In brief, November 2008

* Event organiser Fred Gallagher has pledged to continue building Tour Britannia in 2009 and is considering a route taking in new venues for the fifth running of the race and rally tour. “We’re delighted with the reactions from competitors,” said Gallagher. “People would like a bit of variety so we are seeking a new headquarters.”

* The Golden Jubilee Celebrations for Formula Junior have now involved over 250 drivers across three continents following races in New Zealand, Australia, Britain, Italy and most recently North America. The final celebration races will be held in South Africa early in 2009.

* To mark the 50th anniversary of the British Touring Car Championship, former racers in period cars took part in a demo run during the Silverstone meeting in August. They included Jackie Oliver (Ford Mustang), Roy Pierpoint (Ford Falcon), Gordon Spice (Ford Capri) and Chris Craft (Ford Escort).

* The Rally Show at Chatsworth will run on June 6/7 in 2009, when cars from all eras will tackle special stages within the grounds of Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. More historic rally cars are expected to compete.

* Ivan Dutton has launched ‘Ivan Dutton 911’ in response to a growing demand for the proven historic racers. “911 competitors are well served by specialists for historic rallying,” he said, “but I want to develop class-winning racers for endurance events.” For details call 01844 339665.

* The life of Bruce McLaren will be celebrated in his native New Zealand in early 2010 with race meetings at the Hampton Downs and Pukekohe circuits. The Bruce McLaren Festival will form part of the Tasman Revival events and will feature F1, F5000 and FJ cars.

* The sole McLaren M25 Formula 5000 car raced for only the third time in F5000 spec when owner Abba Kogan contested the Derek Bell Trophy race at the Oulton Park Gold Cup meeting. Restored to 1976 Chevrolet 5-litre trim, the car forms part of Kogan’s collection.