Huge weekend of competition brings 1113 race cars to Silverstone

Sport
 | 29 Jul 2013

An estimated 90,000 fans flocked to the Silverstone Classic from 26-28 July for a bumper programme of motor sport.

One of the highlights was Sunday’s Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy for pre-’56 Sports Cars, which was won by John and Gary Pearson in a Jaguar D-type.

They finished just 0.429 secs ahead of John Young and Chris Ward’s Jaguar C-type after an epic 23-lap battle, while Andrew Smith and John Young trailed by more than 9 secs in their Cooper Jaguar T33.

Perhaps the day’s most fitting result came in the form of Andy Middlehurst taking a class win in the Jim Clark Trophy for HGPCA pre-’66 GP cars.

Middlehurst was driving the 1963 Lotus 25 that Clark piloted to victory at the British GP 50 years ago. Jason Minshaw took the overall victory, winning both races in his Brabham BT4.

Torrential rain on Saturday evening meant that organisers were forced to cancel the Group C race, but it was worth waiting until Sunday to see French sportscar ace Nic Minassian smash the Classic lap record in a Jaguar XJR-14 on his way to a commanding victory.

Minassian’s 1 min 36.712 secs best – an average speed of over 122mph – was more than a second quicker than the previous record by Bob Berridge in his Mercedes C11.



“To be given a car like this to drive, and at an event like this, is just pure joy,” said Minassian.

The Historic Formula Ford race included the return of former F1 driver Tiff Needell, who could only manage eighth but was chuffed with the result in a race that was won by Callum Macleod in a Merlyn Mk20.

The Piper Heidsieck International Trophy for pre-66 GTs brought another victory for brothers John and Gary Pearson, this time in their Jaguar E-type, despite the heavens opening on the packed field.


 
Three-time World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx drove a BMW 1800TI in the Sir John Whitmore Trophy for Under 2 Litre Touring Cars, leading the early stages.

The race, which would become a battle for supremacy between the Lotus Cortinas and BMWs, was eventually won by the Cortina of Leo Voyazides and Simon Hadfield.



Priaulx said: “It was lovely to be sliding a touring car around again.”

Rob Huff, current World Touring Car champion, took victory in the Mini class of the Trans-Atlantic Touring Car Trophy – much to the crowd’s delight – while overall honours again went to the Voyazides/Hadfield pairing, this time in Leo’s treasured Ford Falcon. Voyazides would also win Sunday’s race.

More-modern tin-tops featured in the Super Touring Car Trophy with machines from the late-’80s through to the early-2000s. A battle for the lead between the Peugeot 406 of Patrick Watts and the Sierra Cosworth of Tim Harvey wowed the crowd before Watts crashed out.

The race would be won by the Alfa Romeo of Neil Smith, who finished just 0.242 secs ahead of Frank Wrathall’s Vauxhall Cavalier.

Tim Harvey, who completed the podium, said: “This is quite an incredible event. Every car here is a jewel and has its own story. I don’t think you’d be able see it all in three days if you tried. I really enjoyed racing my original Sierra but away from that I’ve just been like everyone else – drooling at all the cars in the paddock!”

Michael Lyons won the FIA Masters Formula One race and went on to take victory in both parts of the Peter Gethin Trophy double-header for F2 and F5000 machines.

Voyazides and Hadfield won the FIA Masters Historic Sports Cars race in a Lola T70, but the sight of an iconic Porsche 917 – driven by Gary Pearson and Carlos Monteverde – taking third proved almost as popular.

The stunning Ferrari 250GT SWB of Gary Pearson and Jackie Oliver took the RAC Tourist Trophy, holding off a late charge from the pole-sitting Aston Martin DP212 of Wolfgang Friedrichs and Simon Hadfield.

Other races on Sunday came from Formula Ford (Callum Macleod, Merlyn Mk20), Formula Junior (Andrew Hibberd, Lotus 22) and Pre-’61 GP cars (Julian Bronson, Scarab Offenhauser).

Away from the racing, there were huge parades including 1208 examples of the Porsche 911 taking to the track as the model celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Former F1 driver and five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell MBE, who took part in the convoy, said: “It’s because of the 911 that Porsche had the financial resources to go racing and create the history of the 917, 956, 962 and all the wins that we had around the world with all my fabulous team-mates. Porsche did a heck of a lot for me so to be here in this parade driving around my home track Silverstone is a great honour.”

The Porsches were joined by 361 Aston Martins, celebrating the marque’s centenary, while a Lamborghini run – marking the firm’s 50th – was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.



Scroll below for the event’s full race results.

Provisional Race Results for Saturday

Peter Arundell Trophy for Historic Formula Junior
1)    Andrew Hibberd (Lotus 22): 9 Laps
2)    Sam Wilson (Lotus 20/22): +0.540
3)    Jonathan Milicevic (Cooper T59): +0.878

Balvenie Trophy for Historic Formula Ford
1)    Callum Macleod (Merlyn MK20): 9 Laps
2)    Westie Mitchell (Merlyn Mk20): +4.931
3)    Benn Simms (Jomo JMR 7): +16.377

Stirling Moss Trophy for Pre ’61 Sportscars
1)    Oliver Bryant (Lotus 15): 20 Laps
2)    Andrew Smith/Chris Ward (Lister Costin): +2.013
3)    Philip Walker/Danny Wright (Lotus 15): +13.314

Sir John Whitmore Trophy for Under 2 Litre Touring Cars
1)    Leo Voyazides/Simon Hadfield (Lotus Cortina): 19 Laps
2)    Mark Jones (Lotus Cortina Mk1): +33.924
3)    Jackie Oliver/Richard Shaw (BMW 1800 TiSA): +39.169

FIA Masters Historic Formula One
1)    Michael Lyons (RAM Williams FW07): 11 Laps
2)    Joaquin Folch (Brabham BT49C): +20.534
3)    Christophe D’Ansembourg (Williams FW07C): +51.533

Trans-Atlantic Touring Car Trophy
1)    Voyazides/Hadfield (Ford Falcon): 8 Laps
2)    Mann (Ford Mustang): +16.662
3)    Gardiner/Keen (Ford Falcon Sprint): +18.576

Froilan Gonzalez Trophy for HGPCA Pre '61 Grand Prix Cars
1)    Julian Bronson (Scarab Offenhauser): 9 Laps
2)    Tony Smith (Ferrari 246 Dino 0007): +15.086
3)    Tony Wood (Maserati TecMec): +19.279

FIA Masters Historic Sports Cars
1)    Simon Hadfield/Leo Voyazides (Lola T70 Mk3b): 22 Laps
2)    Steve Tandy (Lola T70 Mk3b): +33.924
3)    Gary Pearson/Carlos Monteverde (Porsche 917) +37.579

The Peter Gethin Trophy for Formula 5000 and Formula 2 Cars
1)    Michael Lyons (Lola T400): 11 Laps
2)    Mark Dwyer (March 742): +31.773
3)    Neil Glover (Lola T330/332): +1:14.462

HGPCA Pre '66 Grand Prix Cars
1)    Jason Minshaw (Brabham BT4): 4 Laps
2)    Jonathon Hughes (Cooper T53): +0.777
3)    Peter Horsman (Lotus 18/21 P1): +3.871

Piper Heidsieck International Trophy for pre '66 GT Cars in association with Chopard
1)    John Pearson/ Gary Pearson (Jaguar E-type): 13 Laps
2)    Leo Voyazides/Simon Hadfield (AC Cobra): +13.070
3)    Edward Morris (Lotus Elan): +31.861

Provisional Race Results for Sunday

Balvenie Trophy for Historic Formula Ford
1)    Callum Macleod (Merlyn Mk20): 9 Laps
2)    Callum Grant (Merlyn Mk20a): +6.028
3)    Sam Mitchell (Merlyn Mk20): +6.384

Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy for Pre ’56 Sports Cars
1)    John Pearson/Gary Pearson (Jaguar D-type): 23 Laps
2)    John Young/Chris Ward (Jaguar C-type): +0.429
3)    Andrew Smith/John Young (Cooper Jaguar T33): +9.055

Peter Arundell Trophy for Historic Formula Junior
1)    Sam Wilson (Lotus 20/22): 9 Laps
2)    Andrew Hibberd (Lotus 22): +2.590
3)    Jonathan Milicevic (Cooper T59): +2.873

Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy for Historic Cars
1)    Jackie Oliver/Gary Pearson (Ferrari 250 SWB): 18 Laps
2)    Wolfgang Friedrichs/Simon Hadfield (Aston Martin DP212): +13.544
3)    James Cottingham/Andrew Smith (Jaguar E-type): +15.158

Group C Endurance
1)    Nicolas Minassian (Jaguar XJR14): 21 Laps
2)    Gareth Evans (Mercedes C11): +1:48.191
3)    Steve Tandy (Nissan R90CK): +1 Lap

Frolian Gonzalez Trophy for HGPCA Pre '61 Grand Prix Cars
1)    Julian Bronson (Scarab Offenhauser): 9 Laps
2)    Tony Wood (Maserati TecMec): +1.487
3)    Rod Jolley (Lister Jaguar Monzanapolis): +29.670

Super Touring Car Trophy
1)    Frank Wrathall (Vauxhall Cavalier): 8 Laps
2)    Stewart Whyte (Honda Accord): +6.214
3)    Craig Davies (Ford RS500): +33.963

FIA Masters Historic Formula One
1)    Michael Lyons (RAM Williams FW07): 10 Laps
2)    Joaquin Folch (Brabham BT49C): +25.462
3)    Steve Hartley (Arrows A4): +31.737

Trans-Atlantic Touring Car Trophy
1)    Leo Voyazides (Ford Falcon): 8 Laps
2)    Henry Mann (Ford Mustang): +16.324
3)    Roger Wills (Mercury Comet Cyclone): +19.915

Jim Clark Trophy for HGPCA Pre '66 Grand Prix Cars
1)    Jason Minshaw (Brabham BT4): 9 Laps
2)    Miles Griffiths (Cooper T51): +17.810
3)    Jonathon Hughes (Cooper T53): +21.196

The Peter Gethin Trophy for Formula 5000 and Formula 2 Cars
1)    Michael Lyons (Lola T400): 11 Laps
2)    Lee Dwyer (March 782): +35.888
3)    Mark Dwyer (March 742): +1:18.683