Pace notes -- your guide to what's coming up...
Jewels back in the Emerald Isle — Tourist Trophy Celebration June 18
The 50th anniversary of the last Tourist Trophy race on the Dundrod road circuit in Northern Ireland will be celebrated by the running of a pursuit sprint on the full seven-mile course on Saturday June 18.
Although long deemed unsafe for car racing, the roads will be closed once more as a field of around 50 pre-1955 sportscars go into action on a course covering three laps of the challenging circuit around the village of Dundrod.
The Ulster Automobile Club will present the winner with the famous Ulster Trophy, which can name Farina and Taruffi among former winners (see feature on p72). A clash with the Le Mans Legends race has cost the organisers some potential entries, but the field includes Jose Albuquerque in the Maserati 300S in which Luigi Musso finished fifth at Dundrod in the final race held there in 1955.
Other notable entries are Nigel Corner’s D-type Jaguar which was raced by Jim Clark and Archie Scott Brown, Spike Milligan’s HWM-Jag and the HVVM-Chevy of Simon Taylor. Former MSA boss John Quenby will field his Cooper Bobtail, while George Cooper’s similar machine is believed to have raced at Dundrod as a works car.
After scrutineering and a civic reception, familiarisation laps on Friday afternoon will be conducted from a bus, with John Watson acting as a guide for the competitors.
The roads will be closed for the competition from 8am on Saturday. Each competitor will have two timed runs during the afternoon, each over three laps. Cars will run in classes and start at 20-second intervals.
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Herbert joins Moss and Hill in France — Le Mans Legends June 18
Sir Stirling Moss, Johnny Herbert and Phil Hill are among the leading names in a capacity entry for the Le Mans Legends race, which will run on Saturday morning ahead of the start of the 24-hour race on June 18.
More than 60 cars spanning the race’s 1935-55 period will compete over an hour. Among them are the 1953-winning Jaguar C-type entered by Adrian Hamilton. Moss will share the C-type of Nigel Webb, while Herbert will pilot one of five D-types in the field.
Three-time Le Mans winner Hill will be aboard the Alfa Romeo 3000CM that Juan Manuel Fangio raced in the 24 Hours in 1953. Although the car’s engine failed in the race, it was later given to General Perón, the President of Argentina.
Barrie Williams and John Harper (D-type) are likely to be pacesetters, while Rick and Rob Hall will race the Ferrari 750 Monza that starred at the Stoneleigh show, fresh from being restored. The ex-Mille Miglia car will take part in what is believed to be its first race since 1957.
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Vintage racers head back up M6 — VSCC Oulton Park May 28
After a gap of seven years, the Vintage Sports Car Club is returning to Oulton Park to run the Boulogne and Hawthorn Trophies race meeting at the Cheshire track on Saturday May 28.
The trio of Mike Hawthorn trophies will headline the racing, which uses the full International circuit. Pre-61 front-engined Formula One and Two cars will fight out the Hawthorn Memorial, while the Hawthorn Spanish Trophy is up for grabs in a contest for pre-52 racing cars, and 1950s sports-racing cars will battle for the Hawthorn International Trophy.
Other headline races amid a 10-race programme include the Boulogne Trophy for vintage racing cars and an HGPCA pre-66 Grand Prix Car race.
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Race Programme — check out where the action is…
May:
When & where: 27-29, Monza (I)
What: Coppa lntereuropa, including TGP Group C/GTP and Supersports
Contact: www.monzanet.it
When & where: 28, Oulton Park
What: The VSCC Hawthorn Trophies meeting, including HGPCA races. Admission: £15
Contact: Tel: 01829 760301; www.motorsportvision.co.uk
June:
When & where: 4, Mid Wales
What: Mutiny Historic Rally, round four of the British Historic Rally Championship
Contact: www.mutinyrally.com
When & where: 10-12, Zandvoort (NL)
What: Thoroughbred GP Cars
Contact: www.tgpfl.com
When & where: 12, Silverstone
What: BRDC Historic Sportscars, Classic F3 and 40 years of Clubmans racing. Admission: £10
Contact: Tel: 01327 857271; www.brdc.co.uk
When & where: 12, Cadwell Park
What: VSCC race meeting. Admission: £12:
Contact: Tel: 01507 343248: www.motorsportvision.co.uk
When & where: 17/18 Le Mans (F)
What: Le Mans Legends race
Contact: www.motorracinglegends.com
When & where: 18, Dundrod, Northern Ireland
What: Pursuit sprint celebrating the 50th anniversary of the last TT at Dundrod
Contact: www.dundrodtt.com
When & where: 24-26, Goodwood
What: Festival of Speed. Admission: By advance ticket only
Contact: www.goodwood.co.uk
When & where: 25/26, Dijon (F)
What: Grand Prix de l’Aged’Or, including HGPCA. GP Masters, Historic F2, Top Hat and Gentleman Drivers
Contact. (33) 80 35 32 22
When & where: 25/26, Nürburgring (D)
What: Jan Wellem Pokal, including Supersports and Group C/GTP
Contact: www.nuerburgring.de
When & where: 25/26, Mid Wales
What: British Historic Rally Championship
Contact: www.newtown-mc.co.uk
When & where: 26, Cadwell Park
What: HSCC race meeting. Admission: £12
Contact: Tel: 01507343248: www.motorsportvision.co.uk