New details for revived Autosport 3 Hours race announced
More details have been announced about the revived Autosport 3 Hours endurance race, which will be held at Snetterton in April for pre-1966 GT cars.
The Historic Sports Car Club revealed in November that it planned to hold a three-hour race at the Norfolk circuit after a break of eight years. Autosport will be supporting the event, which will be run in the spirit of the original 1950s and 1960s races.
The contest was first held in 1957, when it was won by Ken Rudd in an AC Ace, and other former winners include two-time Formula 1 champion Jim Clark (in 1959 and 1963) and inaugural British Saloon Car champion Jack Sears (1964).
This year's race is due to be part of the HSCC's season-opener on 23 April and is set to feature five different classes for GTs, based on engine capacity.
Drivers who do not regularly compete with the HSCC are invited to take part in the race, which takes place on Snetterton’s shorter 200 layout.
The entry fee will be £1295 per car, covering the 50-minute qualifying session and three-hour race, while day membership of the HSCC will be included in the price for drivers who are not already members.
Eventual race winner Dick Stoop leads Chris Summers in the 1960 running of the Autosport 3 Hours
Photo by: Motorsport Images
Cars can be driven solo or shared by two or three drivers, and entrants are also encouraged to form teams of three cars – each from a different class – to compete for a special trophy.
“We’re delighted to be working with Autosport on this great event,” said HSCC CEO Andy Dee-Crowne. “It’s something we’ve been looking to try to run for a while – the HSCC doesn’t have an endurance race so we were very keen to get the Autosport 3 Hours back.
“What we’re trying to do is recreate a moment from history, looking back to the 1950s and 1960s and recreate that kind of atmosphere.
“People from any club and who don’t normally race in endurance races are more than welcome and should contact us.
“It represents incredible value for money for drivers when you compare it with other endurance races.”
Dee-Crowne believes the history of the race - which has so far been held 17 times, having first been reintroduced in 2007 and last held in 2015 - will help attract competitors.
“It’s a bucket list event,” he added. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to get your name on a trophy that had some great period winners.”
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