SILVERSTONE BACK ON HISTORIC MAP

Silverstone back on historic map

While the F1 teams haggle over the British GP’s future, our premier track puts its historic racing house in order The British Racing Drivers’ Club has thrown its weight behind the relaunching of an annual Silverstone international historic festival. Planned for June 4-5, next year’s

event will replace the Silverstone Tribute one-off meeting of 2004. “We are committed to establishing the festival as a flagship event on both the international calendar and Silverstone’s calendar,” said Ray Bellm, the BRDC chairman. Although no details of its race content are yet

available, a number of major panEuropean historic series and championships are likely to be invited. Single-seaters and sports/GT cars from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s are at the top of the organisers’ wish-list.

Not since 2001 has Silverstone’s Historic Grand Prix circuit been used for such a big event. Prior to that, it had run under various titles for over a decade. Since then the changes in circuit management have led to the event’s demise. But now that the BRDC has retaken operational control of

the circuit, it has moved to confirm a major historic festival for 2005 and beyond.

The HSCC has been appointed to oversee the logistics. It ran the 2004 Tribute event, but the new Festival is expected to feature more off-track attractions, including an air display and hot-air balloon meet.

The new event will headline the BRDC’s race programme for 2005, which will also include the hugely successful Walter Hayes Trophy meeting in November and a new date on the GP circuit in April.