Formula racing and Silverstone are synonymous with each other, though historic racing events (with the exception of larger festivals) generally find themselves confined to the shorter ‘national’ circuit layout.
Excitingly, this wasn’t the case for the HSCC Silverstone International meeting on 04 May, with the full international circuit on offer for these historic GP and formula cars to stretch their legs to the fullest, along with a somewhat haphazard ‘allcomers’ race.
Specifically, the event catered to the ‘Derek Bell Trophy’ encompassing historic Formula 1,2 3, Atlantic, 5000 and more for cars raced between 1967 and 1984. Alongside the headline act, the Classic Formula Ford championship was in attendance, along with the Silverstone Allcomers race, which presented a motley crew of sports prototypes, Chevron V8 Sports Cars and hot hatches, along with a diminutive Lotus Elan.
With a soundtrack that could wake the dead from the DB Trophy cars being pushed to the limit around the International circuit, even this particularly caffeine-hooked photographer and writer was able to forgo the energy-giving beverage of choice, as the noise - along with a suitable dose of classic race car smell - made it all-but redundant. Who needs coffee when there’s a screaming V8 mere inches from you in the pit lane?!
The Classic Formula Ford championship may not have been able to match the soundtrack and sheer drama of their larger stablemates for the day, but the racing was absolutely top-drawer, with plenty of commitment from the drivers on display, hotly-contended battles throughout the grid, and a few thrills and spills throughout the day (thankfully without any real dramas!) giving plenty of entertainment for those in attendance.
As someone too young to have appreciated these cars in period, it was an absolute joy to see them racing in front of my eyes, to experience the sights, sounds and smells first-hand, and it was a privilege to do so from the ‘right’ side of the fence and from pit lane.
So, without further ado, please enjoy this gallery of shots from the 2024 HSCC Derek Bell Trophy / Silverstone International meeting, and if you ever have the chance to get along to one of these events - or any classic Formula racing event - I can’t recommend it enough.
