Silverstone Festival (previously known as Silverstone Classic) is an annual three-day Festival featuring historic motorsport, live music and family-friendly entertainment at the Silverstone Circuit , home of the British Grand Prix . The event attracts hundreds of historic race cars in 20 races over the weekend, displays from over 100 car clubs with more than 10,000 classic cars, free access to the paddocks and grandstands, interactive activities, dynamic demonstrations, live music on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, a shopping village and lots more. Founded in 1990, the event was one of the first of motor sport meetings dedicated entirely to historic racing cars and celebrated its 30th anniversary online (thanks to COVID) in 2020 with postponed celebrations at the 2021 event. Originally held in late July, since 2022 the event has taken place over the August bank holiday weekend.
8-683: 2024’s track programme at the Festival consists of 20 races from across Grand Prix, GT, Sports and Touring car history. Both Silverstone’s paddock complexes are used during the weekend of the Festival to accommodate the large number of entrants, with racing taking place out of the National Paddock in the morning and the International Paddock in the afternoon. 2022 (26 to 28 August) 2021 (30 July to 1 August) 2019 (26 to 28 July) 2018 (20 to 22 July) 2017 (28 to 30 July) As well as
16-522: A variety of Porsches, until retiring from modern motorsport in 1996. He then ran the 'Works' TVR team for the factory in British GT's and FIA European events for the '97 and '98 season with Mark Hales and Phil Andrews driving. He then returned to driving again in both the GT Cup and in historic motorsport. In 1999 he took up historic rallying and became the '99 Safety Devices Historic Champion and in 2000 became
24-533: The British Touring Car Championship as teammate to Godfrey Hall and John Clark driving for Pyramid Motorsport in a BMW M3 , finishing the year in 17th place overall. He returned for a second season in 1991 for Tech-Speed Motorsport as teammate to Nick Baird and later in the season, Matt Neal. He then went on to race in Thundersaloons in a Toyota Supra and Vauxhall Calibra, and British GT's in
32-722: The Goodwood TT in a steel bodied E-Type (CUT 7) and 2nd in the Whitsun Trophy in a Mclaren M1B several times. In more recent times he has raced his original ex BTCC BMW M3 with his son Harry and is now rallying a Mk II Ford escort in the MSV/Motorsport News tarmac rally series, as well as an original FIA Ford Escort MkI RS1600 on the International historic racing scene. ( key ) Races in bold indicate pole position (1982-1984 in class) Races in italics indicate fastest lap. † Race
40-447: The auctions have been run by Nick Whale 's Iconic Auctioneers (previously known as Silverstone Auctions) with over £6m of sales in recent years. Nick Whale Nicholas Whale (born 4 March 1963) is a British racing driver . He currently competes in historic rallying and FIA historic saloon racing events. He runs Iconic Auctions (formally Silverstone Auctions), Classic Car Auctions, Automotive Auctions and Nick Whale Motorhomes. He
48-561: The first MSA British Historic Rally Champion in a '73 Porsche 911 RS ~ both with Nick Kennedy as co-driver. Since then he has raced in FIA historic saloons throughout Europe, GT's and Sports cars, as well as Can-Am sportscars all over the world. He won the St. Mary's Trophy in a Ford Mustang at the Goodwood Revival in 2000 (finishing 2nd in 2007 in a Mercury Comet Cyclone) and has finished in the top 6 of
56-546: The on-track racing, the Festival includes live music sets. Well known bands to have appeared in recent years include: McFly, Rick Astley, the Sugababes, ABC, The Christians and Sister Sledge. The 2024 line-up features Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Busted, and Olly Murs. In addition to numerous trade stands, club displays, live demonstrations, and family activities on the Village Green, car auctions are held at each year's event. Since 2011,
64-726: Was a main board director of both the BRDC and the MSA and also a trustee and a Director of the Midlands Air Ambulance. He started his racing career in 1980 by hillclimbing and sprinting a Mallock U2 and progressed to saloon car track racing in 1986. In 1988 he won his class at the Willhire 24 Hour race. In 1989 Whale won the Uniroyal British Production Saloon Championship (class B) in a BMW M3. For 1990 he stepped up to
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