The Donington Historic Festival had some fabulous cars racing hard throughout the weekend, not least Andrew Bentley racing a glorious TWR Jaguar XJR8. Andrew talks to Joe Bradley about hustling the big V12 beast round the confines of Donington Park to take a well-deserved win. Paul Jurd takes an in depth look at those dark days just before WW2 when Hitler’s Mercedes and Auto Union teams arrived at Donington Park to steamroller the comparatively puny English contingent and Peter Snowdon talks about the modern-day Donington Park.
Historic Racing News
The pale green cars of the British Racing Partnership were a strong force in 1960s F1. Formed by Alfred Moss and Ken Gregory to contest the then-new 1.5 litre F1 they were the first team to bring non-trade sponsorship to F1. We review Ian Wagstaff’s new book about the team’s highs and lows and talk about the mark it left on motorsport. Nick Padmore talks about his busy Goodwood Members Meeting where he drove four cars, and gives us a sneak preview of his Monaco Historique drives. Peter Snowdon takes a look at the way the Monaco Grand Prix circuit has changed over the years and in Corridors of Power, Joe Bradley, Peter Snowdon and Paul Jurd discuss ‘Race series which should never have died out …. and we want to bring back’
Historic racing isn’t just about old cars. Many of those battling it out on the race tracks of the world are new cars which just LOOK like old ones! The HRN team debate just whether tribute cars, facsimile racers and just plain old fakes have a place in modern motor racing. Paul Jurd, Jim Roller, Peter Snowdon and Paul Tarsey are helped along this tortuous path by Julius Thurgood, who runs the Historic Racing Drivers Club and, for a USA perspective, Kevin Jeanette from Gunnar Racing, who has built and rebuilt several tribute cars in his time, as well as being one of the foremost restorers of the real thing too.
Goodwood’s season kicks off with the Members Meeting and the team takes a look at the circuit’s history. Jim Roller, Peter Snowdon and Paul Jurd discuss ‘Best Team Mates’, plus Philip Porter’s new book Drivers of Drivers, and a look ahead to some of the events happening in April.
Remembering those daredevil individuals who broke the record at speeds that were almost inconceivable at the time. Paul Tarsey talks to Don Wales about what made his grandfather, Sir Malcolm Campbell, push for ever more dangerous speeds and Danny Thompson, son of famous American record breaker Mickey Thompson, tells Jim Roller about that mysterious need for speed which drives record breakers to push newer and higher boundaries. Joe Bradley takes a look at the world’s fastest karts, whilst also confessing that he doesn’t understand the attraction of driving fast in a straight line. Don Wales also tells us about his uncle, Donald Campbell, and how he always asked (after almost every record run) whether his father would have been pleased, living in his shadow for all of his life. Paul Jurd fills the gaps with a history of the LSR from the late 1800s (when there was a fear that your head would be blown off at anything over 30mph!) right up to the present day. Host Paul Tarsey wonders why the LSR lost its allure in the 1970s and whether the (literally in some cases) do-or-die mindset simply went out of fashion.
Jim Roller introduces a feature length interview with Vic Elford.
Bill Warner, founder of The Amelia concours, talks to Paul Jurd and Joe Bradley about the legendary Lola T70 in all its forms, from the chunky CanAm cars to the later, swoopy Mark 3. Paul Tarsey fights another losing battle with the latest edition of Corridors of Power, where the contestants put forward their nominations for ‘Unlikely Sponsors’. And Peter Snowdon continues his trip round the race tracks he has driven, settling this time on the beautiful parkland of Oulton Park.
Lynx D Types are famous the world over for their build quality. Paul Tarsey speak to John Mayston Taylor about the joys and the challenges of running the company. He shares his thoughts about Lynx D Types selling for the sort of prices which original Jaguar versions were selling for a few years ago. Nick Padmore, one of the world’s most successful drivers of historic cars, talks about that amazing 120 mph lap from a standing start in the Arrows A10 at Goodwood’s Speedweek and also tells us what it’s like to drive a Williams FW07 Formula One car round Spa. And Joe Bradley was as shocked as everyone else when he attended a Daytona Media Conference to be told that IMSA had acquired Historic Sportscar Racing in the USA. Joe shares his thoughts about what this might mean for the historic and vintage race scene in the USA.
Peter Snowdon tells the story of his home track of Thruxton, from its role in the D Day landing right up to the present day. Paul Jurd and Paul Tarsey talk about the new book by Denis Jenkinson and Cyril Posthumous, re-worked by Doug Nye all about the Vanwall marque which upheld British honour in Grand Prix racing in the 1950s, and the challenge laid down to the team of Joe Bradley, Jim Roller and Peter Snowdon is ‘Perfect Dinner Party Guests’ but the difficult bit is …. no drivers are allowed! Some interesting choices from the worlds of car design, circuits, manufacturers and a few surprises.
What does 2022 have in store for the historic racing enthusiast? Rachel Bailey reveals the plans Masters Historic Racing have on both sides of the Atlantic and Sportscar Vintage Racing Association’s Tony Parella unveils SVRA’s plans in the U.S. Staying Stateside, David Hinton from HSR talks to Jim Roller about Daytona, Sebring and the rest of a packed calendar and Duncan Wiltshire from Motor Racing Legends explains a very full programme plus their plans for the Donington Historic Festival. HRDC’s Julius Thurgood also sets out the calendar for the Historic Racing Drivers Club