Racing and Competition

The world’s biggest classic motor racing festival served up a stunning show of power at the annual Autosport International, staged at Birmingham’s NEC from 14-17 January. The Silverstone Classic teamed up with Classic & Sports Car magazine to create a very special showcase putting the spotlight on several of the mouth-watering race grids that will star on the action-packed racecard at this summer’s spectacular three-day extravaganza (29-31 July). Presented under the evocative ‘When We Were Kings’ banner, the prominent presentation at the NEC was one of the show’s major attractions, proving hugely popular with the sell-out numbers of visitors.

Bentley Team M-Sport will return to Mount Panorama in Australia next month (5-7 February) to take on the Bathurst 12 Hours with two Continental GT3s in the team’s new 2016 livery that was unveiled at the Autosport International Show  today. Bentley Boys Guy Smith (GB) and Steven Kane (GB) will once again be joined on the mountain by Matt Bell (GB), and Andy Soucek (ES) and Maxime Soulet (BE) will welcome Aussie V8 star David Russell (AU) to their team.

Our video this week is a great period piece celebrating the Chimney Rock Hillclimb which ran in North Carolina for approximately four decades. The Chimney Rock Hillclimb was the most legendary hillclimb in the South. Held in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, it was a rite of spring for both drivers and spectators. Beginning in 1956 when sports cars and sports car racing was still in its infancy, the climb challenged Triumphs, Jaguars, MG’s and their drivers to a high-speed rollercoaster ride that scared even the most fearless. With two miles of hairpins and switchbacks and trees for guard rails, it was an event to behold. Sadly the challenge to the mountain came to an end as a result of “changing times”. In 1995 “the Rock” fell asleep again.     To quote the Chimney Rock website … Engines roared. Tires […]

New Year, new challenges: 2 January 2016 will see the start of the 2016 Dakar Rally, the traditional season opener of long-distance cross-country rallies. Once again MINI takes on this exciting and exacting 9,500km, 15-day racing event but this year with a record entry of 12 MINI ALL4 Racing cars. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) and long-term co-pilot Mathieu Baumel (FRA) of AXION X-raid Team (#300) are the defending Dakar champions and more than ready to take up the challenge of motorsport’s toughest endurance race. “Preparation is complete,” said Al-Attiyah in Buenos Aires, starting point of the 2016 Dakar Rally. “We are ready to take on the greatest endurance race in the hope we can achieve MINI the same success of 2015,” said Joan ‘Nani’ Roma (ESP), fellow AXION X-raid Team member in MINI ALL4 Racing #304 along with co-driver Alex Haro […]

The Performance Car Show presented by Landsail Tyres in association with Autocar and PistonHeads.com will host the public debut of the Zenos E10 R, a road-legal British track day car delivering 500bhp/tonne. This astonishing road-legal trackday car will be on display at The Performance Car Show between 14-17 January for the very first time, allowing showgoers to be amongst the first in the world to see the E10 R in the metal. Following the introduction of the E10 and E10 S, the E10 R represents the brand’s quickest, most exhilarating and most focused car to date. Powered by a 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine, related to that found in the Ford Mustang and Focus RS, the E10 R produces 350bhp and 475Nm of torque and is set to be one of the stars of the Performance Car Show.

British GT GT4 Drivers’ Champion Ross Gunn (18) has won the inaugural Aston Martin Racing Evolution Academy, receiving a factory-backed contract with Aston Martin Racing for the 2016 season.   Competing against a strong field of young hopefuls, aged between 16 and 25 years old, the High Wycombe-born GT4 rookie excelled in the academy’s seminars held throughout 2015. Focusing on key areas such as fitness, simulator sessions, engineering, marketing and PR, a final group of six were selected for the Bahraini showdown. After shadowing the Aston Martin Racing team throughout the FIA World Endurance Championship’s season finale, each of the six finalists enjoyed two track sessions as part of the official WEC rookie test, driving the 2015 V8 Vantage GTE.

At least two Bentley Continental GT3s will enter the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge as Bentley Team Absolute announces a programme including entries from young American rising star Andrew Palmer and one of Asia’s top sportscar drivers, Adderly Fong. The Pirelli World Challenge is a 20-round GT championship comprising 50-minute-long, single-driver races on eleven of America’s most historic and iconic racetracks, including Laguna Seca and Road America.  The Continental GT3 has taken race wins in the championship this year and Bentley Team Absolute is looking to continue the race car’s success in the States.

Jaguar today announced its return to global motorsport. In the autumn of 2016, Jaguar will enter the third season of the exciting FIA Formula E Championship as a manufacturer with its own team.  FIA Formula E is the world’s first global single-seater championship for electric powered cars. FIA Formula E offers a unique opportunity for Jaguar Land Rover to further the development of future EV powertrain including motor and battery technology.

The covers are set to come off the all-new Ginetta G57 as the new prototype racecar will receive its full public debut at Europe’s premier pre-season motorsport show, Autosport International, this January. Visitors coming to Ginetta’s stand at Autosport International between 14-17 January, 2016*, will be amongst the first people outside of the manufacturer’s HQ to see the G57 in the metal. A full press conference will take place on Thursday 14 January at 10:30am on Ginetta’s stand (6430 in Hall 6), with photo opportunities, a presentation and the chance to meet Ginetta Chairman, Lawrence Tomlinson. The public launch also marks the start of Ginetta’s intention to increase exports of its model range – already at 50% of production – with the G57 spearheading its growth to all major markets around the globe.

MG Motor UK is pleased to announce a new three-year contract extension with Triple Eight Racing in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). This new contract will see MG Triple Eight Racing battling it out in this ultra competitive series for more pole positions and manufacturer championship wins until 2018. Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing for MG, said: “We are really excited to be renewing this partnership. The BTCC has given us the opportunity to give our brand some fantastic exposure, so we’re thrilled to be continuing this for another three years.

After a very successful 2015 The Midland Automobile Club announce Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb dates for the forthcoming year. The year starts with a round of the Sporting Trial which is held on the upper banks of the main car park. A real test of man, machine and skill, and providing a great spectacle as the drivers test their skills to navigate a very technical course. MARCH 13 Sporting Trial April 24th sees the club run its MAC Classic, a classic tour for 200 cars with four start points and a tulip book with all routes finishing at the Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb and a run up the 1,000 yards. Entry forms are available from the website and entries are now open.

Caterham Motorsport has announced the calendars for its five domestic race championships for the 2016 season. The calendar takes in the entry-level Caterham Academy, which enters its 22nd season next year, as well as the hugely competitive, single-make series for Roadsport, Tracksport, Supersport and Superlight R300-S models. The Academy again features two sprints – at Aintree and Curborough – and five circuit races, joining forces with the other Caterham categories for the final four meetings at Snetterton, Oulton Park, Croft and Donington Park. Meanwhile, the non-Academy classes get trips to Anglesey as well as the traditional race abroad, this year at Zolder in Belgium. The R300-S field kicks off its season at the legendary Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit, supporting the prestigious British GT Championship. The schedules for all categories have been carefully planned to include circuits that lend themselves […]

With the chequered flag set to fall on the 2015 motorsport season, Bentley is celebrating a remarkable run of results by bringing together two generations of racer – the Continental GT3 and legendary 4.5 Litre ‘Blower’. The current GT3 and its illustrious forebear from 1929 met at Silverstone in front of the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), the motorsport organisation founded in 1928 by Bentley Boy and Le Mans winner, Dudley Benjafield. They may be separated by more than eight decades but the two racing cars share Bentley’s indefatigable passion for innovation, competition and, above all, speed. Bentley Continental GT3 in 2015 – A Season to Remember In just its second year of competition in GT racing, the Bentley motorsports programme has gone from strength to strength in 2015. With teams competing on four continents, the Continental GT3 scored multiple […]

Land Rover Ambassador and polar explorer, Ben Saunders, swapped his snowshoes for winter tyres to put the Range Rover Sport SVR through its paces at a unique yet familiar test track near the Arctic Circle. A new film released by Land Rover charts the world famous adventurer’s journey from ice driving novice to experienced veteran in Arjeplog, Sweden, on a full-scale replica of the Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit carved in the snow on Lake Udjaur.

The Jaguar Heritage Challenge will return for a second season in 2016 as Jaguar Heritage confirms next year’s race calendar along with the driver award winners from the inaugural 2015 season. The 2016 Jaguar Heritage Challenge will take place over four race weekends between April and August and drivers will have the opportunity to race on renowned circuits in the UK and Germany – plus one more special race date due to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

The Lotus Driving Academy is initiating a franchising programme to create a global network of Lotus Driving Academies in which to offer its training packages to driving enthusiasts around the world. Currently catering for over 2,000 visitors a year out of its base at Lotus’ HQ, Hethel, the franchising programme aims to increase this number several fold with the introduction of new international sites throughout 2016. Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus plc, stated: “The Lotus Driving Academy was originally established in 1999, offering a comprehensive range of driver training and experience packages for customers to relish the benchmark handling and pure driving experience of Lotus cars. The driver training packages have been developed and fine-tuned over the years to keep pace with the progression and increased performance of Lotus cars, while staying true toLotus philosophies. I am […]

The 14th Annual Kastner Cup will be hosted by Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) as a part of the David Love Memorial Races, April 1-3, 2016 at Sonoma Raceway. All Triumph-powered racecars with a current racing log book are eligible. The Kastner Cup race honors the legendary, R.W. “Kas” Kastner, a championship winning driver and team manager who led the U.S. Triumph racing program to countless victories through the 60’s and 70’s. Kas himself will present the cup to the racer he selects to receive this coveted award. Sonoma wine country is filled with activities, great food, and unrivaled natural beauty. If you are a Triumph owner or British car fanatic, don’t miss this event! The CSRG David Love Memorial Races is a very popular and well-attended event. Typically more than 175 race cars participate, divided into eight run groups […]

Goodwood has announced the theme for the 2016 Festival of Speed along with the dates and the subject for the Revival driver tribute. The theme for the 2016 Festival of Speed, which is planned to take place on June 23-26, will be ‘Full Throttle – The Endless Pursuit of Power’, celebrating the most powerful competition cars and motorcycles from the history of motor sport, and the heroic drivers and riders who tamed them. Alongside this central theme, the 2016 Festival of Speed will celebrate the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, mark 50 years since the inaugural Can-Am Series for ultra-powerful sports prototypes, and pay tribute to James Hunt on the 40th anniversary of his Formula 1 World Championship success with McLaren in 1976.