Silverstone next for Heritage GT racers

10 August 2008

Competitors in the 2008 Charterhouse Heritage Grand Touring Car Challenge are back at Silverstone next weekend (16/17 August) for the 10th and 11th races of the season. The HGT races will be prime support races to the British F3 and British GT Championship.

The Heritage GT series of races for period machinery is a popular part of the British motor racing scene, with cars ranging from Mini Coopers to Ford Mustangs and from Jaguar E Types to Chevrolet Camaros and Aston Martin V8s.

The battle for overall glory could be a straight fight between the very potent Sunbeam Tiger of Jackie Cochrane/Stephen Colbert and the equally rapid Morgan Plus 8 of Grahame and Oliver Bryant. Both cars have won Heritage GT races already this season and both driver line-ups combine age and experience with blinding youthful pace.

Lining up to take the fight to the Tiger and the Morgan will be the thundering Chevrolet Camaro of father and son team Arthur and Boysie Thurtle. They've also had a win at Silverstone this season and will be keen to bounce back after being sidelined by engine dramas last time out at Snetterton.

Other leading runners in class D will include Chris Scragg (Aston Martin V8), Robin and Zoe North (Ford Mustang) and the Chevrolet Camaro of Alec Hammond/Graham Hathaway. Add in more rapid Aston Martins for Bob Searles/Tony Jardine and George Miller/Les Goble, and the stage is set for some tremendous race action. A dark horse in class D is a second Sunbeam Tiger, making its 2008 debut in the hands of Peter and Nathan Dod. Its progress will be watched with great interest!

In class C, for the less modified six and eight-cylinder cars, the Porsche 911RS of Andrew Chalmers/Colin Davids is a leading contender along with Andrew Knight (Ford Mustang) and the spectacular 4.5-litre Triumph TR7V8 of David Falkingham.

At least three beautiful Aston Martin DB4s will contest their own class and there could be little to split the cars of Steven Byrne/Peter Snowdon, Conor O'Brien/Charlie Kemp and Nicholas King, who will share his DB4 with former BTCC racer Phil Bennett.

Class B includes the splendid Daimler SP250 of Piers Townsend and Chris Conoley, while in class A the Ford Cortina of Kate Bennington takes on the BMW 2002 of Bob Godbold/Anthony Matthews and the rapid Mini Cooper S of Harvey and Clive Death.

Finally, some very spectacular cars like up in the invitation class, notably the mighty 6.3-litre Aston Martin DBS V8 of Andy Jenkinson/John Young and the 4.5-litre Ford Escort of father and son Steve and Jonny Hyde.

<< back to article list