ONLY IN THE UK

2021-02-25 -

Have you ever been to a race meeting hosted by the Vintage Sports Car Club? If not, you are seriously missing out.

The Vintage Sports Car Club invented the historic race meeting; The VSCC held the first motorsport event after the second world war when 12–15,000 people flocked to the Elstreet Speed Trials. It was the Frazer Nash section of the VSCC that held the first race at Silverstone, called the Mutton Grandprix, enjoyed by all except the sheep that were run over during the race.

Since 1934 the VSCC has provided a playground for old cars, of all sorts, be they fantastic straight 8 supercharged Grand Prix cars such as a Bugatti 35B, the humble Austin 7, an opulent Rolls Royce Silver Ghost or a light weight GN hill climb special built in a garden shed displaying its exposed valve gears on an air-cooled V-twin engine. But what makes a VSCC event extraordinary is that the drivers of this remarkable and historic machinery are happy to talk to anyone who shows an interest. A VSCC event does not promote the hierarchy feeling where the drivers are aloof; we are all in the paddock together to race our cars and provide a spectacle for people who want to come along and share our passion for the beginnings of autosport.

VSCC race meetings have a friendly, clubby feel. Many people camp at the race track, as part of the fun. There is a community within the club that has something for everyone, be it racing your car, helping fettle and race prep a car, join the buoyant, jovial crew of volunteer marshals or just sit on a grassy bank with a picnic and watch the most extraordinary range of historic machinery race by.

The paddock offers the unique opportunity to get up close and personal with these fabulous vehicles. You will often find a car undergoing a major rebuild between races. Part of the joy of pre-war cars is you can fix them yourself. For a spectator with an interest in engineering, the fascination of the way cars used to work is endless. Many of the VSCC race meetings and hill climbs have a unique, localized, classic and vintage tyre-fitting service, with Longstone Tyres in residence, providing the opportunity to see a range of classic tyres in the flesh, and having a tyre fitting service at a race track near you. Where else can you get your wire wheels balanced? Added to that there’s often a Concourse de Elegance displaying some of the most beautiful pre-war cars and an auto solo driving test where you can get close to the cars in action.

Enthusiasts young and old A lot of these vintage cars will drive to the race meeting, compete in the races, and then drive home again afterwards. The same car may compete in other speed events the VSCC organizes such as Hill Climbs and sprints and other events that are not about speed. The VSCC also hosts Rallies, both competitive and country-side tours, driving tests, off road vintage trials, and the VSCC club house holds one of the most complete libraries about historic cars.

What other racing club is so pro-active in the furtherment of motorsport that it offers race entries to under 30 year old enthusiasts, who are borrowing Grandad’s car to get out on the track with half price entry fees and learn about the history of our machinery, how to use it, and most importantly how to fix it? A VSCC race meeting can be the antidote for the internet. Get your children off Grand Theft Auto and get them into the real world and on the tarmac at Silverstone.

The VSCC race meetings of 2021 are not just for pre-war cars. They also feature occasional grids from Formula 500 F3 single seaters, pre 1961 racing cars, Edwardian cars, ‘fifties sports car racing club, Formula Junior, Historic Grand Prix Cars association, Classic Ferrari, Historic Racing Drivers Club, Morgan Challenge, and this year Longstone Tyres plan to sponsor the first Light Car and Cycle Car race this century. Visit a VSCC race meeting at a track near you to enjoy the thrill of continuing historic motorsport across the UK.

VSCC Race and Speed 2021 • 17th April

Spring start and auto solo Silverstone

• 2nd May

Curborough sprint

• 5th June

Harewood hillclimb

• 19th June

Cadwell race meeting

• 4th July

Shelsley hillclimb

• 10th July

Oulton park race meet, auto solo and concours