Classy classics at Silverstone
16 April 2010
A fifty-minute feast of motorsports history is promised on Sunday when the Heritage GT’s take to the track for their season’s opener of the Heritage Grand Touring Car Challenge, sponsored by Stratton Motor Company.
Expect plenty of fast and furious sideways action from the classic 60’s and 70’s sports, GT’s and saloons as they tackle Silverstone’s GP circuit. They include a fabulous grid of giants and giant killers from mighty Camaros and V8 Aston Martins to Austin Healeys and Minis.
These cars are from an era when power invariably exceeded grip and with many cars running highly modified 4-litre, 5 litre and even 6-litre engines, cars getting out of sorts is the norm in Heritage races. Add in the spectacle of some of the more rapid smaller cars and you have all the ingredients for a real crowd pleaser.
The 2010 season promises to be full of incident with a new system of compulsory pit stops, driver changes and time penalties, all making an exciting spectacle.
Ones to watch are the low, sleek Morgan V8’s of GT driver Oliver Bryant and Grahame Bryant, also the similar car of Phil Hollins. The monster 6 litre Chevrolet Camaro of Boysie and Arthur Thurtle is bound to be pushing at the front and the MG BGT V8 of John Wilson is also one to watch.
Bob Searles teams up for another season with popular TV pundit, Tony Jardine in Bob’s white Aston Martin DBS V8.
There are several new comers on the grid this season and it will be interesting to see how the De Tomaso Pantera of Joe Jackson and Terry Gisbourne performs and also Neil Merry’s Corvette.
With close racing likely in the mildly modified classes for sports cars and classic saloons, the Heritage race should be a highlight of a fabulous weekend.
