First run 2012, the west country‘s annual historic motor racing extravaganza took place at the popular Castle Combe, Wiltshire circuit last weekend and expanded this year to fill 2 days after winning the Royal Automobile Club’s prestigeous Best Historic Event award in 2023.
Even capricious British weather failed to dampen the enthusisam of several thousand hardy spectators who made the weekend trek to watch 19 races for historic saloons, sports & GT cars. Also, celebrating their 60th anniversary year were the charesmatic formula 3 single seaters first seen 1964. Powered by high revving, air-restricted production based one litre engines these cars became notable for slip-streaming, close race finishes.
As well as spectacular on-track action, the event attracted several leading marque car clubs who used Castle Combe as their chosen destination for driving in convoy and forming displays of their own, supplimenting those already in the paddock.
Other spectator attractions included popular Star Driver interviews at Red Bull’s paddock Teepee with personalities interrogated by commentator Chris Dawes, including former BRM F1 drivers Howden Ganley (above) and Mike Wilds, Austin Healey works driver of the 1960s Clive Baker and 1989 FIA C2World Sportscar Champion Nick Adams.
Arguably one of the most exciting races was the HRDC All Stars and Alfa Challenge, a 30-minutes sprint contest (below) evoking memories of the Allcomers’ races which were a mainstay of British club racing in the 1950s and ’60s. By running pre-’66 Sports, GT and Touring Cars together, the Dunlop Allstars delivers excitement and diversity of marques.
Where else will you find the unique V8, 5·7 litre Gilbern-Chevy GT – a 1965 works development car (below), driven in period by Gilbern director and Welsh motorsport doyen Peter Cottrell and now owned by Mike Lamplough – pitching against a Costin-evolved Lotus Elan? Or even a rare Ogle SX1000 harrying the unique Triumph TR4 SLR?
The HRDC Jack Sears Trophy forTouring Cars 1958-1966 saw some epic battles with Lotus Cortinas against the mighty Ford Mustang, but both humbled in the wet conditions by the nimble Mini Coopers at the front of this grid!
The series, in its regular optional one or two-driver pitstop format, saw an eclectic grid of makes and models that formed the early days of what would become today’s BTCC. The British Saloon Car Championship, as it was originally known, saw production saloon car racing introduced to the UK as a mainstream attraction with a full range of cars including the highly-competitive Austin A30s, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Berlina, Riley One-Point-Five and Sunbeam Rapier.
Younger cars were split between classes containing the Ford Lotus Cortinas and tyre squealing Mini Coopers, joisting with the powerful V8 Ford Mustangs and an earlier Ford Falcon Sprint.
The feature race of the weekend was the GT & Sports Car Cup, an endurance, two pitstop race for up to 3-driver cars attracting a high-quality 34-car entry that included production sports and GT car such as MGB, Porsche 911, Morgan Plus-4 and TVR, racing against Healey 3000s, Lotus Elans and Elites.
In the premier class were lightweight E-Type Jaguars, AC Cobras and the iconic Lister Jaguar Costin of John Spiers and front-running historic racer Chris Ward, who were the overall winners after 2-hours.
The fastest lap went to the second placed AC Cobra 289 of father and son team Chris Chiles Jnr & Snr, who were last year’s winners and third was the well driven 1600cc Lotus Elan 26R of Steve Jones and Ben Tinkler. The first three cars all covered 81 laps of the uncompromising 1·85-mile circuit in challenging track conditions!
© Words Ken Davies & images Peter Baker and author
