Silverstone Classic 2014 – Report and Photos

The Silverstone Classic 2014 was held 25-27 July at the historic 3.6 mile Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in Northamptonshire, England. The 24th annual vintage car races featured a field of more than 1100 classic race cars covering the full spectrum of motorsport greats.

The wonderful line-up of 24 grids at the 2014 Silverstone Classic showcased more than eight decades of mouth-watering motorsport history featuring the finest Formula 1, Le Mans, GT, single-seater, sports and touring cars from past generations. Three double-header showdowns for F1 machinery spanned from Talbot Lagos and ERAs of the Thirties to Tyrrells and Williams of the Eighties. In total more than 110 Grands Prix cars – all in their evocative original liveries – recreated their glory days.

Eye-catching fields of genuine sports cars also were out in force, many with capacity 58-car grids. In terms of pure speed, the Group C prototypes topped the bill and – as tradition dictates – raced into the Saturday evening sunset. Other sports car showdowns were packed with illustrious icons from earlier epochs – Jaguar C-types, D-types and E-types; Lola T70s; Ferrari LMs; Aston Martins DBRs, AC Cobras and a host of other famed racers.

Providing extra interest and intrigue were two new grids for 2014. The introduction of the Brian Henton Trophy for Classic Formula 3 drew a turnout of 44 entries from the feeder formula’s heydays in the Seventies and Eighties. The other major new addition to the colossal 2014 Silverstone Classic bill – 90s GT Legends – become an instant success, with a line-up including no fewer than six McLaren F1 GTRs and three Jaguar XJ220s. Most exciting of all though, was an official factory entry from Porsche. It brought its 1998 Le Mans-winning 911 GT1 to Silverstone for current works-driver Brendon Hartley to pilot. Although the 90s GT Legends wasn’t technically a race, they were unleashed for flat-out blasts around the full Grand Prix circuit on all three days.

The full Silverstone Grand Prix circuit also witnessed special parades celebrating Maserati’s centenary, 50 years of the Ford Mustang and Silverstone’s milestone 50th Grand Prix staged at the famous Northamptonshire venue earlier this month.

The event ended on a sad and somber note Sunday, as Denis Welch passed away from injuries suffered during an accident involving his Lotus 18. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Mr. Welch.

From Silverstone Classic:

It is with great regret that the organisers of the Silverstone Classic have to report that, following an accident in a race for HGPCA pre-66 Grand Prix Cars today, Sunday 27th July, the driver of car number 19, Denis Welch, succumbed to his injuries later in the circuit’s Medical Centre.

The event organisers, the race organisation, and the circuit’s medical and emergency services, will all now be co-operating with the Police and the MSA, the UK official motor sport governing body, to conduct a full investigation.

All those involved in the event offer sincere condolences to family and the friends of Denis Welch at this very sad time.

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Similar to 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, Senior Photographer Tim Scott also documented the 2014 Silverstone Classic, offering up a wonderful selection of 323 images that capture the “World’s Biggest Classic Motor Racing Festival”.

Silverstone Classic 2014 – Main Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)

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[Source: Silverstone Classic; photos: Tim Scott / Fluid Images]