Silverstone Classic 2009  24th-26th July

It was an extraordinary entry of 54 cars that assembled at Silverstone, and, with some parked with their preparers, we managed to squeeze the rest into the FJ tented garages, which looked very professional.  The meeting organisers were going to judge the best display and award a prize of £10,000 in addition to award five “highly commended” prizes of £1,000.  Well done to Kevin Musson for his informative and well presented display of his Lola Mk 3 and a much deserved £1,000 that I am sure will be put to good use, a little bird whispered ‘new tyres’. Gordon Wright also put up a splendid and informative backdrop for the Stanguellini.

Friday was practice day and the qualifying session for FJ was first thing, which at least made driving to assembly straightforward as there was virtually no one around.  You could tell that Andrew Hibberd and Simon Diffey were keen to get on and post a fast time as they were at the head of the queue at 08.00.  The track was dry and remained so, apart from a few spots of rain, for the whole of the weekend.  With fifty-three Juniors practising it proved difficult for some drivers to find a clear piece of track. Jon Milicevic threw down the gauntlet in Stuart Rolt’s Cooper T59 and claimed pole position in 2:07.774, a clear 1.637 seconds ahead of Urs Eberhardt in the Lotus 27.  Andrew Hibberd’s Lotus 22 was third alongside James Claridge in the Lola Mk5A.  Ben Simms was the best placed class C car attaining seventh with the Elva 200.  The best grid slot for class D was achieved by Chris Drake’s Elva 300 in twelfth.  Jason Wright made it to thirtieth with his Fiat engine Stanguellini in Class A, and the other front engine class, B, was headed by Ian Bankhurst in a Gemini Mk 2. 

Forty-eight cars lined up on Saturday for the start of ‘The Colin Chapman Trophy Race for Historic Formula Juniors’. This was a truly international field with competitors making the journey from across Europe to compete as well as providing a varied grid of twenty marques with assorted models within, thus demonstrating a visual history of FJ.  Above all, however, this was the highest number of starters that had graced a Formula Junior grid, since the first race back at Monza in 1958, and this was to be repeated in Race 2

Jon Milicevic, driving the ex- Stuart Rolt Cooper T59 accelerated into the lead from pole position and established a gap between himself and the chasing Urs Eberhardt’s Lotus 27 while Andrew Hibberd in the Lotus 22 headed a gaggle of cars fighting for third.  Milicevic increased his lead on lap 2 when Eberhardt reluctantly pulled-up with a broken upright, and  a cracked cylinder head was also later diagnosed : lucky that he had not run on and destroyed the engine. Andrew Hibberd spun leaving James Claridge, Lola Mk5A to lead the chase.  A battle for second place continued lap on lap as Simon Diffey’s Lotus 20 strived for track position with Claridge as they negotiated backmarkers, at one point passing either side of a Cooper.   By the end of lap 4 Diffey had the advantage but Claridge was in determined mindset and took him on the penultimate lap at Copse, both having given a master class in slipstreaming.  Meanwhile Ben Simms in Stuart Rolt’s own car, the Elva 200 and James Murray’s Lola MK5A were thrilling the spectators with their battle for fourth which eventually Simms nailed with an incredible drum braked class win. Andrew Hibberd, once recovered from his spin, chased after the field and was just pipped by Steve Smith’s Cooper T59 and had to settle for seventh. Chris Drake won Class D, Ian Bankhurst Class B, and Jason Wright Class A. There were tussles throughout the field for both position and class to thrill and entertain both drivers and spectators and happily no contact was made.  Jon Milicevic won by over sixteen seconds, in the process setting the fastest lap 2:08.874, from Claridge in second and Diffey third.

Despite the attrition of five cars from Saturday’s race the grid for ‘The Jim Clark trophy Race for Historic Formula Juniors’ still stood at a record breaking forty-eight cars on the Sunday.  The reserves that had established a qualifying time were starting in their timed grid position, thus Martin Walford in the Lotus 22, started eighth.  Jon Milicevic was hoping to make it a double victory at his local circuit and was eager for the off, but had a long wait as the field wended its way on the green flag lap.

Milicevic made a perfect start and led into Copse from Andrew Hibberd who was determined to make amends for his spin in Saturday’s race, these two steadily pulling away from the chasing group headed by James Murray.  A spin by Kevin Musson in the beautifully restored Lola Mk 3 was in danger of replicating the race 47 years ago when the car took out five others at Copse.  Duncan Rabagliati went agricultural with the front engine Alexis to avoid disaster and others were lucky not to be collected by the Lola.  Ben Simms was all over the back of Murray as he strove to find a way through with another five cars also squabbling for 3rd.  Opportunities opened up as backmarkers came into play, but Murray maintained track position.  Then disaster struck as a spinning Stanguellini with Gordon Wright no more than a passenger collected the overtaking Lynx of Steve Gibson, ending up across his bonnet.  Luckily neither driver was injured but that was the end of the race as the red flag was shown and the decision to call the result made.  Thus, Jon Milicevic was declared the winner, from Hibberd in 2nd and Murray 3rd. achieving his double together with the fastest lap at 2:07.722.  Class honours went to Class A Jason Wright (23rd), Class B Stuart Roach (13th), Class C Ben Simms (7th), Class D Chris Drake (12th).

This year’s Classic had the usual attractions and a vintage funfair, though some rides were charged for.  Air displays, track displays, car clubs, Retro-run and big name concerts (The Pussy Cat Dolls less one member, Blue and Carlos Santana).  Iain Rowley definitely enjoyed the Pussycat Dolls but I’m not sure how much he can remember!  Both Bill Grimshaw and I wanted to bid on identical items in the Bonhams Auction: sadly they went for over seven times the lower estimate, needless to say we both came away empty handed. The Management Team are striving hard to make this the largest and greatest classic car meeting in the World but still have some way to go.  This, the fifth year of the meeting can certainly be counted a success and with luck and good planning next year’s will be even better.

Jill Carter – August 2009