• Categories
    • Car Racing
    • Featured Articles
    • Motor Shows & Car Events
    • History of Cars
    • Automotive Photography
    • Behind the Scenes
    • #MiniSeries
    • Travel
    • Review Books
    • Review Cars
    • Review Products
  • Porsche Only
    • Engine downsizing at Porsche racing
    • PORSCHE 911 RSR – MARCH OF PROGRESS
    • Porsche 919 Hybrid – Technological Advantage
    • Déjà Vu of Porsche 911 2.4 S – Part 2
  • Book Shop
    • AC-Shelby Cobra
    • Ferrari 250 GTO: Owners’ Workshop Manual
    • Ferrari Design: The Definitive Study
    • Jaguar E-type: Portrait of a Design Icon
    • Porsche 956 962: A Photographic History
    • Porsche 911 Carrera RS interactive eBook
    • Porsche 911 Scrapbook: The Air-Cooled Cars
    • Porsche 917: The Complete Photographic History
    • Porsche 924/928/944/968
    • Porsche at Le Mans
    • Porsche: The Carrera Dynasty
  • About
  • Contributors
    • Alisdair Cusick
    • Annie Proffit
    • Elke Smale
    • Glen Smale
    • John Mountney
    • Pim van der Veer
    • Roland Harrison
    • Zoltan Papp
  • Contact

Virtual Motorpix

Blog site for Virtual Motorpix with interesting articles on racing, motor sports and cars

Silverstone Classic 2016

July 29, 2016 by: Virtual Motorpix | 2 Comments

Morgan Sports Car Club at the Silverstone Classic 24/25 July 2015
Morgan Sports Car Club at the Silverstone Classic 24/25 July 2015

The Silverstone Classic is the biggest historic motor racing spectacle in the world! From 29-31 July, Silverstone in Northamptonshire will see more than 1000 race cars covering seventeen classes from across the decades descend on the circuit. The event celebrated its jubilee last year when more than 100,000 visitors spilled into the circuit over the weekend to enjoy the racing as well as the off-track entertainment, making it a real family outing.

sFreddie Hunt previews the James Hunt celebration at 2016's Silverstone Classic 2
Freddie Hunt previews the James Hunt celebration at this year’s Silverstone Classic Media Day on 27 April 2016

Freddie Hunt will be one of the star attractions, as the 2016 Silverstone Classic prepares to mark the 40th anniversary of his father James Hunt’s Formula 1 World Championship crown. For the first time at the Silverstone Classic, there will be four separate touring car grids – the JET Super Touring Car Trophy (1990-2000), Historic Touring Car Challenge (1967-1989), Big-Engined Touring Cars (Pre ’66) and Under 2-Litre Touring Cars (Pre ’66) – bringing together more than 200 of the nation’s best-loved cars.

#7 Rover SD1, 3532cc, 1984, Historic Touring Car Challenge
#7 Rover SD1, 3532cc, 1984, Historic Touring Car Challenge
#63 Saleen S7, driver/owner Florent Moulin, '90s GT Legends Race, at the Silverstone Classic 2015
#63 Saleen S7, driver/owner Florent Moulin, ’90s GT Legends Race, at the Silverstone Classic 2015

In addition to the Group C twilight race, FIA Masters Historic Formula One, Legends of Modern Formula One and Stirling Moss Trophy amongst many others, the new Can-Am 50 Interserie Challenge will stage its season finale at the Classic. These extreme machines will provide an awesome soundtrack to the event as they celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2016. Two- and three-wheeled racing fans are also catered for this year, as this summer’s Silverstone Classic will include World GP Bike Legends and the Sidecar Salute, with 1987 500cc World Champion Wayne Gardner and ten-time FIM Sidecar World Champion Steve Webster.

#71 Courage Porsche C26 S at the Silverstone Classic Media Day on 27 April 2016
#71 Courage Porsche C26 S at the Silverstone Classic Media Day on 27 April 2016
#66 Lola T70 at the Silverstone Classic Media Day on 27 April 2016
#66 Lola T70 at the Silverstone Classic Media Day on 27 April 2016

The promo material bills it as ‘The sound of rolling thunder!’ and ‘No limits and virtually no rules!’ which is just about as good a description as any for the snarling field of fire-breathers that are the Can-Am cars. This series, a race series for Group 7 sports racers, which was run in both Canada and America, started life in 1966 bringing together the bravest of drivers with the lightest weight cars with unbelievable power. The regulations were absolutely minimal and permitted unlimited engine sizes (with turbocharging and supercharging), and virtually unrestricted aerodynamics. The cars obviously had to meet certain safety standards, have two seats, and bodywork enclosing the wheels. This resulted in some of the most outrageous cars with well over 1000 horsepower, huge wings, active downforce, very light weight and unheard of speeds and noise, making the whole spectacle extremely popular. The Can-Am spirit has been kept alive recently in Europe with The Canadian American Challenge Cup, and the first running in 2016 was at the Hockenheim Historic meeting in April. The series has also been run at two UK circuits this year, with the final round of the Can-Am 50 Interserie Challenge Trophy being run in a special double-header at Silverstone over the weekend of the Classic.

Can-Am racers in the paddock on the Silverstone media day 2016
Can-Am racers in the paddock on the Silverstone media day 2016

Porsche will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 924 transaxle model which was launched at La Grande-Motte in the beautiful south of France in 1976. By the time the last of the four transaxle models (including: 924, 928, 944 and 968) ceased production, more than 400,000 units had been produced. I have just recently published a book on the transaxle models, to purchase your copy, click on the book cover.

s2015 HR Porsche 924-928-944-968 JACKET

The wide range of activities will include live music concerts from chart-toppers The Boomtown Rats, The Stranglers and Reef. There will be more than 120 car clubs exhibiting over 10,000 classic cars from across the decades, Silverstone Auctions, aviation displays, a live Range Rover restoration with new event partner eBay and – for the first time – a Concours d’Elegance. In a special feature to commemorate England’s victory over Germany in the 1966 Football World Cup Final, a car football match with the Classic’s official courtesy car partner SsangYong UK will be held exactly 50 years to the day on Saturday, 30 July.

Lancia Delta HF Integrale at Silverstone Classic 21/22 July 2012
Lancia Delta HF Integrale at Silverstone Classic 21/22 July 2012
#27, Nissan R90 (1992), Gareth Evans (GB) and Rob Berridge (GB), Group C. 25.07.2015. Silverstone, England, U.K. Silverstone Classic 2015.
#27, Nissan R90 (1992), Gareth Evans (GB) and Rob Berridge (GB), Group C. 25.07.2015. Silverstone, England, U.K. Silverstone Classic 2015.

The Silverstone Classic starts today, 29 July, and runs through until Sunday 31 July. All tickets must be purchased in advance and further details can be found on the official website:  www.silverstoneclassic.com

Written by: Glen Smale
Photos: as credited to each photographer

For more photographs of previous Silverstone Classic events, check out our website: www.virtualmotorpix.com

Save article as PDF
Share this:

Categories: Automotive Photography, Car Racing, Featured Articles Tags: Can-Am, Classic, Formula 1, Freddie Hunt, Lola, Motorsport, Porsche, Silverstone

Comments

  1. Woody says

    August 1, 2016 at 1:21 am

    Looks like a great time, do these cars actually participate in a race or do they just cruise around the track?

  2. virtualmotorpix says

    August 2, 2016 at 7:01 pm

    The 90s Endurance Legends was just a demonstration run only, and the Ferraris did not race as such at the Classic. But in all the other races it was real doorhandle to doorhandle action which is very much racing as it was in its day. You should go one day.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Top quality commentary and photography on cars, motoring and motorsport across the ages.

Advertisement

Connect with us

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

E-mail Subscription

Please complete the form below if you would like to receive e-mail updates of new posts from Virtual Motorpix Blog.

Recent Articles

  • Toyota Gazoo Racing – 2017 WEC Plans
  • FCA (Fiat Chrysler Alfa) Driving Event Cardiff
  • Fiat 124 Sport Spider
  • Fiat 500
  • Jaguar E-type Restoration – Part 2
  • Cobra-Ferrari Wars 1963-1965
All Tags ››

Archives

Our other websites

Join us on Facebook

Please share our website

Follow us on Twitter

Tweets by Virtual Motorpix Blog

Contact us

We welcome your questions, comments and feedback. Please click here to contact us.

Connect with us

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 Virtual Motorpix. All Rights Reserved.

 

Loading Comments...