Friday's Ferrari

This is another car seen in the Ferrari Owners Club area at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in August 2001.

It's a Ferrari 196SP produced in 1962 to take part in sports car racing in the 2 litre class and you can read about it here.

Racing Drivers

During race weekend current-day racing drivers are cocooned from the ordinary spectators, but this was not always the case. In the 1950s and 60s the spectators could gain access to the paddock and get close up to  the competing cars and drivers. The following photographs were taken at the Friday practice day for the British Grand Prix at Aintree in July 1962.

1961 World Champion Phil Hill who retired his Ferrari 156 Dino on lap 47 of the 75 lap race

1962 World Champion Graham Hill who finished 4th in his BRM P57

Bruce McLaren (left) and Jackie Lewis (right), team mates for Cooper driving the Cooper-Climax T60.

McLaren finished in 3rd place and Jackie Lewis in 10th.

Masten Gregory who finished 7th in the UDT Laystall Lotus-Climax 24

1960s Sports Prototypes

At the Silverstone Historic Tribute meeting in June 2004 one of the races was for the 'European Sports Prototype Trophy Organised by Group4Racing'. This table in the programme showed the cars which were eligible for this race series:

Here are a couple of the cars shown in the pit lane during the Saturday morning practice session for this race:

This is the 1968 Ford F3L DFV entered and driven by Jonathan Baker. You can read about the Ford F3L (or P68) in this Wikipedia article.

This is the 1969 Lola-Chevrolet T70 Mk3B of Nigel Hulme and you can read about the T70 here.

Here are both cars at Luffield Corner during the afternoon's race being followed by the Lola-Chevrolet T70 Mk3 of Frank Sytner.

Friday's Ferrari

Today's car is one I've photographed twice in the Ferrari Owners Club area at Coys International Historic Festival meetings. It's a 1954 Ferrari 250 Europa GT and you can read about that model here.

This is at the 1997 meeting in July of that year

This is the same car in July 2000 and its serial number is 0375GT

Speedway: Belle Vue Aces v Wimbledon (5 July 1975)

Another Gulf Oil British League speedway meeting at Belle Vue and now I had my telephoto lens.

Heat 1: Soren Sjosten (red), Paul Tyrer (blue) & Barry Briggs (white)

Heat 1: Barry Briggs

Heat 2: Reg Luckhurst (yellow/black), Graham Banks (white), Russ Hodgson (blue) & Geoff Pusey (red)

Heat 3: Ed Stangeland (white), Chris Morton (red) & Roger Johns (yellow/black)

Heat 4: Peter Collins (red), Tommy Jansson (white) & Geoff Pusey (blue)

Heat 5: Ed Stangeland (yellow/black), Chris Morton (red) & Alan Wilkinson (blue)

Heat 6: Soren Sjosten 

Match Result: Belle Vue Aces 53 Wimbledon 25

Edwardian Cars

This is another Edwardian car from the SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2006. It isn't listed in the programme of the meeting, but I've found that it's a 1913 Vauxhall fitted with an 11 litre 1918 Wolseley Viper engine and it's known as a Vauxhall Viper Special.

Friday's Ferrari

The display in the Paddock Suite at the SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2006 included this Ferrari F2005.

The F2005 was driven by Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello in the 2005 season, Schumacher finishing third in the Championship and Barrichello eighth. The Championship was won by Fernando Alonso driving a Renault R25.

The red car behind the F2005 in these photographs is the Ferrari 500 with which Alberto Ascari won the 1952 and 1953 World Championships and is part of the Donington Collection of racing cars. Have a look at this excellent photographic review of the Donington Collection by Mark Haggan and go along to the museum if you get the chance.