Chevron takes debut win at Brands Hatch

Chevron Racing Cars made a stunning race debut in the GT Cup Championship (www.gtcup.co.uk) this weekend – with an inaugural victory in the ballistic Chevron GR8 GT at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit.

Rising star, Jordan Witt, just 20 years old, took a huge victory – by over 11 seconds – in the second of two sprint races in the Chevron GR8 GT Car, blitzing Ferrari 430’s and Porsche 911 GT3 racers to take the chequred flag in style, in the pouring rain.

Jordan Witts in his Chevron leads the GT cup pack - including 3 Ferraris!

The GT Cup Championship Sprint (25 minutes) and GT Trophy Endurance Series races are designed for GT Cars with both up-and-coming racers, like Jordan, and “gentleman drivers,” like his father, David Witt – who was racing alongside his son at Brands Hatch in the Chevron Challenge Car. The Challenge Car runs mainly the same high specification as Jordan’s Chevron GR8 GT Car, with a re-worked version of the GT version’s full aero pack.

Jordan has only been racing competitively for twelve months, in the Dunlop Sport MAXX Cup, Chevron GR8 Challenge and in the epic British GT Championship, in the Chevron GR8 GT. And the Cheshire race ace had just recovered from a dose of the mumps and a serious bout of conjunctivitis prior to the Brands races. But that didn’t stop him taking the c260 bhp, 750 Kg Chevron GR8 GT to a historic inaugural victory in the second of the two sprint races.

Jordan said: “It was a really good race weekend and went really, really well. I couldn’t ask for much more from our first race in the GT Cup. It was great fun to race in, the car was fantastic and we got a brilliant result.”

He talks through the weekend: “It had been raining in free practice and we knew the car was quick against the leading Porsches and Ferraris, so I’d been praying for rain, and we got it. The first race was dry and a bit mad. I was expecting a steady start, and no contact for my first time out on the Pirelli slicks. However I was hit up the back on the first corner of the first race by a Ferrari, who went up and over my back end, damaging the car badly, which slowed me down a fair bit. But I still managed to bring the GR8 home in 7^th place.”

Jordan’s father, David, racing in the Chevron GR8 Challenge Car added: “Jordan was hit straight away in race one, but he’s used to it, after the Dunlop Sport Maxx Cup, and he used his race craft to bring the car home safely.”

Race two was a different story from the first race. The Chevron GR8’s were both using a dry set-up, with a slight rise in ride height and were running Pirelli full wets – for the first time. Jordan started in third place (based on qualifying laps, in the dry), but was up to P1 by turn three in the Chevron.

Jordan recalls: “After the chaos of race one, I knew I had to be ahead to do well. I let a Porsche go up the inside line for Paddock Hill Bend off the start line, and took the faster wet line around the outside, and went straight past three cars. Then I took the outside line at Druids Bend again, to pass the lead Ferrari and take P1. I was leading going into the Graham Hill Bend, where I had a huge moment, with full opposite lock on the brakes, but caught it and carried on, to first place, by over 11 seconds. I was very pleased.”

His proud father, David said: “Jordan did fantastically and we are delighted with the result – he didn’t just win, he hammered everyone! And the wetter it got, the better the GR8’s got. After the first race damage, Andy and the Chevron team did really well to get Jordan’s car repaired and out for race two, with just 10 minutes to spare and Jordan won using his race craft. Both cars were superb, out for the first time on wets. They didn’t miss a beat. They’ve proved what they can do in all conditions, up against Ferrari, Porsche, TVR and BMW. We couldn’t ask for any more. It couldn’t be a better result for the Chevron brand, the cars and the team. We are really pleased with both cars and the result, for our first time out in the GT Cup.“

The Chevron takes the chequered flag for the first time in GTCup

David didn’t even mind being passed – twice – by his speedy son and the GR8 GT, saying of his seventh ever race: “He’d told me before the race; ‘dad, I’m going to pass you, just stick to your line.’ I’d been watching him doing really well while racing my own race, then he went out of sight, and I though ‘oh-no.’ The next thing I know, he’s up behind me flashing his lights and zipping passed me. After the race, one of the Ferrari drivers said Jordan did the same thing to him, and all he saw was his Helmet going past the window as he overtook him on the outside. Jordan did the Chevron brand proud. It was a great race, and really good fun.”

Jordan summed up the Chevron’s success: “It was our first race in the wet in the GT and Challenge Cars and they both worked really well – it just goes to show what a great car it is, quick in all conditions. The GR8 handled so well in the slippery conditions. It seems to go even quicker in the wet, which suits me too. I used to race motorcross when I was younger and I have a good feeing for racing in the wet. The GR8 feels so natural and neutral, a bit like a racing motorbike. You can feel the back moving about, but it’s predictable, with a bit of oversteer and nothing nasty or snappy about it. Having seen off Ferraris and Porsches, there’s no doubt that the GR8 is a real giant killer.”

The Chevron GR8’s will be racing again in the GT Cup at Donington Park on August 12th. And you can see the race report from Brands Hatch on Motors TV (www.motorstv.com) on Friday July 29th, 19:25, on Sky Channel 413 or Virgin Media Channel 545, with interviews with race winner, Jordan Witt. 

Fantastic Club Racing action at Croft

No fewer than 15 races will take place at Croft Circuit this coming weekend (23-24 July) as part of an energetic programme of top-quality club racing action for saloons, single-seaters and sportscars.

The North East’s premier motor sport venue just outside Darlington will host a national championship fixture for the famed British Automobile Racing Club (BARC). Seven different categories offering huge variety will be in action in a succession of 15-25 minute races to guarantee two days of fast-paced entertainment for the public. In total, more than 150 drivers are set to take to the track over the weekend.

Headlining is the Darlington & District Motor Club’s thriving Northern Sports & Saloon Car Championship which alone has attracted an oversubscribed entry of 50 competitors. This has led to organisers splitting the field into two grids to accommodate numbers at what is the championship’s ‘spiritual home’.

Also on the bill is the high-profile Protyre Formula Renault BARC single-seater series as well as Honda V-Tecs, MGs, Sports Saloons, the visiting Scottish Motor Racing Club’s Ford Fiesta championship and a grid of ‘leaning’ Citroen 2CVs! The iconic and much loved French cars will be in action three times over the weekend – in two short sprints counting towards their own championship plus, on the Saturday evening, a mini two-hour endurance race featuring driver-change pit stops.

Jeff Wilson leads the diverse Northern Sports and Saloons pack

One to watch will undoubtedly be ‘racing maestro’ Jeff Wilson. The 63-year-old from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, who has achieved countless race wins and titles during his lengthy motor sport career, is unbeaten so far this season in Northern Sports & Saloons with victories in each of the four races he has contested in his spectacular 170mph Lotus Elise (pictured). Not only will Wilson be looking to continue his winning ways, but he’ll also be going for gold in the 2CV enduro.

Wilson commented: “I love Croft. It’s such a friendly circuit and the spectator viewing experience is second-to-none. The 2CV race is a one-off as I’m helping to shake down a car for a friend but I’ll certainly be going out to win it. It’d be great to keep up my winning record in the Northern Sports & saloons as well – it’s a championship that’s really on the up and probably one of the best championships put together by a regional motor club anywhere in Britain. There’s a massive entry for Croft and with all the other categories turning up it’s going to be a really fun weekend for people to come and watch.”

Despite his four wins, Wilson is some way behind in the overall standings after missing two races. Leading overall thanks to wins in his class in all six races to date is Mike Cutt, from Strensall near York in his BMW. Cutt said: “I need to keep my consistency going – I’m only two points ahead and there are some other very strong contenders in some of the other classes who also keep winning so it’s important that I keep racking up maximum scores.” Among those seeking to close the gap to Cutt is the reigning Champion Paul Moss from Darlington – he’s back in sixth in table after losing ground in the opening round with a mechanical problem with his Citroen Saxo.

This weekend’s on-track action at Croft Circuit begins on Saturday with qualifying sessions for each of the categories from 9:30am, followed by five races starting at 3:30pm. Sunday’s schedule starts just after midday and consists of a further ten races. Tickets cost just £12 per day (payable on the gate) with admission for accompanied children aged 15 and under FREE. Car parking is also free and all admission includes access to the race paddock, enabling the public to get a close-up look at the cars and to chat to the competing drivers.

RAC Historic Tourist Trophy set to thrill

Following the huge success of the inaugural Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy for Historic Cars race last year, the event returns as part of the 2011 Silverstone Classic – the world's biggest classic racing festival – on 22 to 24 July. This year's 50-minute race on Sunday 24 July, will once again feature famous drivers and a galaxy of more than 50 authentic pre-1963 GT cars.

The Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy for Historic Cars celebrates Britain’s oldest motor race, which was first run on the Isle of Man in 1905. Over the years, the race was won by some of the greatest drivers in the world, including Tazio Nuvolari, Stirling Moss and Graham Hill. Instigated last year to recreate the heyday of GT racing in the early 1960s, the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy will once again boast a grid of cars with an estimated value in excess of £60 million.

The Ferrari GTO will be a popular competitor

Last year's winners, Carlo Vögele and Willie Green return with their victorious Ferrari GTO – one of no fewer than six Ferraris entered. Le Mans 24 Hours race winner in 1970, Richard Attwood, is teamed with Stuart Graham (the only man to win a Tourist Trophy on both two wheels and four) in an Aston Martin DB4 GT Lightweight – there are seven Aston Martins entered. Former Ferrari and Williams F1 driver, Aturo Merzario (known as 'Little Arturo') joins fellow Italian, Jason Wright, in a Lotus Elite S1. Another popular marque, 10 cars from the Norfolk manufacturer are entered. Representing another famous British manufacturer, Jon Minshaw, owner of race parts supplier Demon Tweeks, enters his Jaguar E-Type – one of six on the grid.

Ben Cussons, of the Royal Automobile Club, will drive his Ferrari 250GT SWB, and says: "The early 1960s is widely recognised as the best time for genuine GT racing – you could buy a car from a showroom and race it. The Royal Automobile Club successfully recreated this era with last year's Tourist Trophy for Historic Cars, which proved enormously popular with drivers and spectators alike. "Each of the drivers wants to win and together with the wide variety of cars this guarantees fast, exciting racing."

A Wide range of cars will take part in the race

The number of manufacturers represented illustrates the popularity of GT cars in the early 1960s – with both large and small companies producing almost race-ready models. So, alongside Ferraris, Aston Martins, Porsches and Jaguars the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy for Historic Cars race includes three Turners, five Morgans, a Ginetta G4 and an Elva Courier.

The Historic Tourist Trophy will replicate the original race of the period, with class divisions at 1300cc and 2000cc to ensure close racing all the way down the field.


--


Way back in January, Overdrive met the winners of last year's Tourist Trophy event - held as part of the GT1 world championship. Here's what they had to say

Driver change for MGR

MGR Motorsport has today confirmed Luke Wright (Shaftesbury, Dorset) will return to the Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship at Croft in North Yorkshire this weekend, as an 11th hour replacement for regular driver Russell Danzey (Sheffield).

With budget difficulties keeping promising 17-year-old car racing rookie Danzey on the sidelines for the seventh and eighth rounds of the 2011 championship, Wright – who is competing in the AirAsia Renault Clio Cup UK this season – has stepped-in as a late replacement for the Loughborough squad.

Luke Wright returns to Formula Renault BARC this weekend

The 18-year-old, who graduated to cars in the 2009 Formula Renault UK Winter Series and competed in Formula Renault BARC last year, is something of a Croft specialist having enjoyed fantastic results at the 2.12-mile track in both single-seaters and saloons.

In Formula Renault BARC last year, Wright secured his first victory at the North East venue on his way to a top six championship finish which also included four other podium visits. In Clio Cup this year, the teenager achieved his maiden category podium at Croft with second place during the most recent event in mid-June.

Wright also has strong links with MGR Motorsport having raced for the team in the 2010 Formula Renault UK Winter Series. Qualifying fourth fastest for the opening round at Snetterton in Norfolk, he went on to achieve a top five finish and sensationally came through from 12th on the grid in round two to claim second place. At Pembrey in South Wales a week later, he took his second podium.

“We’re delighted to have Luke with us at Croft this weekend but obviously disappointed for Russell that he’s had to pull out of this one”, said team principal Mark Godwin, “This will give him a bit more time to get the sponsorship in – he hopes to be back out for the next round at Thruxton.

“I’m sure Luke will get back into things pretty quickly, it is quite difficult to adapt from a front-wheel drive like a Clio to the rear-wheel drive BARC car but it shouldn’t be a problem. He has some good experience so if he can get up to speed it’ll help the other guys in the team to have some more data to work with.”

At Croft this weekend Wright will join regular MGR racers Matt Mason (Nottingham) and David Wagner (Glasgow) who are currently ninth and 11th in the championship standings respectively. For 18-year-old Mason 2011 is his first season in cars while fellow 18-year-old Wagner only has marginally more experience having debuted in last year’s Winter Series.

Godwin added: “Considering they’re all rookies I’m really pleased with how the year has gone so far. I knew we wouldn’t be in a position to win yet, especially when you look at the people at the front who have two or three years experience – in some cases more than that. It is tough to come in without an experienced driver but we’re just focused on doing as good a job as we can.”

Formula Renault BARC blasts back into action

Formula Renault has launched the careers of many big name international drivers. But below the top line world series, there's the national championships. And here in the UK there's a championship below that as well for the French single seaters - Formula Renault BARC. The action is no less spectacular than Formula Renault UK and is well worth a watch as it tours around the country!

Eight long weeks since the last two rounds of Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship action, the country’s biggest-subscribed contemporary junior single-seater category will return to the track next weekend, 23rd/24th July, with its annual visit to Croft in North Yorkshire.

Close Racing aplenty in Formula Renault BARC

Always one of the most popular venues on the championship calendar, the 2.12-mile circuit offers a good mix of fast curves, long straights and slower technical sections. Rounds seven and eight of the campaign mark the start of the second half of the 2011 season and with five winners from the first six races, the title battle is wide open.

Fortec Motorsport’s Josh Webster (Stowmarket, Suffolk) holds a 19 point lead ahead of the visit to Croft thanks to a very strong weekend last time out at Oulton Park. Securing his second win of the season during round five, the 17-year-old backed that up with second place in round six.

Contrastingly, erstwhile championship leader James Thorp (Evesham, Worcestershire) had nothing short of a nightmare. Although taking decent points for sixth position in the first race, unfortunate contact with Callum Bowyer (Peterborough) in the second encounter led to an exclusion from the results. Thorp will therefore arrive at Croft fourth in the standings for MTech Lite.

Although Webster has a healthy advantage at present, the battle immediately behind him is very tight indeed with only two points separating Fortec team-mates Archie Hamilton (Hook, Hampshire) and Kieran Vernon (West Chiltington, West Sussex).

During the break since the Oulton Park races in May, the worth of Protyre Formula Renault BARC as a key proving ground has been displayed once again with both Vernon and Hamilton having been afforded high-profile opportunities to further their respective careers.

Vernon is dovetailing his Formula Renault BARC campaign with involvement in Porsche Carrera Cup GB in the car recently vacated by double champion Tim Harvey. Hamilton, meanwhile, is to make his debut in the American Le Mans Series in August prior to Formula Renault BARC’s visit to Thruxton.

Round four winner Dino Zamparelli (Bristol) is fifth in the championship, only a couple of points behind Thorp, but the experienced Antel Motorsport driver will be keen to start stringing together some consistent podium finishes to get himself fully into the title fight.

Oulton Park marked a watershed moment for Kourosh Khani (High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) with a sensational maiden victory in round six for Scorpio Motorsport. Not only did the result, added to fourth place in round five, rocket him into the championship top six, Khani also made history as the first ever Iranian to stand atop a Formula Renault podium.

In short, it’s anyone’s guess what the outcome at Croft will be with well over 20 cars expected to make the visit to North Yorkshire. In addition to the championship top six, seventh placed Steven Durrant (Oxford) has already taken one podium this year while Dubai-based series newcomer Zaamin Jaffer (Milton Keynes) and racing rookie Matt Mason (Nottingham) are edging ever closer.

Following a 15-minute untimed practice run at 09.30 on Saturday, 23rd July, the round seven and eight qualifying sessions will take place at 12.05 and 14.55 respectively. On Sunday, 24th July, the first race of the weekend will begin at 12.40 with the second encounter scheduled to start at 16.45.

Along with headline sponsor Protyre, the championship is additionally supported by ELF, Michelin and NGK Spark Plugs.

Provisional 2011 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship Points (after Rd6):
1st - Josh Webster/Fortec Motorsport 144pts
2nd - Archie Hamilton/Fortec Motorsport 125pts
3rd - Kieran Vernon/Fortec Motorsport 123pts
4th - James Thorp/MTech Lite 117pts
5th - Dino Zamparelli/Antel Motorsport 115pts
6th - Kourosh Khani/Scorpio Motorsport 107pts

Silverstone Classic : Facts and Figures.

The 2011 Silverstone Classic (22-24 July) can justify its proud claim to being the 'the world's biggest classic racing festival', with the final numbers for the event amply demonstrating the vast scale of this world famous festival.

The entire Silverstone site will be taken over by racing, displays, attractions and activities for the entire family, capped by sensational music concerts on Friday and Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.

The 2011 event marks the 21st anniversary of the first classic racing festival at Silverstone; this is the event that started the boom in historic racing festivals and it remains the best of its kind on a global scale. Some of the key numbers are:

A Great variety of cars will take part in the Silverstone Classic

1010 drivers in 22 races

Bigger than any other racing festival, the 2011 Silverstone Classic has attracted massive competitor support across 15 categories and 22 races. In total 1010 drivers are entered. Such is the demand for places on the grids that the existing National Pits and the stunning new ‘Wing’ Grand Prix Pit complex will both be in use.

1030 total entries
With many of the race grids heavily over-subscribed and at least half of the grids featuring more than 50 cars, a mammoth total of 1030 entries have been received. The spectacular Silverstone Grand Prix circuit can accommodate the biggest grids in British motor racing.

£300 million of race cars

With such a stellar line-up of period racing, sports, GT, and saloon cars, the overall value of the cars in action over the weekend has been conservatively estimated at £300 million. A number of individual cars have values in excess of £5 million.

124 F1 Cars
With cars spanning 55 years, ranging from 1928 to 1983, there is an incredible array of Grand Prix cars in action within a total entry of 124 cars. The earlier cars race in the Pre-1961 Front Engine Grand Prix Car races, with the oldest car being the 1928 Bugatti T35B of Geraint Owen. The early 1960s are re-created in the Pre-1966 Rear Engine Grand Prix Cars races, while the Grand Prix Masters races will re-live the 1970s and early 1980s era of the Cosworth DFV engine.

E-Types will come to the fore to celebrate a half century

50 racing E-type Jaguars
Another highlight will be a pair of races for the E-type Challenge, an exciting new series celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Jaguar E-type. Fifty E-type Jaguars in one race will set a new world record and will make an unforgettable sight.

1000 E-type Jaguars for official 50^th birthday party
The landmark anniversary of one of the most beautiful cars ever built will be celebrated off-track, with up to 1000 E-types on show and on parade in the models’ biggest ever gathering.

[and unlike Mr Clarkson on Top Gear, we completely support this venture of getting so many of the iconic car into the same place at the same time!]

120 car clubs and 7000 classic cars
More than 7000 classic cars of all shapes and sizes will pack into Silverstone as a host of motoring anniversaries are marked, with a record number of over 120 Car Clubs on show.

Record crowds

The response from fans for the 2011 Silverstone Classic has been superb and points to a bumper crowd for the weekend. Advance ticket sales are 90 per cent higher than in 2010.

Go on. Someone name them all. Use the comments box!

30 Group C prototypes
One of the star races will be for the Le Mans-type cars of the 1980s in the Group C category. Cars from Porsche, Jaguar, Mercedes, Nissan, Lancia and Spice will make a memorable spectacle amongst a superb 30-car grid.

Celebrity race with Morgans

A gaggle of famous names will be tackling the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit on Saturday afternoon in a special Celebrity Challenge in Morgan sport cars raising funds for the Bobby Moore Cancer Fund. Heston Blumenthal, Jo Wood and Brendan Cole are among those who will be racing in support of the Cancer Research UK Bobby Moore Fund.

Live music

Major music concerts will maintain the event’s ‘Rocking and Racing’ tradition. Friday will be given over to some of the best tribute bands around, while Saturday’s concert is topped by Suzi Quattro, 10CC and Wishbone Ash. On Sunday the live music content switches to a more laid-back classical focus.

Massive off-track entertainment
Funfairs, shopping malls, an assault course, the Village Green, traction engines, hot-air balloon fly-outs, air displays, festival catering by Jamie Oliver’s Fabulous Feast and even a lawn mower race are all part of the most remarkable show of the year.

"The Silverstone Classic is simply the biggest and best classic racing festival in the World and the numbers involved in the 2011 event are incredible," said event director Nick Wigley. "It is going to be a sensational weekend!”

Burton wins BTRDA Rally Series

The unique Peugeot - Cosworth. Body from an ice racer - Cosworth V6 engine from an Opel racing car!

Andy Burton and Robin Kellard have clinched the Silverstone Tyres BTRDA Rally Series of 2011 with two rounds still remaining, having finished a fighting third overall on last weekend’s Nicky Grist Quinton Stages event. Being Gold Star Champion this year will be particularly memorable for Burton, who is being forced to retire his iconic, Kumho-shod Peugeot-Cosworth at the end of the season, due to a change in regulations.

The famous car is heading for retirement after many successes

The team entered the Quinton Stages with hopes of sealing the series with their fourth outright victory of the year, but it was not to be. Slightly off the pace on this occasion, they were pushed down the order by Charlie Payne and Craig Thorley (Focus WRC), and Roger Chilman and Andrew Sankey (Impreza WRC) – the latter were another couple competing on Kumho tyres. However, having dropped just six points in six rounds, the Peugeot pairing are still now unbeatable in the championship, which counts competitors’ six best scores from the eight events. The seventh and penultimate round of the series is the Woodpecker Stages event on September 3.

Said Steve Thompson, Kumho’s European Motorsport Manager, “We are delighted to have played a key role in Andy and Robin’s very successful season. Our tyres have clearly worked very well on their famous Peugeot-Cosworth and, along with spectators up and down the country, we are very sorry to see it heading for an arguably premature but well-earned retirement.”

Goodwood Gears up for Revival Meeting

The detail goodwood goes to is incredible. Note the pit crews and marshals
in period attire and the lack of starting lights. Fantastic!

With this year’s Festival of Speed now a fond but distant memory for the 181,000 enthusiastic spectators that attended the event, the excitement for motor racing at Goodwood is growing again with just over nine weeks to go until the 2011 Goodwood Revival (16-18 September) gets underway with its mouth-watering grids, scintillating on-track action, and a number of significant anniversaries to celebrate.

The 2011 Revival is set to build on the success of last year’s event, when a record-breaking 134,000 people attended over the weekend. As ever, the Revival offers visitors of all ages a chance to revel in the romance and glamour of motor racing as it used to be. It is the only sporting event in the world set entirely to a period theme and, every year, spectators and competitors take a magical step back in time by getting into the effervescent Goodwood spirit. The majority of visitors enter into the spirit of the event, dressing in appropriate clothing from the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s.

This September’s event will offer an action-packed weekend of historic motor racing and period theatre for all the family, as always – with much more besides. The following is a summary of all the on-track activity:

Celebrity Two-driver Races

Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration race (one hour, two driver)

The RAC TT celebration race ready on the Grid

For closed-cockpit GT cars in the spirit of the RAC TT races, 1960-1964

The one-hour, two-driver Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration race remains the jewel in the Revival’s crown. Nowhere else in the world will you see such a spectacular grid of super-rare GT cars racing in anger, driven by great aces past and present. The grid will once again feature a breathtaking £100+ million array of internationally-renowned historic cars. Expect to see Ferrari 250 GTO, GT SWB and 330 LMB; Aston Martin DB4GT, Zagato and Project cars; plus AC Cobra and the rare Shelby Daytona.

Fordwater Trophy

For Jaguar E-Types of a type that raced up to 1966

This year’s Fordwater Trophy will be very special indeed, featuring a grid exclusively made up of Jaguar E-types, in celebration of the model’s 50^th anniversary. It will be a 45-minute two-driver race, with driver changes in the pits between 15 and 30 minutes. With a mixture of lightweights, roadsters, fixed head coupés and low drag coupés, it should make for an intriguing spectacle and a fitting tribute to Britain’s most popular sports car and its special relationship with Goodwood.

St Mary’s Trophy

The St Mary's Trophy field charges through the Chicane

Two races for saloon cars of a type that raced between 1960 and 1966

This year’s St Mary’s Trophy will feature cars from the 1960s – a truly golden age of touring car racing. Expect to see a thrilling and close-fought battle between such diverse and classic cars as Jaguar MkII, Ford Galaxie, Mini Cooper S, Lotus Cortina, Saab 93, Alfa Romeo GTA and BMW 1800 TiSA. As ever, the format will be a celebrity race on Saturday, with the car owners taking their turn on Sunday, and the result declared on aggregate.

Sports car races

Madgwick Cup

For sports-racing cars under 3-litres of a type that raced between 1960 and 1966

The Madgwick Cup is a name synonymous with Goodwood and the Revival, and this year’s race will feature a diverse grid of small-capacity sports-racing cars from the early 1960s.  With a grid of svelte, lightweight Brabham, Elva and Lotus models, it should make for an incredibly fast and close-fought race.

Freddie March Memorial Trophy

For cars in the spirit of the Goodwood Nine-Hour races, 1952-1955

The Freddie March Memorial Trophy continues as a short sprint race for cars of a type that contested the legendary Goodwood Nine Hour race. It will feature a fabulous collection of classic sports-racing cars such as Jaguar C-type, Aston Martin DB3 and DB3S, Austin-Healey 1005, Ferrari 750, Allard and HWM.

Sussex Trophy

For World Championship sports cars and production sports racing cars from 1955-1960

The Sussex Trophy caters for World Championship sports cars and production sports racing cars from 1955-1960. These big, powerful cars, from the likes of Aston Martin, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lister and Maserati, are perfectly suited to Goodwood’s fast, sweeping curves, and always produce a stunning spectacle.

Whitsun Trophy

For sports-racing prototypes of a type that raced between 1963 and 1966

The Whitsun Trophy is the weekend’s fastest race and is always guaranteed to provide breathtaking entertainment and close racing. A wonderful selection of ‘big banger’ sports prototypes will once again unleash upwards of 10,000bhp between them. The legendary Ford GT40 will feature strongly, with several taking part, including a rare 1964 model. Providing stiff opposition will be legions of Ferrari prototypes, Lotus 30s, Lola-Chevrolet T70 Spyders and McLaren-Chevrolet M1s.

Single-Seater Racing

Goodwood Trophy

For Grand Prix and Voiturette cars of a type that raced between 1930 and 1950

This race features GP ‘titans’ and more nimble voiturette cars based on designs from before the Second World War. These sit-up-and-beg single seaters will thunder around the fast and spectacular track, just as they did in the circuit’s earliest years. In addition to a gaggle of ERAs, expect to see Alfa Romeo 308C take on Maserati 4CM, 6CM and 8CM, plus Alta, Bugatti Type 54 and Talbot Lago. A gaggle of super-rare Alfa Romeo Tipo B monopostos will also take part.

Richmond Trophy

For front-engined Grand Prix cars of a type that raced between 1950 and 1960

The Richmond Trophy for Formula One cars (1950-1960) continues as a race solely for front-engined cars. This will offer exciting racing between the legendary cars from one of Grand Prix racing’s golden eras, with Maserati 250Fs out in force, battling against Ferrari 246 Dino, Aston Martin DBR4, BRM Type 25, Cooper-Bristol, Connaught, HWM and the unique four-wheel drive Ferguson P99.

Glover Trophy

For 1.5-litre Formula One and Tasman cars of a type that raced between 1961 and 1965

This race for 1960s Formula 1 cars will once again see a spectacular gathering of 1.5-litre GP cars, from the likes of Lotus, Brabham, BRM and Cooper. These cigar-like racers are synonymous with the important F1 meetings in Goodwood’s latter years, and the selection of cars taking part will focus on genuine F1 cars using fabulous-sounding V8 engines, making the race as noisy and exciting as ever.

Chichester Cup

For disc-braked rear-engined Formula Juniors of a type that raced between 1960 and 1963

This year’s Formula Junior race focuses on the ‘late period’, when cars ran with rear-engines and disc brakes, which last appeared at the Revival in 2008. With so many Juniors competing internationally, the specification of the race changes every year, to give it a new look and character. This year’s race sees the cars in their ultimate form, and should once again provide fantastically close and competitive racing.

Earl of March Trophy

For 500cc Formula 3 cars of a type that raced between 1948 and 1959

The Earl of March Trophy regularly provides some of the closest, most competitive racing of the Revival weekend. 500cc Formula 3 racing was hugely important and popular during Goodwood’s formative years, and this year’s race should once again make for an intriguing spectacle.

Circuit Parades

Tribute to Juan Manuel Fangio

Our annual feature tribute will be to Juan Manuel Fangio, on the centenary of his birth and 60^th anniversary of him winning the first of his five world championships. A daily track parade will include a variety of his most famous cars, to honour the life and achievements of this incredible man.

100 Years of Ford of Great Britain

From humble family saloons to racing icons, lusty sports cars to military vehicles, and rally legends to commercial workhorses, Ford of Great Britain has been responsible for some of the most iconic vehicles ever to grace Britain’s roads and race tracks. This year the company celebrates its centenary, and the Revival will celebrate with a parade of the greatest and most instantly recognisable vehicles from those 100 years.

Motocross Champions

This year’s Revival will celebrate a branch of two-wheeled sport at which Britons were once dominant. Motocross was a hugely popular sport on British television in the 1960s, and this parade, featuring seven past champions from that period, will evoke memories of that era.

Special Tribute

75 Years of the Spitfire

This year marks the 75^th anniversary of arguably the most famous fighter plane of all time. The Supermarine Spitfire first flew in 1936, and went on to become a true icon, credited with helping the RAF win the Battle of Britain. Having served as a Spitfire base during World War II, Goodwood is a particularly fitting venue to celebrate this anniversary, with an incredible gathering of aircraft, and a spectacular mass scramble where all the planes will take off in close formation.

Champions and Celebrities assemble for Silverstone Classic.

50 years of the E-Type will be celebrated in Style

Three former Grand Prix racers plus a former British Touring Car champion are among the star names racing at the Silverstone Classic (22-24 July). On top of the host of celebrities in action in the special Celebrity Challenge race and rock music legends playing live on stage, a raft of famous names from across the sport will be rolling back the years and tackling the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in historic racing machinery.

Confirmed racing celebrities lining up in a grid of race-prepared Morgans and raising funds for the Bobby Moore Fund include Heston Blumenthal, Sally ‘Traffic’ Boazman, Lord Charles Brocket, Brendan Cole, Comedy Dave, Vicky Gomersall and Jo Wood while live music on Saturday evening comes from Suzi Quatro, 10cc and Wishbone Ash.

For the purists, though, the spotlight will be on the unrivalled line-up of races that make the annual Silverstone Classic the world’s biggest classic racing festival. British aces Richard Attwood and Jackie Oliver and Italian racer Arturo Merzario will all be in action over the weekend, and all were Grand Prix racers. Remarkably, Attwood and Oliver also won the Le Mans 24-hour race, with Oliver winning in a Ford GT40 in 1969 and Attwood giving Porsche its maiden victory a year later.

Oliver will race in both the E-type Challenge – a special series to mark the iconic British sportscar’s 50^th birthday – and the Under 2-litre Touring Cars, while Attwood will race in the Woodcote Trophy at the wheel of the Aston Martin DBR1 that won at Le Mans in 1959. Merzario will campaign several cars, including a Lotus Elite in the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy. Desire Wilson, the only female driver to win a Formula 1 race, is another contesting the celebratory E-type Challenge.

Many star names will be competing in the two special 

E-type Challenge races celebrating the 50^th birthday 

of the legendary Jaguar sportscar.

Eight drivers with experience of the BTCC will be racing, including a former double champion and three race winners. John Cleland, BTCC champion in 1989 and 1995, will race in the E-type Challenge, while BTCC race winners Paul Radisich (Elva Mk7), Mike Jordan (Lotus Cortina) and Patrick Watts (Ford Mustang) are all competing. Radisich also won the FIA World Touring Car Cup in 1993 and 1994. Other drivers with a BTCC campaign under their belt include Andy Middlehurst (Lotus 25), Charlie Butler-Henderson (Cooper T56) and Tony Crudgington (Chevrolet Corvette), while the story comes right up to date with 2011 BTCC contender Rob Austin racing his Arrows A4 in Grand Prix Masters.

A rising star of contemporary sports car racing is Le Mans contender Andy Meyrick, who will partner his father Peter in their Spice SE89C in Group C. Meanwhile Nick Adams, winner of the Group C2 title in the 1989 World Sportscar Championship, races a Lotus X in the Woodcote Trophy.

From the media ranks come TV presenter Tony Jardine (E-type Challenge) and journalist Mark Hales, who will race a Marcos 1800GT in the Gentleman Drivers race. From rallying is Norwegian veteran and multiple RAC Rally class winner John Haugland who will field a Lotus Cortina in the U2TC race.

Ford Mustang vs Jaguar Mk2. Fantastic action at Silverstone!

Finally, the entry list is packed with all the leading racers of historic cars from across Europe. Notable crowd pleasers include Brackley’s Barrie ‘Whizzo’ Williams in the E-type Challenge, Willie Green (Ferrari 275 GTB/C), Simon Hadfield and Martin Stretton. Among a variety of drives, both Stretton and Hadfield will race Lola T70 Mk3Bs in the World Sportscar Masters race.

With so many star drivers in action competing in 22 races featuring more than 800 of the world’s finest competition cars spanning more than six decades of motor sport history, it’s no surprise that this year’s Silverstone Classic is enjoying record ticket pre-sales. It’s a ‘must see’ event for all generations.

Cholmondeley has a successful start

Did someone say "Firepower?"

The 2011 Cholmondeley Pageant of Power (15-17 July; www.cpop.co.uk) roared into life today, and record numbers of spectators are expected to witness a packed programme of action over the three days of the event.

Highlights will include the classic and modern race cars, supercars and motorbikes competing on the 1.2-mile race circuit, the many powerboats performing 120mph-plus runs on the venue’s lake, the all-new Rally Stage, and the aerobatic stunt planes and helicopters that will take to the skies overhead. To bring added firepower, the Pageant will host the UK’s only British Army combat power assault simulation, and there will also be a stunning Fireworks Concert.

Now in its fourth year, the 2011 Pageant will feature machinery with an estimated combined value of over £500million. Following the runaway success of last year’s event, which welcomed 50,000 visitors, the event organisers have extended the event to a third day for the first time. The inclusion of a Friday Preview Day allows attendees to get behind the scenes in the pit area and view the international field of famous cars, racing drivers and motorcyclists as they take to the circuit for practice runs before the competitive race action starts on Saturday.

Ford GT40 leads a Bentley Speed 8

During the Pageant there will be more than 1,200 cars on static display, and 175 racing cars and bikes will drive 2,550 laps of the Cholmondeley circuit, covering more than 4,000 racing miles. There will be over 2,050 straw bales acting as crash barriers, weighing over 700 tonnes in total, as well as 12 miles of fencing. With so many cars, and approximately 75,000 visitors expected over the weekend, the Pageant of Power organisers have even taken on over 500 race stewards and marshals to help keep the event running smoothly.

The most expensive and perhaps most famous of the race car entrants is the Auto Union D-Type, a legendary ‘Silver Arrow’ Grand Prix car from 1938 believed to be worth more than £9million.

Fresh from its starring role on last Sunday’s Top Gear show will be the BMW Brutus ‘Experimentalfahrzeug’ (experimental vehicle). Brutus features a 12-cylinder, 47-litre aeroplane engine bolted to the front of the car, and will be sure to turn many heads as it spits fire out of its many exhausts while racing round the track.

More than 40 world-famous classic and modern motorcycles, including many marques from the golden age of British motorcycling, will attend. This weekend’s star motorbike attraction promises to be the fabulous 1977 factory Kawasaki KR750 racer ridden by Tom Sykes, Britain’s World Superbike ace, who will also push his 2011 ZX10R Kawasaki to the limit around the course.

Adding to the two-wheel spectacle, professional Nissan stunt driver Terry Grant will be attempting to become the fastest four-wheeled vehicle to race around the track on just two wheels in the Nissan Juke.

The Ford RS200 is a fantastic Group B Rally car

New for 2011 is the purpose-built tarmac Rally Stage that will play host to more than 30 rally cars, including a line-up of legendary Group B machines (1982 to 1986), headed by Audi’s awesome 1983 Quattro.

Proving that fast and fun cars don’t have to be bad for the environment, Green-Car-Guide Live! is a new area of the Pageant dedicated to green motoring. Visitors can see the remarkable Oaktec Honda Insight rally car (banned from competing for being too fast), the all-electric Nissan LEAF hatchback, Volkswagen’s latest BlueMotion products and the brand-new 62.8 mpg BMW 520d EfficientDynamics (making its first UK public outing). The area also features vehicles from Jaguar, MINI, Ford, Citroen, Mercedes-Benz and Mitsubishi.

One of the Pageant of Power’s many claims to fame is its live-action combat power display. The British Army and the RAF will be using the estate grounds and airspace to conduct a combat power assault on a manned ’enemy’ position situated directly in front of the watching crowds. Helicopters will swoop low over the area to scout out the target from above, while infantry and armoured vehicles will be deployed on the ground.

Away from the combat power display, the nation’s armed forces also play a huge role in the Cholmondeley Fireworks Concert, which takes place on the evening of Saturday 16 July. A true highlight of previous Pageants, the display will feature a full-strength Military Tattoo accompanied by a lengthy fireworks display.

120 musicians will also be taking part in the concert, which raised over £75,000 for Help for Heroes in 2010. Combat Stress, Remount and the Mercian Benevolent Fund (MBF) have been chosen as beneficiaries of the 2011 Pageant. Combat Stress aids servicemen and women affected both mentally and physically by war; Remount provides a springboard for Armed Forces personnel as they return to civilian life; and MBF is the official charity of the Mercian Regiment.

“This year’s Pageant of Power is going to be bigger and better than ever, and we’ll be hosting record numbers of cars, bikes, planes, boats and visitors throughout the weekend,” commented James Hall, event director at the Cholmondeley Pageant of Power.

“The Pageant is an unbeatable family day out, as we have entertainment for all ages and interests. If there’s one thing we’ve found over the years, it’s that the event always throws up spectacular action and numerous unforgettable experiences,” added Hall.

For 2011, the Pageant gates open at 08.00 each day, and Park (basic admission) tickets for Saturday and Sunday cost just £20 (adult) and £10 (children aged 4-15 years). Paddock tickets, which allow visitors to view all the participating machines and their drivers up-close, cost £30 for both Saturday and Sunday, while tickets for Saturday night’s special Fireworks Concert cost £25. On all three days, admission for children aged under 4 and car parking are free. For further information, please visit www.cpop.co.uk.