The Silverstone Classic
Rare, priceless, vintage and fast? It will be racing at the Silverstone Classic!
One of the most valuable and exciting grids in historic racing, with over £50m worth of vintage sports cars and GT prototypes, will go head-to-head in the Silverstone Classic’s new pre-1963 sportscar race over the weekend of 24-26 July
A rare cluster of SWB (Short Wheel Base) Ferraris, a model which can be valued at as much as 3m Euros, will take their place on the grid, the highest number since the last recorded American event in 1962, according to SCCA (Sports Car Club of America). They include a one-off model, Chassis 2819, aka the ‘Breadvan’. The unique SWB 250 GT Ferrari-based prototype owes its nickname to the peculiar truncated rear which makes the racecar look like a breadvan, or worse: Fiat’s supremo Giovanni Agnelli once borrowed the Ferrari and had his butler paint it a funereal black as a joke because he thought it looked like a hearse.
“This is a new race at the Silverstone Classic, designed specifically to provide a level playing field for these original sportscars rather than including them in a grid populated with later models,” says Ken Prichard Jones, Director of Racing at Silverstone Limited. “It is all too easy to overlook the intrinsic value of these racers when they are entered so enthusiastically and driven competitively with a determination to win: Silverstone Classic is nail-biting, authentic historic racing, guaranteed to draw gasps from the audience!”
The Silverstone Classic takes place from 24 to 26 July 2009, featuring the world’s iconic racing cars and marques. Grids celebrating over ninety years of racing, include pre-war sports cars, Grand Prix race cars, Group C Le Mans racers, pre-’63 GT and sports cars, alongside other crowd favourites such as Mini racing, touring cars and Formula Junior. Both young and seasoned racers, as well as celebrities and racing heroes, will take to the track for three days of atmospheric and thrilling on-track action. The Silverstone Classic will host over 20 races, more than 80 car clubs, 4000 cars on display, 700 cars and 900 drivers, automobilia sales and Bonhams’ classic car auction, with further entertainment provided by Harley-Davidson® stunt bikes and drag racing. Alongside the racing, free live entertainment throughout the day, including a Saturday evening concert by Carlos Santana, will add an additional soundtrack to that of historic engines. History also features in the aerobatic display and Victorian fun fair, making the Silverstone Classic both an extraordinary event for classic car and racing enthusiasts, and a unique outing for the family.
Racing at Silverstone Ltd is the licence holder until 2017 of the Silverstone Classic.
Ticket sales and full information at www.silverstoneclassic.com