Tour Britannia, an exciting new race tour for historic cars, was recently announced by the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC). The event, which will run from September 5–8, 2005, will be based in the heart of England and provide a wonderful opportunity for owners of pre-1976 road legal cars to compete in a high-quality event that tours some of the country’s most prominent venues. Tour Britannia, which also celebrates 100 years of British motorsporting heritage, will run annually in association with the BRDC, one of the most prestigious motor racing clubs in the world. “This is a great new addition to the British motorsport calendar,” confirmed Sir Jackie Stewart, president of the BRDC. “It is something quite unique for historic car owners.”
Tour Britannia, a four-day motorsport extravaganza for historic car owners, will have a central base in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, birthplace of William Shakespeare. It will start in this medieval market town on Monday, September 5 and finish at the home of British motor racing, Silverstone Circuit, Northampton, on Thursday, September 8. The event, which is divided into two categories—Competition and Touring-Regularity—will visit some of the country’s most renowned race circuits, including Silverstone Historic Grand Prix Circuit, Snetterton and Cadwell Park, as well as hillclimb venues, sprint courses, stately homes and parks, including Belvoir Castle, the ancestral home of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland for 1,000 years. In total, the event will cover approximately 800 miles with an anticipated four races and seven speed tests.
Crews competing in the Competition category will have the opportunity to mix high-speed circuit racing with a rich variety of sealed-surfaced, timed speed tests over non-damaging courses in the heart of the British countryside. Results from eight-lap circuit races will be combined with the times from the daily speed tests to determine the general classification.
Competitors in the precision-demanding Touring-Regularity category will complete five laps at each of the race circuits, with the emphasis on consistency rather than outright speed. At all other venues, entrants in each class will be given a target time to achieve, with penalties applied for even a tenth of a second difference. In this exacting and calculating category, where electronic equipment will be prohibited, a major trophy will be awarded for the best Touring-Regularity performance. Overall Tour Britannia honors, however, will be based on an index factor, allowing all crews—irrespective of the age and engine capacity of their cars—to fight for victory and the event’s premier trophy.
Entries for this exciting new event are now open and early applications will be accepted at a fee of £3,995, which includes first-class hotel accommodation for the crew and all meals. Tour Britannia will run under the RACMSA sporting regulations. The event is open to drivers with pre-1976 road legal cars complying with FIA Appendix K technical rules. Further details and an entry form can be found at www.tourbritannia.com, or by contacting the Tour Britannia office at +44 (0)1295 268888.
