The Silverstone Classic 2012 was held 20-22 July at the famed 3.6 mile Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in Northamptonshire, England, featuring over 1000 classic race car entrants spanning the spectrum of motorsport history.<\/p>\n
The 2012 edition of the Silverstone Classic saw the return of the Group C endurance racing cars with two feature races, World Sports Car Masters, three Formula 1 and Grand Prix grids showcasing over 100 GP cars spanning the fifties to the eighties, Formula Junior, the beautiful and charismatic 1950’s sports cars, Under 2-Litre Touring Cars, two grids of GT cars and the Jaguar E-Type Challenge.<\/p>\n
Event director Nick Wigley commented, “Summer returned in style just in time for another truly memorable Silverstone Classic. There were so many highlights with fantastic racing, amazing parades, the birth of AA World and some fabulous live music and, not surprisingly, taking all that into account a new record crowd.”<\/p>\n
Similar to the 2010<\/a> and 2011<\/a> races, Senior Photographer Tim Scott also documented the 2012 edition of the Silverstone Classic, offering the following images that capture the massive field of entrants and the close historic car racing action. To see more of Tim\u2019s work, visit fluidimages.co.uk<\/a>.<\/p>\n Two incredibly close opening races set the tone for the rest of the day one as capacity grids of saloon, GT, single-seater and sportscars worth millions of pounds wowed visitors to the 2012 Silverstone Classic. The action closed spectacularly with iconic Le Mans 24 Hours cars, headlights ablaze, taking the chequered flag in a twilight finish.<\/p>\n Jon Milicevic was the first winner of the day in Historic Formula Juniors but only after race-long rival David Methley spun in the closing stages. Michael Lyons won the first of two Peter Gethin Trophy races for thundering Formula 5000 and howling Formula 2 cars from the Seventies in a desperately close finish. Simon Hadfield led much of the race but, after a wheel-to-wheel dice, was passed by Lyons and spun. Martin Stretton then joined in to finish just yards behind Lyons at the line.<\/p>\n Lyons had later been on course for another victory, in the recreated Daily Express International Trophy race for Formula 1 cars, only for his Hesketh to cruelly stop while leading comfortably with just a few miles to go. This gifted victory to Bill Coombs\u2019s Tyrrell.<\/p>\n Driving solo, Shaun McInerney won the 50-minute Alan Mann Trophy for under 2-litre Sixties touring cars as just two seconds covered the top three finishers.<\/p>\n Alex Buncombe was twice a winner \u2013 first sharing with Chris Ward in the Stirling Moss Trophy for pre-61 sportscars and then on his own in a race for Jaguar E-types. So too was the Minshaw family with brothers Jason and Jon in races for rear-engined Formula 1 Grand Prix machines and then sports cars pre-dating 1966 respectively. Another pair of brothers, Gary and John Pearson, also stood on the top step of the podium when, together, they triumphed in the RAC Woodcote Tourist Trophy encounter for pre-63 GT cars.<\/p>\n Philip Walker headed a Lotus 1-2-3 after nine laps of pre-1961 front-engined GP car action, while Rick Pearson got the measure of current British Touring Car ace Frank Wrathall to win a one-off race for touring cars spanning three decades (1970-2000).<\/p>\n Meanwhile soap actor Kelvin Fletcher (Emmerdale) was untouchable as he led all the way from pole position to win the Classic\u2019s annual Celebrity Challenge race for famous faces in identical race-tuned Morgan sportscars. Musicians AC\/DC\u2019s Brian Johnson and Jamiroquai\u2019s Jay Kay were next up as funds for three charities \u2013 Birmingham Children\u2019s Hospital, the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK and the RPJ Chron\u2019s Foundation \u2013 were raised.<\/p>\n Completing the day\u2019s on-track action just as Eighties chart-topper Adam Ant was taking to the stage on the Silverstone infield was a stunning into-the-dark sprint event for Group C endurance racer cars, won in style by Gareth Evans.<\/p>\n Historic Formula Juniors<\/strong> (9 laps) Peter Gethin Trophy for F2 & F5000<\/strong> (11 laps) Alan Mann Trophy for Under 2-litre Touring Cars<\/strong> (18 laps) Stirling Moss Trophy for Pre-61 Sportscars<\/strong> (21 laps) Daily Express International Trophy for Grand Prix Masters<\/strong> (8 laps) HGPCA pre-66 Rear Engine Grand Prix Cars<\/strong> (9 laps) Masters \u2018Gentleman Drivers\u2019 pre-66 GT<\/strong> (20 laps) Jaguar E-type Challenge<\/strong> (9 laps) HGPCA pre-61 Front Engine Grand Prix Cars<\/strong> (9 laps) Fujifilm Touring Car Trophy 1970-2000<\/strong> (9 laps) Silverstone Classic Celebrity Challenge<\/strong> (8 laps) Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy for pre-56 Sportscars<\/strong> (12 laps) Group C Endurance Race Cars<\/strong> (15 laps) The second day of racing at the 2012 Silverstone Classic started with wins for two drivers who narrowly missed out on victories on Saturday. David Methley and Simon Hadfield, who both spun away their chances yesterday, were this time not to be denied as they triumphed in Formula Juniors and the Peter Gethin Trophy for F5000 and F2 cars. Coincidentally yesterday’s two winners Jon Milicevic and Michael Lyons both retired while Sam Wilson and Martin Stretton again took runners-up results.<\/p>\n John Young and Andrew Smith won the Woodcote Trophy for Pre-1956 Sportscars race but it wasn\u2019t enough to prevent yesterday\u2019s winners, brothers John and Gary Pearson who finished second today, from claiming overall victory when the two results were combined.<\/p>\n Gary Pearson and past Le Mans 24 Hours winner Jackie Oliver looked set to clinch the prestigious Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy for pre-1963 GT cars until their Ferrari stopped in the pit lane. Nick Naismith and John Young\u2019s Aston Martin breezed by for the win.<\/p>\n It was the same top three as yesterday in both the HGPCA pre-1961 front-engined GP cars and Fujifilm Touring Car Trophy races, Roger Wills and Rick Pearson first past the post respectively.<\/p>\n Bill Coombs made it a double in the Daily Express International Trophy for Grand Prix Masters in arguably the most exciting race of the weekend. While he held the lead throughout, his Tyrrell was in a seemingly constant wheel-to-wheel dice with Steve Hartley’s Arrows. Both then came under threat from mid-distance from the rapidly closing Michael Lyons who was unfortunate not to win yesterday. Lyons briefly made it into second before settling for third.<\/p>\n Similarly, Gareth Evans added to his Saturday victory with a second Group C Sportscar win and also set the fastest race lap of the weekend, but only after a ferocious battle with Herve Regout who was dramatically passed for second just a few corners from home by recent Le Mans 24 Hours star Nicolas Minassian. Evans’ \u2018Silver Arrows\u2019 Sauber Mercedes C9, Minassian’s Lancia LC2 and Regout’s Porsche 962 were among the most evocative cars seen during the weekend.<\/p>\n Earlier Woodcote Trophy winner Andrew Smith then teamed up with Oliver Bryant to win the mini-endurance race for Sixties Le Mans cars. Bryant needed to call on all his skill, though, to see off Martin Stretton whose Ferrari 512M \u2013 another of the event\u2019s stand-out cars \u2013 had briefly nosed ahead just a few laps from home. Stretton would later be declared \u2018driver of the weekend\u2019 and received a top of the range B.R.M watch from event director Nick Wigley as his reward.<\/p>\n Finally Jason Minshaw and Alex Buncombe achieved dominant wins in pre-66 rear-engined GP car and Jaguar E-type races as the sun set on another unforgettable Classic weekend.<\/p>\n Historic Formula Juniors<\/strong> (9 laps) Peter Gethin Trophy for F2 & F5000<\/strong> (11 laps) Woodcote Trophy for Pre-56 Sportscars<\/strong> (12 laps) Combined Result (inc Sat\u2019s race): Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy for Historic Cars Pre-63 GT<\/strong> (19 laps)Silverstone Classic 2012 – Saturday Race Report<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Silverstone Classic 2012 – Saturday Race Results<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n1. Jon Milicevic, Cooper T59, 21m18.420s
\n2. Sam Wilson, Cooper T59, +6.856s
\n3. David Methley, Brabham BT6, +12.308s
\nFastest lap: Wilson, 2m20.297s (93.63mph)<\/p>\n
\n1. Michael Lyons, Lola T400, 21m39.553s
\n2. Martin Stretton, March 742, +0.144s
\n3. Simon Hadfield, Trojan T101, +24.735s
\nFastest lap: Stretton, 1m56.266s (112.98mph)<\/p>\n
\n1. Shaun McInnerney, Ford Lotus Cortina, 50m30.874s
\n2. Leo Voyazides\/Simon Hadfield, Ford Lotus Cortina, +1.401s
\n3. Andrew Banks\/Max Banks, Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA, +2.005s
\nFastest lap: Hadfield, 2m32.591s (86.08mph)<\/p>\n
\n1. Alex Buncombe\/Chris Ward, Lister Jaguar Costin, 51m32.021s
\n2. Graeme Dodd\/James Dodd, Cooper Monaco T49, +12.039s
\n3. Ewan McIntyre\/Jamie McIntyre, Lotus 15, +12.530s
\nFastest lap: Buncombe, 2m22.974s (91.88mph)<\/p>\n
\n1. Bill Coombs, Tyrrell 009, 15m32.745s
\n2. Steve Hartley, Arrows A4, +5.388s
\n3. Michael Fitzgerald, Williams FW08, +14.038s
\nFastest lap: Michael Lyons, Hesketh 308E, 1m53.696s (115.54mph)<\/p>\n
\n1. Jason Minshaw, Brabham BT4, 21m02.114s
\n2. John Harper, Brabham BT4, +15.609s
\n3. Rod Jolley, Cooper T45\/51, +18.451s
\nFastest lap: Minshaw, 2m18.908s (94.56mph)<\/p>\n
\n1. Jon Minshaw\/Martin Stretton, Jaguar E-type, 50m38.979s
\n2. Leo Voyazides\/Simon Hadfield, AC Cobra, +7.908s
\n3. Pearson, Jaguar E-type, +17.679s
\nFastest lap: Mike Whitaker Snr, TVR Griffith, 2m25.270s (90.42mph)<\/p>\n
\n1. Alex Buncombe, 21m58.232s
\n2. Jason Minshaw, +4.702s
\n3. Jon Minshaw, +7.977s
\nFastest lap: Buncombe, 2m22.733s (89.89mph)<\/p>\n
\n1. Philip Walker, Lotus 16 368, 21m51.384s
\n2. Roger Wills, Lotus 16 363, +3.035s
\n3. Eddie McGuire, Lotus 16 362, +44.521s
\nFastest lap: Walker, 2m23.910s (91.28mph)<\/p>\n
\n1. Rick Pearson, Nissan Primera, 20m17.982s
\n2. Frank Wrathall, Vauxhall Cavalier, +13.122s
\n3. Richard Hawken, Nissan Primera, +25.685s
\nFastest lap: Pearson, 2m13.402s (98.47mph)<\/p>\n
\n1. Kelvin Fletcher, Morgan Lightweight, 21m05.479s
\n2. Brian Johnson, Morgan Lightweight, +7.513s
\n3. Jay Kay, Morgan Lightweight, +9.246s
\nFastest lap: Fletcher, 2m34.990s<\/p>\n
\n1. Gary Pearson\/John Pearson, Jaguar D-type, 31m44.086s
\n2. John Young\/Andrew Smith, Cooper Jaguar T33, +10.449s
\n3. Nigel Webb\/Anthony Reid, Jaguar C-type, +16.659s
\nFastest lap: Gary Pearson, 2m32.293s (86.25mph)<\/p>\n
\n1. Gareth Evans, Sauber Mercedes C9, 31m02.729s
\n2. Roger Wills, Lancia LC2, +4.906s
\n3. Chris D\u2019Ansembourg, Porsche 962, +38.662s
\nFastest lap: Evans, 1m54.393s (114.83mph)<\/p>\nSilverstone Classic 2012 – Sunday Race Report<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Silverstone Classic 2012 – Sunday Race Results<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n1. David Methley, Brabham BT6, 21m21.193s
\n2. Sam Wilson, Cooper T59, +1.896s
\n3. Andrew Hibberd, Lotus 22, 11.178s
\nFastest lap: Wilson, 2m20.093s (93.76mph)<\/p>\n
\n1. Simon Hadfield, Trojan 101, 21m54.553s
\n2. Martin Stretton, March 742, +0.124s
\n3. Neil Fowler, March 752, +15.883s
\nFastest lap: Stretton, 1m57.680s (111.62mph)<\/p>\n
\n1. John Young\/Andrew Smith, Cooper Jaguar T33, 31m40.580s
\n2. John Pearson\/Gary Pearson, Jaguar D-type, +6.077s
\n3. Nigel Webb\/Anthony Reid, Jaguar C-type, +32.132s
\nFastest lap: Reid, 2m32.452s (86.16mph)<\/p>\n
\n1. Pearson\/Pearson, 1hr03mins30.743s
\n2. Young\/Smith, +4.372s
\n3. Webb\/Reid, +37.714s<\/p>\n
\n1. Nick Naismith\/John Young, Aston Martin DB4, 51m04.925s
\n2. Ben Adams, Turner Mk2, +19.774s
\n3. Wolfgang Friedrichs\/David Clark, Aston Martin DP212, +39.554s
\nFastest lap: Martin Hunt\/Patrick Blakeney-Edwards, AC Cobra, 2m35.217s (84.63mph)<\/p>\n