Masters Historic Racing has pulled together a superb 36-car field of Historic Formula 1 cars to support this weekend’s US Grand Prix in Texas.

While Lewis Hamilton bids to seal his third World Championship title, Historic F1 joins the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup to provide the support action at the Circuit of the Americas.

The Circuit of the Americas is an impressive facility and is the only FIA grade one track in the USA. It is built in a 1500-acre complex sited around 15 miles from the centre of Austin in Texas.

The Formula 1 cars of the 1970s and early 1980s have plenty of track time, with two free practice sessions on Friday, qualifying on Saturday morning and a first race on Saturday afternoon. The second race is scheduled for 10.35am local time on Sunday before the main race starts at 2pm.

This is a race of two worlds as the leading Historic F1 racers from North America take on a gaggle of rapid European raiders. When the US contingent raced at Laguna Seca in August, Texan Charles Nearburg set the pace in his ex-Alan Jones Williams FW07. He’ll be rather determined to win again in his own backyard this weekend. Set to rival Nearburg from the home pack will be Erich Joiner (ex-Rosberg Williams FW08C), super-experienced Duncan Dayton (ex-Andretti Lotus 79) and Bud Moeller in the stunning Ferrari 312 T5.

Included in the field are some cars rarely seen outside the US including the BRM P207 of Brian Blain, the Parnelli VPJ-4 of John McKenna, the McLaren M30 of Sean Allen and the Wolf WR6 of Martin Lauber.

Leading the European challenge will be Goodwood star Nick Padmore, who recently took one of the two FIA Masters Historic F1 titles in Europe in Max Smith-Hilliard’s Lotus 77. For the Texas races Padmore steps up to a state-of-the-art Williams FW07C and that’s just the sort of car to allow the understated Englishman a shot at victory.

Former FIA Historic F1 champion Greg Thornton continues his trans-Atlantic season in his Lotus 91, which has spent the season in North America, while Andrew Beaumont fields his Lotus 76. Team mates Tommy Dreelan (Williams FW08) and Aaron Scott (March 761) are strong contenders in the team set up by Aberdeen-based Irishman Dreelan, while Masters founder Ron Maydon runs the unique Amon F101.

It is a fantastic entry for such a high-profile event and the Historic F1 cars will deliver a living example of how Grand Prix racing was more than 30 years ago.