Almost 1,000 competitors . Twenty races . Two full race paddocks . Organising the on-track action at The Classic is a major undertaking . Each year , the Historic Sports Car Club embraces the challenge !
The HSCC , which is based in the Old Air Traffic Control Centre building here at Silverstone , is one of Europe ’ s leading organisers of historic racing . Established back in 1966 , the HSCC now has a portfolio of 17 categories and runs a busy programme of around 10 race meetings each season . It is predominantly home to sports cars , single-seaters and touring cars from the 1960s 1970s and 1980s . The HSCC is run for its members and is run by enthusiasts . It is all about making historic racing accessible , safe and fun .
Running a race meeting of the scale of The Classic requires a dedicated and skilled team in race control , with each day ’ s track activity timed down to the minute . At the head of the team are the Race Director and Clerks of the Course , who make all the important calls on matters like safety cars or red flags , driving standards and just about anything else that happens on track . Experience , knowledge , flexibility and quick thinking are just some of the attributes needed .
With the support of a dedicated support team and the vital trackside marshals , the senior officials have to ensure that doctors , rescue vehicles , fire tenders , breakdown trucks and safety cars are all in the right place at the right time . Scrutineers , timekeepers , assembly area marshals , pit and paddock marshals and startline marshals all play a key part in ensuring cars and drivers are ready to take to the track .
The downtime between qualifying sessions or races is pared to the absolute minimum to fit in such a full programme and is typically timetabled to be 13 or 14 minutes between qualifying sessions and 20 minutes between races . Of course , this is the time between the chequered flag for one session and the green flag for the next , so the actual free time is even shorter . In that time , systems need to be re-set , the electronic timekeeping system readied , the track inspected and broken down or damaged cars retrieved . The management of vehicle movement at such a large venue is another key function of the race control team and there is constant radio traffic in the race control rooms in the Wing Building . It takes a militarystyle operation to ensure that The Classic stays on schedule .
Any delays can cause some serious headaches and might include a large oil spillage or damage to barriers that both have to be fixed before the action can continue . Then , the British weather has been known to throw in a curved ball or two , just to keep everyone on their toes . Through it all , the safety of everyone involved remains as the number one priority , be they competitors , marshals or team members .
This weekend , the club is proud to have Historic Formula 2 and Thundersports on the schedule at The Classic . Both series are booming and deliver fantastic racing in glorious cars from a heyday of motor racing . In addition , the Club has a close partnership with the Formula Junior Historic Racing Association for the Formula Junior category .
The annual HSCC racing programme includes Silverstone Grand Prix , Brands Hatch Grand Prix , Donington Park and Oulton Park . The next key event in the Club calendar is the Croft Nostalgia event next weekend ( 3 / 4 September ). The HSCC is back here at Silverstone in the autumn for the annual Championship Finals meeting on the national circuit over the weekend of 15 / 16 October .
Over the last two years , the HSCC has won two major awards in historic motor sport . In 2019 , the HSCC ’ s Historic Formula 2 International Series was named ‘ Race Series of the Year ’ in the annual Royal Automobile Club Historic Awards .
Then , for 2020 the HSCC ’ s Legends of Brands Hatch Super Prix was judged as the ‘ Competitive Event of the Year ’. Last July , the event kickstarted the 2020 historic racing season as the sport began to emerge from the first COVID-19 lockdown .
To find out more about the HSCC , please visit the website at hscc . org . uk or follow the Club on Facebook at www . facebook . com / historicscc
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