See Red at Donington

07 September 2004

Donington this year will reverberate with the sound of some of the world’s most exotic racing cars as the VSCC's Ferrari-oriented See Red festival kicks off this weekend, 11-12 September.

The programme is the most varied in the Vintage Sports Car Club calendar and this year will include three grids from the Shell Ferrari Maserati Historic Challenge:- pre-1960 front engined Grand Prix Cars (grid A) 1950s and early 1960s sports racing and GT cars (grid B) and mid 1960s to late 1970s sports and GT cars (grid C).

In addition to these races Ferrari F1 Course Clienti will be bringing six modern Ferrari Formula One cars will take to the track on both days. The sound of Schumacher’s and Barrichello’s cars from the 2002, 2001 and 2000 seasons, with mid 1990s cars, including the famous V12, such as those from the Alesi and Berger era, echoing around Donington’s natural amphitheatre will be truly memorable. Ferraris own test driver, Andrea Bertolini will be demonstrating a Suderia Ferrari 2002 ex Schumacher car over the weekend.

The highlight of the event will undoubtedly be a race for ERA cars to celebrate the marques 70th anniversary. 16 of the cars will be competing on track, whilst 19 of the Bourne designed and built cars will be on track.

Once again the meeting plays host to two of the Club’s premier trophy races – the Vintage Seaman and Historic Seaman Trophies. These will run on alternate days and some of the Vintage Seaman competitors will no doubt be out again in the Brooklands and Goddard Trophy race as well.

Hugely popular over the last few years, the Lansdowne Historic Motorcycle Series will be returning once again with over 40 un-silenced Manx Nortons and G50 Matchlesses. The sight and sound of a full grid is awesome and the racing very quick and competitive.

Completing the day on Saturday will be a Club race with a difference. To celebrate our 70th Anniversary the Club will be running a long team race for pre-war sport-cars. This will be run in a relay style, with car and driver changes as the batton is passed. It will be fast, tactical and challenging to follow! This great weekend of Vintage and Historic racing will have a magnificent 15 race programme including the usual full line up of vintage and historic racing such as the two famous Richard Seaman Trophy races for vintage and pre-war racing cars. A highlight for VSCC members will be a Pre-War Team Car relay race on Saturday lasting for three hours and which has already attracted provisional entries from 16 teams including 3 or 4 teams of Frazer Nashes, 2 teams of Bentleys, 3 teams of MGs of various types, Rileys, BMWs, and some ‘mixed bag’ teams.

As if that isn’t enough there will be the Brooklands and Goddard Trophy race, a race for 1950s Sports Racing Cars and two rounds of the ever-popular Lansdowne Motor Cycle series. And, once again the VSCC is proud to be hosting six races of the Shell Ferrari Maserati Historic Challenge series. This series is a European based for 1950’s and 1960’s Ferrari and Maserati sports cars and single-seaters. If that lot doesn’t tempt you then maybe the vintage car park on the infield at Redgate will do so along with the Aon Classic Car Concours and the Italian Village and supercar displays.