The Silverstone Classic 2015 was held 24-26 July at the historic 3.6-mile Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in Northamptonshire, England. The three-day Festival welcomed its first-ever 100,000 strong crowd in 2015, in celebration of the 25th running of the “World’s Biggest Classic Motor Racing Festival” that featured a field of more than 1,000 classic race cars covering the full spectrum of motorsport greats.
“All in all it has been another fantastic weekend,” said Event Director Nick Wigley. “On the Silverstone Classic’s 25th birthday there was entertainment right the way from first lights-out to the final chequered flag, while a staggering 120 car clubs all joined in the fun. Come rain and shine the racing was superb, and enjoyed by a record-breaking crowd – the first time ever that we have passed through the 100,000 barrier – and we completed the full programme safely. For that, I must say a big ‘thank you’ to our brilliant marshals, who dealt with everything the British summer could throw at the circuit with stoicism and a smile. We’re already counting down the days to next year’s Classic!”
Silverstone is synonymous with Formula One, even hosting the very first round of the Formula 1 World Championship. So it’s no surprise that so much of this F1 history played a central role at the 2015 Silverstone Classic. This year’s line-up was the most comprehensive yet, ranging from 1938 Maserati 6CM to a Super Aguri as raced by Takuma Sato as recently as 2006.
A grid of more than 50 cars lined up for the Maserati Trophy for HGPCA Pre-1966 Grand Prix Cars on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. While Cooper-Bristols, Aston Martin DBR4s and Maserati 250Fs represented the front-engined era, a large number of Coopers, Lotuses and Brabhams epitomised the dawn of the rear-engined era that followed in the early sixties.
The FIA Masters Historic Formula One Championship put the spotlight on the 3-litre epoch dominated by Ford DFV powered machines created by British-based teams such as Arrows, March, McLaren, Shadow, Tyrrell and Williams. A record field of close to 40 cars included a pair of recently resorted LECs as raced in period by David Purely. Another entry was the 1981 Williams FW07C with former F1 driver Paulo Barilla at the wheel.
Bringing the F1 story almost up to date was the new high-speed demonstration for the sights and sounds of the Legends of Formula One. This featured more recent F1 cars from V8, V10, V12 and turbocharged generations as raced between 1990 and 2006 by champions such as Damon Hill, Nelson Piquet, Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna and Jacques Villeneuve.
More than 50 years of GT and sports car racing history also rolled back the years during the Silverstone Classic 2015. The Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy for Pre-1956 Sports Cars saw Jaguar D-types and Aston Martin DB3Ss to the fore. The Stirling Moss Trophy for Pre-1961 Sportscars featured at least seven Lister Jaguars, the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy for Historic Cars featured Pre-1963 GTs such as Aston Martin DB4 GTs and early E-types, the International Trophy for Classic GT Cars was for Pre-1966 GTs such as the AC Cobra, TVR Griffith and latter day E-types and the FIA Masters Historic Sportscars was filled with Lola T70s, Chevron B16s and Ford GT40s.
The two races for Group C prototypes – notably at sunset on Saturday evening, were among the highlights; this year’s field included the Silk Cut Jaguar, Sauber-Mercedes C11 and Porsche 962 as well as several new additions including the Aston Martin-powered EMKA and Royal Mail-liveried Ecurie Ecosse. Completing the bill were the high-speed demonstrations for the ’90s GT Legends that included Jaguar XJ220s, McLaren F1s, Porsche 911 GT1s and the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR.
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We split up pictures from the Silverstone Classic 2015 into two galleries. The first gallery starting below features our favorite images, all displayed in the full-width view of Sports Car Digest, while the second gallery and race results can by found on the last page of the gallery and gives a comprehensive view of all photographs.
Silverstone Classic 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery
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Silverstone Classic 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Two
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Silverstone Classic 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Three
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Silverstone Classic 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Four
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Silverstone Classic 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Five
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Silverstone Classic 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Six
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Silverstone Classic 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Seven
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Silverstone Classic 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Eight
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Silverstone Classic 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Nine
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Silverstone Classic 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Ten
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Silverstone Classic 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Eleven
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Silverstone Classic 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Twelve
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Silverstone Classic 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Thirteen
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Silverstone Classic 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Fourteen
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Silverstone Classic 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Fifteen
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Silverstone Classic 2015 – Main Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)
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Silverstone Classic 2015 – Race Results
RAC Woodcote Trophy for Pre-1956 Sports Cars
Chris Ward began the race in one car, took the chequered flag in another, mastered the treacherous conditions and set fastest lap for good measure in a superb curtain-raiser.
The former chief Silverstone instructor grabbed the initial advantage in the Cooper-Jaguar T33, but oil smoke on the second lap precipitated an unscheduled pit visit and a significant delay. A subsequent stop-go penalty for speeding in the pit-lane rubbed salt into the wounds and ruled the car out of reasonable contention.
That promoted the scrap for second – waged between Frederic Wakeman’s Cooper-Jaguar T38, Gary Pearson’s Jaguar D-type and John Young’s C-type – into a tussle for the top spot that continued right the way through to the driver changes.
Once the order had shaken out, Pearson led Ward – who had now switched across to the ex-Fangio C-type he was sharing with Young – and Wakeman’s team-mate Patrick Blakeney-Edwards. Ward swiftly got the hammer down, and it was always a question of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ he would overhaul Pearson for the lead, which he duly accomplished.
Pearson hung on to claim a very solid second, but behind, Blakeney-Edwards fell prey to a charging Simon Hadfield, whose Aston Martin DB3S had languished outside the top 20 when he took over at the wheel. Setting a searing pace, he scythed his way through the spray and snatched the final podium position from the Cooper T38 almost within sight of the chequered flag.
1) John Young / Chris Ward (Jaguar C-type): 21 Laps
2) Gary Pearson (Jaguar D-type): +12.541
3) Wolfgang Friedrichs / Simon Hadfield (Aston Martin DB3S): +30.192
Peter Arundell Trophy for Historic Formula Junior
Following an aborted first start – caused by a multi-car midfield accident – the action got underway at the second time of asking behind the safety car. From the front row of the grid, Sam Wilson stormed into an immediate lead in his Lotus 20/22 and would never again be headed, although he was put under serious pressure by Jonathan Hughes’ Brabham BT6.
Replicating the previous day’s podium trio – albeit in rather different climatic conditions – Callum Grant finished third in his Merlyn Mk5/7, with modern-day single-seater racer Harrison Scott a very worthy fourth in a Cooper T56.
1) Sam Wilson (Lotus 20/22): 5 Laps
2) Jonathan Hughes (Brabham BT6): +0.801
3) Callum Grant (Merlyn Mk5/7): +21.915
RAC Tourist Trophy for Historic Cars (Pre-1963 GT)
Simon Hadfield was again the star of the show, with a judiciously timed pit-stop and supreme wet weather prowess paving the way to a commanding victory.
As conditions and visibility deteriorated, the opening half of the race took place behind the safety car, and when the track went ‘green’, there was a Jaguar E-type duel at the front of the field between Rob Hall and James Cottingham.
Further back in the pack, Wolfgang Friedrichs’ Aston Martin DB4 GT and Martin Hunt in the AC Cobra had pitted under the safety car – whereas a number of others hadn’t – with the upshot that their respective team-mates Hadfield and Patrick Blakeney-Edwards returned to the track in first and second positions.
While Hadfield thereafter made good his escape, Blakeney-Edwards consistently happened upon traffic at precisely the wrong moment, allowing the pursuing Jaguars of Hall and Cottingham to close in and – ultimately – overtake him before the chequered flag.
1) Wolfgang Friedrichs / Simon Hadfield (Aston Martin DB4 GT): 14 Laps
2) Rob Hall (Jaguar E-type): +14.924
3) James Cottingham (Jaguar E-type): +24.014
International Trophy for Classic GT Cars (Pre-1966)
Martin O’Connell proved that 50 minutes of flat-out racing had not wearied him by making it back-to-back triumphs in this terrific hour-long encounter after overcoming a brace of fierce rivals.
Following a brief spell at the front for pole-sitter Matt Neal in the Sunbeam Le Mans Tiger, Michael Gans moved to the head of the field in his AC Cobra, initially pulling away – until O’Connell in his Jaguar E-type and Mike Whitaker’s TVR Griffith began to home in, the former from all the way down in 25th on the grid.
By lap five, it was three for the lead and what ensued was a superb spectacle as Gans used all of the Cobra’s straight-line speed to gamely defend from his marauding adversaries.
The trio ran side-by-side as they weaved their way spiritedly through the backmarkers and even past a spinner immediately across their bows. Gans’ phenomenal defensive effort under intense pressure only came to an end when he hung the tail out once too often and a tank-slapper on the exit of Copse on lap 11 finally released O’Connell.
Whilst Gans’ team-mate Andy Wolfe briefly threatened to redress the balance once the pit-stops had been completed as hunter turned hunted, O’Connell was up to the challenge and responded in fine style. Whitaker wound up a distant third, just two seconds ahead of Sean McInerney’s TVR Griffith, which stormed through from 54th on the grid and even had time to serve a stop-go penalty along the way!
1) Martin O’Connell (Jaguar E-type): 25 Laps
2) Michael Gans / Andy Wolfe (AC Cobra): +12.508
3) Mike Whitaker (TVR Griffith): +41.026
FIA Masters Historic Formula One
Saturday winner Martin Stretton led throughout in his Tyrrell 012 – making it cause for a double weekend success, albeit in considerably more inclement conditions – but he was kept honest throughout by Sam Hancock’s Fittipaldi F5A.
Whilst Stretton made a mid-race break, Hancock closed in dramatically on the final lap when Stretton was inadvertently held up while lapping a midfielder in the Becketts complex.
Behind, there was a superb duel between Loic Deman’s Tyrrell 010 and Andy Wolfe’s Tyrrell 011 – ultimately resolved in favour of the latter – although by the end of the race, Nick Padmore had latched right onto their tail in the considerably older Lotus 77. Padmore pulled off a number of spectacular overtakes along the way as he worked his way up the order.
1) Martin Stretton (Tyrrell 012): 10 Laps
2) Sam Hancock (Fittipaldi F5A): +0.652
3) Andy Wolfe (Tyrrell 011): +19.988
HSCC Guards Trophy
A largely shuffled order on the first proper lap of racing, owed to a number of cars pitting for their mandatory stops, meant the picture in this particular contest would take some time to clear.
Pole-sitter Martin O’Connell was left down in 20th position after his own early stop, but he would eventually go on to produce an utterly dominant drive.
The Chevron B8s of James Schryver and Hugh Colman traded blows in the opening exchanges but it was a silver Jaguar E-type wowing the crowds with a surging drive from 19th on the grid. Making the most of the treacherous conditions, its driver Julian Thomas grabbed the lead after weaving his way past the more powerful Chevrons, but any dreams of victory were dashed when he missed the pit window.
When the dust and drizzle settled it was O’Connell back in front as he produced a series of fastest laps on his way to winning the race by more than a minute. It was a fitting victory for O’Connell – his third of the weekend – and particularly with Chevron celebrating its 50th anniversary year. His success earned him the coveted Motor Sport magazine Driver of the Weekend Award.
Dion Kremer claimed a lonely second with Michael Schryver’s Chevron B6 completing the podium.
1) Martin O’Connell (Chevron B8): 13 Laps
2) Dion Kremer (Elva Mk8): +1:03.423
3) Michael Schryver / Simon Hadfield (Chevron B6): +1:37.179
Super Touring Car Trophy
Worsening weather later in the afternoon made for shortened races, and from pole position, the Honda Accord of Stewart Whyte led from lights-to-flag– although he had to stave off a fired-up Patrick Watts over the course of the final lap.
Behind the wheel of his Peugeot 406, the former historic rally champion clearly revelled in the grip-less conditions and had reduced Whyte’s advantage to less than a third-of-a-second at the finish line, posting the fastest lap of the race along the way.
Dutchman Jan Bot wound up a commendable third in a BMW E30 M3, and a spin into the barriers on the final lap for Neil Smith’s Alfa Romeo 156 elevated the colourful BMW 3.0CSL driven by Sam Hancock to fourth.
1) Stewart Whyte (Honda Accord): 5 Laps
2) Patrick Watts (Peugeot 406): +0.327
3) Jan Bot (BMW E30 M3): +10.785
Group C – Day One
Christophe d’Ansembourg and Bob Berridge waged a no-holds-barred early battle in the final race of Day One, as the iconic Group C cars brought some Le Mans fever to Silverstone by racing evocatively into the twilight. The 1991 Silk Cut Jaguar XJR14 and 1992 Nissan R90 exchanged places on several occasions in a captivating duel, before the Belgian pulled clear. Pole-sitter Steve Tandy in a 1990 Spice SE90 GTP finished third.
1) Christophe d’Ansembourg (Jaguar XJR14): 14 Laps
2) Bob Berridge (Nissan R90): +15.868
3) Steve Tandy (Spice SE90 GTP): +28.065
Group C – Day Two
Spice machinery scored an impressive 1-2-3 although the duel for victory was far from straightforward. Steve Tandy and David Methley enjoyed a race-long battle with the latter’s C2 car initially flying from fourth on the grid into the lead.
Tandy remained hot on his heels and as the race entered its final stages he used the greater performance of his 6.5-litre Chevrolet-powered Spice SE90 GTP to blast back past into Copse corner.
The race had been led off the line by Tommy Dreelan’s striking Leyton House Porsche 962 before Tandy and Methley took over. Spice’s podium clean sweep was complete when Aaron Smith took third late on.
1) Steve Tandy (Spice SE90 GTP): 6 Laps
2) David Methley (Spice SE89): +4.319
3) Aaron Scott (Spice SE86): +18.630
Maserati Trophy for HGPCA Pre-1966 Grand Prix Cars
The second HGPCA race produced a second win for the impressive Tim Harvey in the ex-Bruce McLaren Grand Prix-winning Cooper T51. Jon Fairley led as the pace car released the field but former British Touring Car Champion Harvey wasted no time grabbing an advantage he was never to relinquish.
Behind, it was the front-engined Scarab of Julian Bronson that flourished in the conditions, slithering its way though from eighth on the grid to take an impressive second place. Will Nuthall claimed the final podium position with Fairley falling back to cross the finish line in fourth.
1) Tim Harvey (Cooper T51): 5 Laps
2) Julian Bronson (Scarab Offenhauser): +9.133
3) Will Nuthall (Cooper T53): +21.873
JET Battle of Britain Trophy
As the harder rain returned, the second Battle of Britain race had the honour of bringing down the curtain on the 25th anniversary 2015 Silverstone Classic. Mike Whitaker had won Saturday’s race in his TVR Griffith and he started from the front with Matt Nicoll-Jones’ Jaguar E-type lining up close behind in second. This time, though, the TVR had to play second fiddle as Nicoll-Jones snared the spoils. Behind, it was the mighty Mini Coopers of Jonathan Lewis and Italian Andrea Stortoni that revelled in the tricky conditions to finish third and fourth.
1) Matt Nicoll-Jones (Jaguar E-type): 4 Laps
2) Mike Whitaker (TVR Griffith): +11.735
3) Jonathan Lewis (Austin Mini Cooper S): +13.263
[Source: Silverstone Classic]
Variety is the spice of … racing photos! THAT’S the way to cover racing with a camera, not just pictures of cars on corners, but varied shots, each a different look. Gaggles of cars, night shots, rain shots, people shots, closeups, rear shots – terrific photo experience for me. Viewing the photos made me feel as if I was there.
Ron’s “Variety is the Spice” says it all – a superb portfolio of photographs. If you really pushed me for a favourite then Page 10 Ben Eastick’s Jaguar D-Type is quite sublime. Great work and thanks for sharing with us.
some really brilliant photography, especially give the rather inclement conditions.
shame there are no credits…