (91.88mph)

Daily Express International Trophy for Grand Prix Masters (8 laps)

1^st # 33, Bill Coombs, Tyrrell 009
2^nd # 31, Steve Hartley, Arrows A4
3^rd # 28, Michael Fitzgerald, Williams FW08
Fastest lap: Michael Lyons, Hesketh 308E, 1m53.696s (115.54mph)

HGPCA pre-66 Rear Engine Grand Prix Cars (9 laps)

1^st # 17, Jason Minshaw, Brabham BT4
2^nd # 1, John Harper, Brabham BT4
3^rd # 5, Rod Jolley, Cooper T45/51
Fastest lap: Minshaw, 2m18.908s (94.56mph)

Masters ‘Gentleman Drivers’ pre-66 GT (20 laps)

1^st # 33, Jon Minshaw/Martin Stretton, Jaguar E-type
2^nd # 2, Leo Voyazides/Simon Hadfield, AC Cobra
3^rd # 53, Pearson, Jaguar E-type
Fastest lap: Mike Whitaker Snr, TVR Griffith, 2m25.270s (90.42mph)

Jaguar E-type Challenge (9 laps)

1^st # 40, Alex Buncombe
2^nd # 55, Jason Minshaw
3^rd # 33, Jon Minshaw
Fastest lap: Buncombe, 2m22.733s (89.89mph)

HGPCA pre-61 Front Engine Grand Prix Cars (9 laps)

1^st # 1, Philip Walker, Lotus 16 368
2^nd # 9, Roger Wills, Lotus 16 363
3^rd # 84, Eddie McGuire, Lotus 16 362
Fastest lap: Walker, 2m23.910s (91.28mph)

Fujifilm Touring Car Trophy 1970-2000 (9 laps)

1^st #23, Rick Pearson, Nissan Primera
2^nd # 11, Frank Wrathall, Vauxhall Cavalier
3^rd # 84, Richard Hawken, Nissan Primera
Fastest lap: Pearson, 2m13.402s (98.47mph)

Silverstone Classic Celebrity Challenge (8 laps)

1^st # 6, Kelvin Fletcher, Morgan Lightweight
2^nd # 9, Brian Johnson, Morgan Lightweight
3^rd # 10, Jay Kay, Morgan Lightweight
Fastest lap: Fletcher, 2m34.990s

Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy for pre-56 Sportscars (12 laps)

1^st # 7, Gary Pearson/John Pearson, Jaguar D-type
2^nd # 54, John Young/Andrew Smith, Cooper Jaguar T33
3^rd # 60 Nigel Webb/Anthony Reid, Jaguar C-type
Fastest lap: Gary Pearson, 2m32.293s (86.25mph)

Group C Endurance Race Cars (15 laps)

1^st # 62, Gareth Evans, Mercedes C9
2^nd # 5, Roger Wills, Lancia LC2
3^rd #17, Chris D’Ansembourg, Porsche 962
Fastest lap: Evans, 1m54.393s (114.83mph)

Podium results, Sunday 22 July. 

Historic Formula Juniors (9 laps)

1^st # 70, David Methley, Brabham BT6
2^nd # 53, Sam Wilson, Cooper T59
3^rd # 79, Andrew Hibberd, Lotus 22
Fastest lap: Wilson, 2m20.093s (93.76mph)

Peter Gethin Trophy for F2 & F5000 (11 laps)

1^st # 44, Simon Hadfield, Trojan 101
2^nd # 6, Martin Stretton, March 742
3^rd # 57, Neil Fowler, March 752
Fastest lap: Stretton, 1m57.680s (111.62mph)

Woodcote Trophy for Pre-56 Sportscars (12 laps)

1^st # 54, John Young/Andrew Smith, Cooper Jaguar T33
2^nd # 7 John Pearson/Gary Pearson, Jaguar D-type
3^rd # 60, Nigel Webb/Anthony Reid, Jaguar C-type
Fastest lap: Reid, 2m32.452s (86.16mph)

Combined result (inc’ Saturday’s race):
1^st Pearson/Pearson, 1hr03mins30.743s
2^nd  Young/Smith, +4.372s
3^rd  Webb/Reid, +37.714s

Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy for Historic Cars Pre-63 GT (19 laps)

1^st # 17, Nick Naismith/John Young, Aston Martin DB4
2^nd # 86, Ben Adams, Turner Mk2
3^rd # 1, Wolfgang Friedrichs/David Clark, Aston Martin DP212
Fastest lap: Martin Hunt/Patrick Blakeney-Edwards, AC Cobra, 2m35.217s (84.63mph)

HGPCA pre-61 Front Engine Grand Prix Cars (9 laps)

1^st # 9, Roger Wills, Lotus 16 363
2^nd # 1, Philip Walker, Lotus 16 368
3^rd # 84, Eddie McGuire, Lotus 16 362
Fastest lap: Walker, 2m23.785s (91.36mph)

Fujifilm Touring Car Trophy 1970-2000 (9 laps)

1^st #23, Rick Pearson, Nissan Primera
2^nd # 11, Frank Wrathall, Vauxhall Cavalier
3^rd # 84, Richard Hawken, Nissan Primera
Fastest lap: Pearson, 2m14.260s (97.84mph)

Daily Express International Trophy for Grand Prix Masters (11 laps)

1^st # 33, Bill Coombs, Tyrrell 009
2^nd # 31, Steve Hartley, Arrows A4
3^rd # 24, Michael Lyons, Hesketh 308E
Fastest lap: Lyons, 1m53.548s (115.69mph)

Group C Endurance Race Cars (15 laps)

1. Gareth Evans, Mercedes C9, 30m11.736s
2. Nicolas Minassian, Lancia LC2, +2.125s
3. Herve Regout, Porsche 962, +5.416s
Fastest lap: Evans, 1m52.483s (116.78mph)

World Sports Car Masters (23 laps)

1^st # 14, Andrew Smith/Oliver Bryant, Lola T70
2^nd #  Paul Knapfield/Martin Stretton, Ferrari 512 M
3^rd # 21, Steve Tandy, Lola T70 Mk3b (c)
Fastest lap: Stretton, 2m07.888s (102.71mph)

HGPCA Pre-66 Rear Engine Grand Prix Cars (9 laps)

1^st # 17, Jason Minshaw, Brabham BT4
2^nd # 1, John Harper, Brabham BT4
3^rd # 5, Rod Jolley, Cooper T45/51
Fastest lap: Minshaw, 2m19.177s (94.38mph)

Jaguar E-type Challenge (9 laps)

1^st # 40, Alex Buncombe
2^nd #  Gregor Fisken
3^rd # 53, John Pearson
Fastest lap: Buncombe, 2m24.289s (88.92mph)

Keith Bluemel
07/2012