Bentley Drivers Club Silverstone: Bumper racecard planned

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Press Release

Bentley Drivers Club Silverstone: Bumper racecard planned

Golden jubilee Times Trophy race takes pole position

The 50th anniversary of the Times Trophy race will be the centrepiece of what should be another cracking day’s racing at the Bentley Drivers Club’s 73rd annual race meeting at Silverstone, the home of the British Grand Prix, on Saturday 7 August.

The Times Trophy encounter, a Bentley scratch race incorporating a contest for Pre-War cars, is the meeting’s blue riband event and will be the undoubted high point of an 11-race programme – the biggest in recent years.

The list of multiple Times Trophy winners down the years reads like a who’s who of the BDC’s most celebrated drivers: Alan Padgett, Tim Llewellyn, Ian Bentall, Adam Stacy-Marks, Peter Morley and Hawkeye Wijkander.

In recent times, brothers Simon and Stuart Worthington have also claimed the coveted silver rose bowl on multiple occasions, flying the flag for Bentley’s modern-day saloon models, while the current champion is four-time winner Michael Higginbotham who has remained undefeated since 2017 in his imposing black Mk VI Special; indeed, The Gadget itself hasn’t actually been beaten since 2016 when Michael’s father Mike Haig triumphed.

The Times Trophy race typically provides the day’s most closely fought action, and this year the competition should be hotter than ever, with a staggered start being introduced to allow the older cars a greater chance of winning against the more modern machinery.

Complementing the Bentley scratch encounter will be the traditional Bentley Handicap race which starts from the pit lane.

The popular ‘garden-party’ style club meeting will also feature two races each for the Aero Racing Morgan Challenge and MGB GTV8s along with grids for FISCAR (Fifties Sports Car racing Club), Ecurie Classic Racing, BDC Classic Challenge (incorporating the Morgan Techniques Trophy) and Allcomers scratch plus TVRCC Challenge.

This year is an historic one in the annals of Bentley motorsport as the marque celebrates the centenary of its maiden victory. In May 1921, famed Bentley Boy Frank Clement, driving the works 3-litre EXP2 at Brooklands, won the Junior Short Handicap and thus started the long and successful history of Bentleys in competition which still continues today.

To add its own colour to the celebrations, Bentley Motors will showcase a mouthwatering selection of models from its Heritage Collection, including:

- the aforementioned EXP2 – world’s oldest surviving Bentley;

- Birkin Team Car No2 – Blower which led the 1930 Le Mans 24 Hours and one of the world’s most valuable Bentleys

- Speed 8 – 2003 Le Mans-winning machine

- Pikes Peak Continental GT – production car record holder at the US hill climb course from 2019

- Continental GT3 – second-generation race car

Adding further spice to the day will be the always well-subscribed Bentley parade, in which up to 200 Club Members’ glorious models of all ages will take to the Northamptonshire track.

BDC Competitions Captain Mike Haig said: “We are hoping our largest racecard of recent years will help provide the perfect setting in which to celebrate two major milestones: the centenary of Bentley’s first win and the golden jubilee of the Times Trophy race. And after holding the meeting behind closed doors last year we look forward to welcoming back spectators once again.”

Ticket prices for the meeting will be announced in due course – please check the Silverstone website. The meeting will be subject to the Government’s latest Covid-19 guidelines.

For more information contact: Stuart Newman, Communications Manager, Bentley Drivers Club. Tel: 01295 738886; Email: [email protected]

Image captions:

01: The blue riband Times Trophy race celebrates its 50th anniversary this year (Image: Steve Jones)

02: Current Times Trophy champion Michael Higginbotham (Mk VI Special), chased here by Tim Llewellyn (3/8 Special) (Image: Peter de Rousset-Hall)

03: Frank Clement (3-litre EXP2) gave Bentley its maiden victory in May 1921 at Brooklands (Image: Bentley Motors)

04: The popular Club Members parade should see around 200 Bentleys take to the track (Image: Phil Kroll)

05: The Bentley Motors Heritage Collection will be displaying the Birkin Blower Team Car No2 (front) and EXP2, the world’s oldest surviving Bentley (Image: Bentley Motors)

About Bentley Drivers Club

Founded in 1936 by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, the BDC currently boast a global membership of 4,000. It’s proud of its ethos a ‘club of friends’ who share a love of all things Bentley. It’s also the only club directly affiliated with Bentley Motors.

Kommentar abgeben...