Historic racing news

Jarier back in Shadow
French star to be reunited with 1975 F1 car | by Paul Lawrence

More than 40 years after he put the car on pole position for the 1975 Argentine Grand Prix, Jean-Pierre Jarier will be reunited with Shadow DN5 chassis 1A for demonstration runs at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting on March 21/22.

The 1973 European F2 champion, now 68, will drive one of more than 25 early 1970s Grand Prix cars. Jarier contested 143 Grands Prix in a 12-year F1 career. Now restored, the UOP-liveried car is part of a tribute celebrating ‘high airbox’ Grand Prix cars.

The first DN5 failed to start in Argentina after suffering transmission failure on the warm-up lap. Jarier took the car to fourth in the Spanish GP at Montjuich Park, but it was then badly damaged at Monaco.

Meanwhile, more former Grand Prix drivers will contest the Gerry Marshall Trophy for pre-1983 Group 1 touring cars, with Jochen Mass, Emanuele Pirro and Tiff Needell prominent in a star-studded entry.

Five-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Pirro will drive Philip Perryman’s UFO Jeans-liveried BMW 530i, Needell will once again race a Rover Vitesse in Daily Express colours and Mass will handle a similar car in Sanyo livery.

In the Graham Hill Trophy, reigning British GT champion Marco Attard will make his Goodwood debut and shares a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray with regular GT partner Alexander Sims, while former BTCC champion Tim Harvey will co-drive Shaun Lynn’s Bizzarrini.

The event will also mark the 20th anniversary of the McLaren F1 GTR, with high-speed demonstration runs for at least 15 of the iconic 1990s racers.

The ‘Beast’ returns

Although it missed a planned run at last year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, the restored 28-litre Fiat S76 – known as the ‘Beast of Turin’ – should be ready in time to perform at this year’s event.

Seven months after its scheduled return to action, the mighty speed-record car’s 28-litre engine was recently started by project chief Duncan Pittaway and his crew. The chain-driven car has not run for more than a century.

Pittaway brought the car back to the UK in 2003 and has spent more than a decade restoring it to 1911 specification. In period, the Fiat achieved 135mph.

Fresh variety at Classic

Three new sports car events will form part of the 22-race line-up at this year’s Silverstone Classic (July 24-26).

The Motor Racing Legends ‘Mad Jack’ race will switch from Donington Park to add pre-war sports cars to the Silverstone mix for the first time in six years. The race is named in honour of Richard ‘Mad Jack’ Shuttleworth, winner of the first Grand Prix held at Donington Park in 1935.

A grid featuring 8-litre Bentleys, Bugatti Type 35s and Alfa 8C Monzas is expected, according to race organiser Duncan Wiltshire. “There are some other really interesting cars out that we’re hoping to attract,” he said.

A pair of 20-minute ‘Battle of Britain’ races for British GT and saloon cars built between 1947 and 1965 will mark the 75th anniversary of the 1940 air battle and will be accompanied by air displays from World War II aircraft.

Also new on the schedule is a race for the HSCC’s Guards Trophy GT and Sports Racing Championship for pre-1966 GT cars and pre-1969 sports-racing cars.

Clubmans: 50 not out

The Clubmans Register is planning a special celebration this summer to mark the category’s 50th anniversary. A race weekend at Donington Park (June 6/7) will be at the core of celebrations for one of Britain’s longest-surviving racing formulae.

Created by Nick Syrett of the BRSCC in 1965, for front-engined sports cars in the style of the Lotus 7, Clubmans (below) has thrived ever since and helped shape the careers of drivers and designers including Patrick Head, Derek Bennett, Ben Bowlby, Max Mosley, Frank Sytner and Ray Mallock.

Chevron in Lola link-up

The team at Chevron Racing Cars is working with Lola Heritage to take on the role of providing parts, support and expertise for owners of historic Lolas.

Chevron partners Vin Malkie and Helen Bashford-Malkie will spearhead the new operation, which will support two of Britain’s finest racing marques with a clear distinction between Chevron and Lola. Martin Birrane will continue as custodian of the Lola name, trademarks and copyrights.

“This partnership will ensure that Lola customers the world over get totally authentic and detailed information and practical knowledge,” Birrane said. The deal includes the manufacture of parts for pre-1990 Lolas as well as the potential for official Lola continuation models.

More work at Brooklands

The Brooklands site in Surrey, home to the world’s first purpose-built racetrack, will undergo a major transformation after securing Heritage Lottery Funding worth almost £5 million.

The project, which also benefits from £2 million of funding from Brooklands, will include the restoration of the circuit’s finishing straight to its 1939 appearance. This will then be able to accommodate a wide range of motoring and motor sport activities.

The Wellington Hangar, built on top of the finishing straight in 1940, will be restored and moved to an adjacent site.

“The fund’s investment in this remarkable site will help the Brooklands Museum create a unique experience for visitors,” said Stuart McLeod of the HLF.

* The Vintage Sports Car Club will return to Oulton Park this summer after an absence of five years. The Hawthorn Memorial Trophies meeting takes place on Saturday July 18. It will include the Hawthorn Memorial Trophies for both pre- and post-war cars as well as a pre-war sports car relay race and an air display.

* Forty years after he won the first Wyedean Rally, Graham Elsmore returned to the sport to contest the 40th anniversary running of the annual special stage rally. Elsmore (63) and period co-driver Stuart Harrold drove a newly prepared historic specification Ford Escort Mk2 to finish inside the top 20.

* The biggest grid in the history of Donington Park is expected for the new Masters four-hour race on Saturday July 4. As many as 50 pre-1966 GT, GTP and Touring Cars will start the race, which runs into the dusk. “The initial response has been very encouraging,” said Ron Maydon from Masters Historic Racing.

* Tom Clarke, the oldest member of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, has died just short of his 104th birthday. Clarke, who was later Mayor of Bristol, twice finished eighth at Le Mans, first in 1935 in an Aston Martin Ulster and then again in 1950 in a pre-war Bentley. He raced 500cc F3 cars before retiring from the sport in the mid-1950s.