Why 90,000 went to the Silverstone Classic

Historic racing is now one of the biggest branches of the sport, and the Silverstone Classic one of the UK's premier motor racing events.

More than 90,000 turned out for the 22-race event last weekend, putting the Classic firmly in second place behind the British Grand Prix when it comes to Silverstone's car racing events.

The death of popular racer Denis Welch certainly overshadowed the 2014 edition, but the appeal of such meetings - the reason Welch was there in the first place - remains.

If you've never been to a historic event, or are one of those motorsport fans who think it's just a bunch of old men trundling around in slow cars, now might be the time to have a rethink.

Here are some of the reasons why.

THE CARS

Do you feel you don't get to see modern drivers really working because cars corner on rails? Do you like loud and spectacular machines? Do you get fed up with too much single-make competition?

If your answer to any or all of these questions is yes, then historics can provide the antidote.

Low levels of downforce (or none at all!) mean there is a lack of grip and cars move around a lot. Most historics have spacious cockpits too, so you can see the arm-twirling antics as drivers wrestle their machines.



Whether it was historic ace Simon Hadfield gunning a five-litre Lola T70 sports-racer, former Le Mans winner Jackie Oliver flinging his newly acquired Ford Mustang around (see video, above), or ex-British GT champion Bradley Ellis three-wheeling a Tojeiro-Bristol sportscar through Club, there was no lack of spectacle at the Classic.

The Ferrari 512M looked resplendent as the sun set © Ebrey

Not all races can be close, so cars that are great to watch even when just circulating on their own is a definite bonus.

Almost all historic series are also multi-make, and at an event like the Classic you can see a range of single-seater, sportscar and touring car machinery from different eras.

Only at such events can you find a Jaguar D-type, Lotus 25, Ferrari 512M, Williams FW07C, Mercedes C11 and Honda Accord Super Tourer competing on the same bill. Variety really is the order of the day.

THE RACING

Most historic categories aren't bedeviled by that great enemy of overtaking: dirty air from wings. Many don't run on slicks either, making braking distances longer and aiding passing further.

Formula Junior never fails to excite © Walker

Formula Junior - an F1 feeder series in the early 1960s - invariably provides wheel-to-wheel slipstreaming action, with almost any corner at Silverstone becoming an overtaking place.

Although it's true that the wide range (and age) of machinery - and indeed driving ability - means some races get rather spread out, there's usually enough competition at the front to keep things lively.

Of the 22 races last weekend, only seven didn't have a change of lead on track, and most of them had enthralling dices further down the top six.

Even the FIA Masters Historic F1 pack - not always the most competitive field - put on an incredible five-car fight for the lead in the second race. And the battle was decided by a bold move around the outside at Brooklands by Martin Stretton that was worthy of the cars.

STARS

One of the main criticisms thrown historic racing's way is the quality of the driving: many of the competitors are rich amateurs and not all are blessed with as much talent as money.

Huff (left) and Dodd were embroiled in a terrific tin-top battle © Walker

There are, however, plenty of good historic racers out there. Just look at how the likes of Stretton, Hadfield and Gary Pearson compare to the big names of contemporary motorsport at events like the Goodwood Revival.

Not only that, but there are an increasing number of modern stars joining in. They drive the cars hard, providing a fine spectacle, but usually have trouble beating the best of the regulars, underlining the level of competition.

The best example of that at the Classic was probably the second Super Touring encounter. Rob Huff, one of the best tin-top racers in the world, showed great racecraft in a 2000 British Touring Car Championship Ford Mondeo, but was pushed all the way by historic racer James Dodd's Honda Accord, which finished just 0.7s behind.

Climbing into an old racer can be good for the contemporary racers too. Quite apart from the fun factor, they can prove their mettle to a different audience.

I've heard people say current drivers would struggle in a 'proper' racing car, that modern machines do too much for them. But invariably when the younger generation try historics they prove well up to the task.

Shedden enjoyed his Lotus Cortina outings at Silverstone © Ebrey

Former BTCC champions Gordon Shedden and Colin Turkington made their event debuts last weekend and both performed well. And Turkington's response after taking a class podium in the Super Touring race was typical.

"It was awesome," said the 32-year-old. "The car is very well balanced and you can do small drifts everywhere. It left me wanting more."

Shedden was also superb in the Team Dynamics-prepared Ford Lotus Cortina, qualifying on pole for the Under 2-Litre Touring Car encounter and battling the big bangers in the Mustang Celebration Trophy races. Just try typing 'Tom Roche Mustang v Gordon Shedden Cortina' into YouTube.

There were plenty of cars being driven to their limits.

SPEED

At last year's Classic, sportscar ace Nicolas Minassian lapped at 123mph in the Group C Jaguar XJR-14, setting a new outright lap record for the historic GP circuit.

The Frenchman, a driver with experience of top-level contemporary sportscars and Formula 3000, then said: "It's pure joy. Driving the car here was pure racing, pure motorsport.

Minassian lapped at over 120mph in this XJR-14 last year © Ebrey

"This was the perfect training for the WEC after a summer of not racing, even though the car is faster than LMP2."

Of course, few cars are as rapid as the ultimate Group C Jaguar, but the point is that there are some very quick cars in historics. Some, like sportscars of the '60s and '70s, are quick in a straight line (a Porsche 917 topped 180mph at Monza a few years ago), while others - like '80s F1 cars and Group C machines - produce impressive levels of downforce.

In an era when technology has to be continuously reigned back in modern motorsport, historics provide access - for fan and driver - to cars that can frighten all but the most rapid of modern machines.

One issue this raises is how many drivers are capable of handling such racers, never mind extracting the maximum from them, but there are usually a few at any given event that can give them a good workout. And that's surely better than having them sitting in a museum.

HISTORY

These events also give those who weren't fortunate to see the cars in their heyday a chance to see them doing what they were designed to do. Or act as a nostalgic reminder to those who were there first time around.

The Classic's F1 parade showcased developments in the sport © Ebrey

When you've got so many races, spanning the decades, you can also appreciate the ongoing story of the sport. The cars provide a living timeline charting how we got to where we are.

History might not be your thing, but it's hard not to want to know more about the cars that have just shaken the ground beneath your feet or spat flame at you as they swept past.

My core criteria for assessing any race or series are: the size of the entry; the quality of the racing; the appeal of the cars; the level of the drivers.

Historic racing virtually guarantees high marks in two of those four and sometimes, like several moments at Silverstone last weekend, it scores a full house.

With increasing concerns over the environment, sound 'pollution' and safety, not to mention the cost of some of the cars, there's no guarantee the golden age of historic motorsport will last forever.

Grab the chance to experience it while you can.