One of the pioneer events on the burgeoning national historic motorsport calendar of the early 1990’s, this popular 3-day race meeting began as the Christie’s Historic Festival, before becoming Coys Historic Festival and then Silverstone Classic, all run by professional event organizers Goose Communication.
In 2025 the meeting reverted to the British Racing Drivers Club who became the promoters of the Classic Silverstone and this year the event rebranded once again to simply the BRDC Classic. Inaugurated in 1928, the BRDC became a major force in international motor racing after taking over the lease of the 140-acre Silverstone site from the RAC in 1952 and acquiring the freehold from the MoD in 1971.
Over 36 years, this Classic event has evolved into a giant motoring jamboree showcasing the breadth and appeal of historic motorsport that involves much more than just racing which nevertheless remains at its heart. In addition, it now provides a complete weekend for motoring enthusiasts and families to enjoy adventures, shopping, dining, music and around 50 car clubs, some displaying long forgotten marques!
Featuring on the program were races spanning pre-war machinery to modern GT3 cars evocatively titled GT3 Legends, Endurance Icons plus hardy favorites including Historic Touring Cars, all attracting the cream of historic racing.
Personalities included McLaren F1 team CEO Zack Brown, co-driven by son Maxwell in two races using a Ferrari 458 GT2 and McLaren MP4-12c GT3, prepared by United Autosports, a team part owned by Zack. The duo visited the Silverstone podium as GT2 class winners, while 1,200 miles east, Zack’s McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris scooped the Hungarian Grand Prix!
The race for pre-1966 Historic Touring Cars contained 44 entries ranging from V8 Ford Mustang to twin-cam Lotus Cortina and lots of Austin A40 and BMC Minis fighting a rearguard. Perhaps the smallest grid was for 2-litre sports racing cars and included multi-Olympic gold medal cyclist Sir Chris Hoy sharing a Lola T292 with driver and racing pundit Alex Brundle, podium finishers with second place overall. Although Silverstone circuit’s 3·67-mile, 18-corner Grand Prix circuit configuration provides competitors with a rare and stimulating challenge, races with small grid numbers spread out quickly, often making longer, two-driver races somewhat unexciting for spectators.
Other memorable races included 52 eclectic starters for pre-1966 GT race including Elans, E Types and MGBs. This race also marked the return of the stunning Ferrari Breadvan after its damaging accident at the 2022 Le Man Classic. Owned and raced by the Halusa family, the Breadvan is charismatic 1961 evocation specially built from a 1961 250 GT Berlinetta SWB to compete against Ferrari’s works cars in the 1962 24-hour race.
Held in balmy summer weather, the BRDC Classic attracted over 300 entries over 21 races and spectator footfall was put at 15,000. Races were promoted by Motor Racing Legends (MRL) and the Historic Sports Car Club (HSCC), the latter also expertly facilitating the challenging 3-day event. Earlier in July Silverstone broke all records for numbers of people attending a F1 Grand Prix with 564,000 spectators recorded over the 3-day weekend, 175,000 attending the race on Sunday.
© Words and images Ken Davies, MRL & Silverstone
