The 2020 Silverstone Classic will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a ‘greatest hits’ showcase of retro races when its returns to the Silverstone circuit in England on 31 July – 2 August. Harking back to when Silverstone hosted the UK’s first-ever race meeting dedicated entirely to historic racing, no fewer than five of the grids for 2020 were actually featured on the original 1990 race card.
Thirty years ago the inaugural two-day festival presented a wide-ranging 12-race programme including showdowns for historic Grand Prix cars, 1950s Sports Cars, Historic Formula Junior, SuperSports as well as Round Four of the FIA European Challenge for Historical Touring Cars.
Saluting all five of those, the 2020 Silverstone Classic includes races for the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association for both front-engined and rear-engined GP cars from 1925 to 1966, the combined Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy and Stirling Moss Trophy fields of 1950s sports cars, Formula Junior, Thundersports and Under 2-Litre Touring Cars.
Many of the cars that made history when competing in 1990 such as Alfa Romeo GTAs, Jaguar D-types, Maserati 250Fs and mighty McLarens from the epic Can-Am era will all be back at Silverstone together with several of the drivers who contested the innovative trail-blazer in 1990. These are likely to include John Pearson (who raced a Cooper Jaguar in 1990), David Cottingham (Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta in 1990), Ian Nuthall (Cooper Bristol in 1990), Simon Hadfield (Ford Lotus Cortina in 1990) and Formula Junior doyen Duncan Rabagliati (Alexis HF1 in 1990).
“With three more decades to honour, plus a growing love for all things nostalgic, the historic racing scene has enjoyed incredible growth since Silverstone hosted its very first festival back in 1990; the core ingredients of great cars and sparkling action are still very much at the heart of the event,” said Nick Wigley, Silverstone Classic CEO.
“It was always our ambition to mark the 30th anniversary with a terrific feast of ‘greatest hits’ races, and to have both cars and stars from the original 1990 Classic back on the bill for 2020 will just further enhance the celebrations of what’s an important milestone in motor sport history,” continued Wigley.
For further information, visit SilverstoneClassic.com.
[Source: Silverstone Classic; photos: John Colley (top) and Alan Cox (bottom two)]
