Masters Historic Racing released its 2011 schedule with new events and circuits on the calendar. Joining the established Brands Hatch Festival as Masters self-managed weekend dates, will be the new Catalan Classic Revival at the Barcelona GP circuit, the September Donington Festival and the Gran Premio Historico Porto on the famous Boavista circuit.
The Masters Historic Racing season will kick off on April 8-10 at Barcelona before moving to the UK for the annual Brands Hatch Masters Historic Festival on May 28-30.
The next stop is the exciting new Gran Premio Historic Porto where Masters will take five grids to the revamped, widened and improved street circuit on June 17-19. A month later, Masters will provide grids at the Silverstone Classic (July 22-24), while the Oldtimer at the Nurburgring will echo to the sound of several Masters’ grids on August 12-14.
After the success of Masters being chosen to re-open Donington Park in 2010, Masters Historic Racing will return in 2011 with its own Festival on September 2-4, while the Spa 6 Hours event on September 23-25 will once again prove to be the busiest events on the historic calendar – last season, across its 4 Spa September Masters races, the group produced 230 starters, more Masters racers than ever before – over 330 drivers – racing in Formula One, sports car, GT and touring cars.
A busy UK calendar of Top Hat events will kick off with a new venue as Masters Historic Racing makes its Oulton Park debut on March 12th where the regular Top Hat grids will be joined by World Sportscar Masters and Gentlemen Drivers racers. Snetterton will pay host to Top Hat on April 23rd and the brands Hatch Indy circuit hosts Top Hat on May 28th. The traditional Mallory Park date moves to August 7th where there will be a Formula Ford 1600 presence while Top Hat competitors will be catered for in the Donington Masters Festival on September 2nd – 4th and at Spa on September 23rd-25th.
“This is our best ever calendar of racing,” says Masters Event Manager, Rachel Bailey. “We are delighted to have the appointment as organizers and managers of the much revamped and widened Gran Premio Historico de Porto, as well as by the chance to start our season on a modern Formula 1 circuit in Barcelona, which is a real highlight. We always seek to offer our members a broad choice of circuits at which to race, as well as catering for those in Europe who can’t keep travelling to the UK for their racing. We have some tremendous venues for 2011 and look forward to some great racing, too.”
For more information, visit www.themastersseries.com.
Masters Historic Racing Series Schedule 2011
Feb 18/19 – Goodwood Track Days
Mar 12 – Oulton Park (to include WSM, Gent Drivers & Top Hat grids)
April 8/10 – Barcelona GP circuit
April 23 – Snetterton
May 28 – Brands Indy
May 29/30 – Brands Hatch GP, UK
June 17/19 – Porto, Portugal
July 22/24 – Silverstone Classic, UK
August 7 – Mallory Park
August 12/14 – Oldtimer GP, Nurburgring
Sept 2/4 – Donington Park, UK
Sept 23/25 – Spa, Belgium
[Source: Masters Historic Racing; photo credit: Jurrie Vanhalle]
