A special added feature of Silverstone’s April 21-21 VSCC Spring Start meeting will be a recreation of the historic Commander Yorke Trophy races. This will take the form of a 25-minute race on Saturday and a 20-minute contest on Sunday, for which a field of at least 30 500-cc F3 cars is expected—several of which took part in the original 1949 Yorke Trophy race. Further, a number of cars that contested the race over its 11-year history will be among the entry. The 500 Owners Association is also organizing a display of period vehicles, photographs and other memorabilia to enhance the atmosphere of this highly anticipated weekend.
The idea for a 100-mile race for 500-cc racing cars originated with Royal Navy Commander Tony Yorke, who was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident just a few weeks before the event’s first running in July 1949. The new, small-capacity machines hadn’t been universally welcomed by officials who felt they could never be made to run long enough to provide proper racing. Yorke disagreed and worked tirelessly to promote circuit racing over longer distances for the 500s.
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