In brief, April 2008

* Two sections of the Isle of Man’s TT course will feature in the 2008 Manx Classic, where a range of classic cars will compete in three hillclimbs on closed public roads. The April 17-19 event starts in Douglas with a blast up Bray Hill, running against the normal TT route. The action then moves to Sloc hill near Port Erin, with the third event at Lhergy Frissell, a section of the course climbing out of Ramsey and onto the mountain course.

* A display of historic and racing Austin Healey Sprites and MG Midgets will be staged to mark the 50th anniversary of the ‘Spridget’ at the Heritage Motor Centre, in Gaydon, on May 24. The organisers hope to attract 1000 examples of the model that was first launched in 1958.

* Michèle Mouton and Fabrizia Pons will contest the Otago Classic Rally on New Zealand’s South Island on May 10/11. Mouton will drive a Ford Escort RS1800 for the Rossendale Team and will be joined in the squad’s Porsche 911 by former Finnish champion Pasi Hagström.

* To mark the 20th running of the Classic Marathon, the 2008 event will feature a route based on the inaugural 1988 rally. The June event will start from Ypres in Belgium and finish at Cortina in Italy, taking in the Stelvio Pass’s 48 hairpin bends.

* Jackie Stewart and his late brother Jimmy will be honoured during the third annual Classic SpeedFair at Knockhill, which moves to a date of June 7/8 and has Event Scotland backing. The JYS Trophy will go to the winner of the Formula Ford 1600 knock-out event, while a new Jimmy Stewart Trophy will be presented to the winner of the Classic Sports/Saloon race.

* Hans Stuck Jr, the Volkswagen Audi Group’s new motor sport consultant, will race an Auto Union Silver Arrow at this year’s Grand Prix de Monaco Historique in the pre-1947 single-seater class on May 9-11.