Cars of the Legends Battle Again - Grand Passione Classic - Donington Park Sat/Sun 19/20 April
| Published: 12th April 2008 16:22 |
Around 260 fabulous cars which provided the sporting action for six decades prior to the 1990s covering Grands Prix, Le Mans, Sportscars, Prototypes and the Ferrari Owners Club are lining up on the starting grid for the Grand Passione classic event at Donington Park over the weekend of 19/20 April.
Among them are 22 cars once driven to success by the most famous drivers in period. The four Lotus 18s entered include Jim Clark's first World Championship car, with others originally driven by Wolfgang Von Trips, Innes Ireland, Olivier Gendebien, Jo Bonnier, Dan Gurney and Tim Parnell.
Beyond the two Rob Walker Team cars, driven by Moss and Trintignant, are the works Cooper T51s driven by Jack Brabham to victory at Aintree (British GP 1959), second at Zandvoort and third at Reims; and by John Surtees, finishing second at Oulton Park in 1960 and fourth at Aintree.
From the GP Masters field, cars of note are the JPS Lotus 72 driven to victory by Emerson Fittipaldi in Brazil 1973; the Brabham BT42 of Carlos Reutemann; the BRM P160 of Peter Gethin, which won the Italian GP in 1971; the Matra MS120 in which Chris Amon so nearly won France 1971; plus all the Marches and Heskeths campaigned by James Hunt, the Surtees which did not win in period, but was driven by Mike Hailwood, and some real rarities like the Amon and the Trojan.
The World Sportscar Masters field has the Lola T70 MkIIb which won everything in the UK, driven by Denny Hulme for Sidney Taylor; the ex-Brian Redman Chevron B16; the ex-Jo Bonnier Lola T70 MkIIIb; and Chevron B8s from the factory and privateers.
The GT field - Gentleman Drivers - has the ex-works Le Mans full factory Morgan SLR; the Aston Martin DB4GT 212 Project car; hordes of E Types and AC Cobras; plus original ex-Lotus factory Elites.
In Sports Racing Masters, the unique US-built Hamill SR3 makes its European debut; also competing are the Cooper Chevrolet Monaco; the ex-Roy Salvadori Cooper Maserati Monaco; and several GT40s.
In Proto70s are the unique Gulf Mirage DFV from the 1975 Le Mans and the Matra MS670C which came third at Le Mans in 1974, driven by Jabouille and Migault.
This meeting offers a complete classic racing feast of totally authentic cars.
Entry is £19 per day for adults; children up to 15 years enter free (with an adult). Tickets are available from the circuit box office at http://www.donington-park.co.uk/ or tel 01332 810048.
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