The official launch of the 2008 BRDC Historic Sportscars, now run by Motor Racing Legends, took place at the BRDC Clubhouse, Silverstone Circuit, on Thursday 27th March.
The well-attended lunch welcomed a large group of owners, racers and preparers, an impressive turnout which bodes well for the future of the series. After an introductory speech by Duncan Wiltshire, a ‘questions and answers’ session saw a healthy debate about many aspects of the series, including eligibility criteria, the class structure and the 2008 calendar.
Among the points raised was the potential to vary the pit-stop duration, as a form of ‘success ballast’. This clearly didn’t meet with approval from the participants present, and has hence been dropped as an idea for 2008. However, one proposal which received widespread support was the idea of splitting Class E (Pre-’56) into two classes – above and below two litres – assuming there are sufficient numbers of cars entered in each of the two categories.
A suggestion for 2008 which has definitely been accepted is the inclusion of an additional invitation class for GT cars (albeit with certain restrictions). Cars in this invitation class, however, will not be eligible for awards.
Perhaps the most lively debate concerned the pros and cons of accepting electronic ignition. While some felt it’s an acceptable modification to help ensure reliability, others felt it to be unnecessary and anachronistic. In the end, a strict adherence to period specification won the day: the BRDC Historic Sportscars will not permit electronic ignition.
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