The Silverstone Classic 2009 weekend
Record attendance figures for the biggest historic motor racing event in the UK have been confirmed: over 65,000 visitors flocked to the Silverstone Classic 2009, is the highest number recorded since the event’s inception five years ago, and a 15% increase over last year.
With sunny weather, the weekend of 24 to 26 July was packed with on-track action: more than 600 cars and 900 drivers took part in 21 races, One of the new attractions for this year’s Silverstone classic is the race for Pre 1963 GT Cars. The race was created to encourage some of the earlier and most original cars onto the track, and the response from car owners was magnificent.
With six Ferrari 250 ranging from GTOs to SWB on the entry list, Pre-1963 GT racing class was a fan favourite at the 2009 Silverstone Classic The race celebrated the era when GT cars were designed to be enjoyed on the road and raced on the track.
Max Werner took top honors in the Stirling Moss Trophy Race in his famed Ferrari 250 GT SWB ‘Breadvan,’ starting on pole and setting fastest lap on the way to a comfortable win over a bevy of SWB Ferraris and the Graham/Attwood Aston Martin DB4 GT.
Stirling Moss Trophy Race for Pre-1963 GT Cars Results
1. Ferrari 250 SWB Breadvan, Max Werner CAR No 16
2. Ferrari 250 SWB Berlinetta, Reid/Devis CAR No 19
3. Aston Martin DB4 GT, Graham/Attwood CAR No 3
4. Ferrari 250 SWB Berlinetta, Vincent Gaye CAR No 15
5. Ferrari 250 SWB Berlinetta, Neumark/Franklin CAR No 18
In a weekend of stand-out races the pair of contests for pre, 66 Grand prix cars was a magnificent highlight with a capacity grid of formula 1 and formula 2 cars from the 1950s and early 1960s, a great highlight was the stunning 1960 Ferrari 246 dino currently owned and raced by Tony Smith, chassis No:0007 won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in 1960 driven by Phil Hill and has competed in virtually all GPs of that year with Phil Hill V12 Testa Rossa engine fitted at the factory in 1960. Tested at Modena by W von Tripps. Then sent to New Zealand in 1961 and won the New Zealand Gold Star. Chassis 0007 is perhaps the single most impressive car on the grid the dino represents the last front-engine car to win a Grand Prix and is beautifully presented by Tony Smith’s crew
The Historic Grand Prix Car Association does a wonderful job of promoting racing for these magnificent pieces of art.
Nearly a century of racing’s finest provided plenty of adrenaline-fuelled action: from rare Heskeths battling for the trophy in the Grand Prix Masters race, to the unique short-wheel-base Ferrari GT ‘Breadvan’, winner of the pre-’63 GT race
There were plenty of VIP,S To been seen,
Chris Rea the singer-songwriter from Middlesbrough recognisable for his distinctive , raspy voice, and who has sold over 30 million albums worldwide an well known Ferrari lover. Such is his passion for cars that he indeed wrote the screenplay for La Passione about a boy’s obsession for the Ferrari marque. He even reconstructed a legendary Ferrari 156 shark-nose F1 car for the film. Chris was racing in the woodcote tropyhy in his wonderful 1955 Lotus MK6
The provisional dates for the next Silverstone Classic weekend are 23 to 25 July 2010 roll on next year.
