AUDI LE MANS WINNER SET FOR CARS IN THE CLAYDONS EVENT Selection of some of the German marque’s finest to go on public display GT man Bryant gets Fun Cup 25 Hours seat

GT racer Oliver Bryant will compete in another day-long endurance race this weekend as he returns to the 25 Hour Fun Cup race at Spa.

After his recent ninth in the GTE Am class on his Le Mans 24 Hours debut, he will now return to more familiar territory. Bryant has been a regular in the Fun Cup event in recent seasons and has taken three class wins.

He will be part of the Team Tiger entry along with Ben Beighton, Chloe Noyce – whose father prepares the car – and William Plant, who he has coached in the GT Cup.

“We were leading the Petrol class at 0500hrs last year when we were brake tested by one of the Belgian cars,” said Bryant. “We are in one of the oldest cars so we’re slowest in a straightline but quicker round the corners.

“It’s a great event and always good fun. It’s incredible you can do the whole race on one set of road tyres, which is why it’s such good value.”

Bryant will be joined in the race by fellow GT racer Jade Edwards, who will be part of the Kinetix Motorsport entry. British touring car drivers Tom Ingram and Stewart Lines will also be on the grid. Audi UK will provide a range of racing machinery for James Beckett’s inaugural Cars in the Claydons event on September 3, headlined by its 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours winner.

The Audi R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 machine will be the centre of a large display from the German marque in the new event, which is held at the historic Claydon Estate in Buckinghamshire.

Other modern cars will include an R8 Le Mans prototype and an R8 LMS Ultra GT3. Frank Biela’s A4, and Stirling Moss’s Audi 80 British touring cars will also be on display.

The event will also have an endurance racing feature, including a 1950s Aston Martin DBR1, Jaguar D-type and Pre-war Bentleys.

“I’m good friends with Dave Ward at Progressive Motorsport and they’ve played a very big part in getting this collection donated by Audi,” said Beckett. “Locally the event is being very well talked about, but having cars like this on display to the public, for them to get up close and personal with, will be a big draw.

“I have high hopes for the future of Cars in the Claydons and I am working with Nicholas and Alexandra Verney to make this happen. Hopefully one day we can run the cars on the roads around the estate too. The Claydon Estate has been home to the Verney family since 1620, and Florence Nightingale used to live at Claydon House. Now you can visit, have a wander around the stunning private gardens and then poke around a modern LMP1 car parked on the lawn. Where else offers that?”

Tickets for the event are priced at £8 in advance or £10 on the gate and more information can be found at claydonestate.co.uk.