Built to compete in the one-make Grantrofeo Barchetta The Maserati Barchetta was designed by Carlo Gaino of the Italian Synthesis Design, and manufactured at the De Tomaso factory. I believe 15 examples in total were built between 1991 and 92. Powered by a 316 bhp 1996cc V6 Biturbo engine it gave the car a top speed of about 180 mph. The Grantrofeo race series comprised 16 races, mainly held in Italy.
Photos and Story by Jonathan Sharp
The racing this year at Silverstone (July 29-31) was great, especially the Can-Am and Historic sports car races, both of which were won by V12-engined Matra sports cars, driven on each occasion by Rob Hall. For a change of scene and photographic view point I decided to stand on the outside of copse corner for the Masters F1 race rather on the inside as in previous years. I know it is an over-used adjective but the F1 cars really do corner as if on rails, especially the Williams FW07C of race winner Nick Padmore. I can only imagine what a current F1 car corners like.
As the day had been very long I had decided to skip the final two races, the International Trophy for classic GT cars, and the group C race. I was making my way back to the car park and just passing the Rock Concert arena when the sounds coming out of the speakers proved too inviting so I made my way to the edge of the stage and enjoyed the AC/DC tribute band Live Wire, which brought back memories of seeing AC/DC live at the Finsbury Park Odean (I think) back in 1980. I was deaf for three days following that concert. After about eight songs I began to hear the sound of race cars in air even above the sounds of heavy rock, and any thought of making my way to the car park went out of the window. Just behind the stage is Village corner so I made my way track side to be greeted by a line of 58 race cars on their formation lap. So being a true petrol head I stayed to the end of the race, by which time in was nearly dark and with a minimum three hour drive home I decided that I really should be on my way. A good day, at Silverstone.
FIA Masters Historic Formula One
In a field made up of 99.9 % of Cosworth DFVs, the Ligier JS/17 of Rob Hall easily won the award for the best sound and also garnered 6th place to boot.
Steve Hartley (Arrows A4) and Christophe D’Ansembourg (Williams FW07/C) race towards Copse corner. Christophe ultimately finished fourth but Steve’s Arrows was a non finisher.
ATS HS01 of Christian Perrier.
7th place finisher Ollie Hancock (Fittapaldi F5A) and 2nd place finisher Loic Deman (Tyrell 010.)
This year is the 40th anniversary of James Hunt’s F1 World Championship victory, celebrated over the weekend with a display of some of Hunt’s race cars in the pit garage. On the track in the FIA Master’s Historic Formula One race,the entry included a handful of Hesketh 308s including James Hagan’s 308/1.
The unconventional shape of Alexander Furiani’s Surtees TS20 certainly caught my eye.
The Masters F1 race entry is split into various classes depending on the age of the car. John Delane’s Tyrell 001 was unsurprisingly an entrant in the Stewart class.
Tyrell 010 that Graham mentioned in his article last week, driven to 8th place by Mike Cantillon. The car was in the invitation class.
Endurance Legends
Whilst its not yet a race, on each day of the Silverstone Classic a varied cross section of endurance legends from the 1990s and early 00s were demo’d at high speed by their enthusiastic drivers.
The SP1/Chrysler LMP was built as a Le Mans prototype by Dallara, and was originally used as part of the Chrysler Corporation’s attempt to win Le Mans in 2001. Even with a fourth place finish to its credit in the first year Chrysler pulled the plug at the end of 2001. Badged as Dallara SP1s the cars were then sold to various private teams with the 6.0 Chrysler V8 engine being replaced with a Judd V10 in either 4.0 liter, or 5.0 liter capacity but with little success. In total 6 chassis were built with three being known as Chrysler LMPs.
My favorite has to be the ex Emmanuel Collard, Vincenzo Sospiri, JB Giessa team Ferrari 333 SP 022 98.
Ferrari 575 GTC A Chassis number 10 shown here spent most of her early life in Maranello serving as a prototype/test bed for the XX program. Sold by the factory along with several GT3 cars to AF Corsa and then into private hands.
Jaguar XJR15 Designed by Peter Stevens and Tony Southgate, and built by Jaguar Sport/Tom Walkinshaw Racing. In total 53 were manufactured between 1990 and 1992. Based mechanically on the 1988 Le Mans winning XJR9 but designed as a road racer, the car featured in the Jaguar Intercontinental challenge, a one make series which supported three F1 races in 1991.
A much better known Chrysler Le Mans entry, a pair of Viper GTS follow a Porsche 911 around Copse corner.
Jet Super Touring Trophy
The Super Touring trophy sets out to celebrate the golden age of touring car racing and is open to genuine touring cars that raced between 1970 and 2000. I have happy memories of watching these cars on the TV.
Mark Jones ex-Jason Plato Williams Touring Car engineering/Renault Laguna chassis 99/03 which on Saturday finished 10th.
My favorite has to be the Alfa Romeo 156, the example shown here is Neil Smith’s who finished in 4th place in Saturday’s race. The winner was Colin Noble Jnr’s Vauxhall Vectra.
Not your normal staid old Volvo saloon. Jason Minshaw’s 6th place finish ex-Gianni Morbidelli, Rikard Rydall TWR-built 1998 Volvo S40 Super Tourer.
Can Am class
Saturday saw the Can Am 50 Interserie Challenge in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the start of the Can Am series.
Not the Bruce and Denny show but the Andrew and Rob show. Andy Newell in the McLaren M8F shown here had one heck of a battle with Rob Hall Matra 670C during race 7 on Saturday.
Sometimes there is a substitute for cubic inches and that is handling. Rob Hall’s race winning Matra 670C.
It may have been a blind alley idea, and I understand Jackie Oliver refused to drive it, but Harm Lagaaji seems to be enjoying his Shadow MK1 Can Am racer.
John Spiers Osella PA3.
Robert Parker’s Osella PA5 BMW.
Two more very rare cars. Car 111 driven by Rick Carlino is a GRD S72. Group Racing Developments (GRD) was a small British racing car manufacture of Formula 2, 3 Atlantic and Sports 2000. The S72 was built in 1972 for the World Championship of Makes. Car 22, a non finisher, is the unique Fred Davies Special. Fred Davies was an English engineer who originally worked for Sadler before moving from Canada to California to construct a sports racer of his own design using a Chevy V8 engine and Huffaker gearbox housed in a tubular spaceframe chassis and clothed in an aluminum body.
Vic Nutter’s 1973 Group 6 March 73S. One of three cars supplied to the Trevelato team from a total of 19 built by March engineering to make use of the remaining supply of BMW M12 engines from their F2 race program.
Harry Reed’s 1970 McLaren M8C.
FIA Masters Historic Sports cars
The winner of the FIA Masters Historic Sports car race on Saturday , ahead of squadron of Lola T70s, was the stunning 1971 Matra 650C of Rob Hall and Andy Willis.
The Rittweger/Hancock Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Comp unfortunately was a non-finisher but for the 16 laps (race length 23 laps) that she ran she looked, and sounded gorgeous.
Keith Martin’s Dulon Dino LD10B.
The De Tomaso Pantera of Hanson and Pochciol.
Gary Culver’s Broadley Automotive T76, (car 95) Lola T70 MK111B goes wheel-to-wheel with what I believe to be Mike Whitaker’s Lola T70 MK2 Spyder.
Shaun Lynn’s well-known ex-David Piper Lola T70 MK111B.