Silverstone Festival (Classic) 2023

[coppice]

So out of the 20 odd races you tried watching just one (foc ) , didn't like it and concluded the event has lost its identity? Crikey. I almost feel I have to apologise for enjoying it all , including the GT3 race which was worth watching for the astonishing cornering pace of the Elise alone .Mind you , I was there, and paying towards the cost of your free stream .

[Robin Marriott]

I saw part of the touring car race too, which was mostly spent behind a yellow flag, which didn’t ignite my interest either.

I don’t see why it’s a controversial opinion to say that a Lamborghini Huracan being raced at a festival which was always a historic event means it’s lost its identity. It’s a 5 year old car.

[kipper]

Originally Posted by Robin Marriott

This year I turned it on and was greeted by modern GT3 cars so switched it rapidly back off again.

I don’t know why they made the change this year but it seemed like an odd mixture of cars that it lost the identity of the event.

To be fair some of the GT3/GT4s are now approaching 20 years in age. Although I accept that some of the cars racing at Silverstone were newer than this figure (and by extension, things such as LMP2/LMP3 cars), they are obsolete as far as modern racing goes. Therefore, I can see how the cars meet some people's definition of historic racing.

I also think it's worth noting that the Silverstone Classic has often featured races for cars as the 'newer' end of the historic spectrum. I think the first Classic I attended was in 2005. There was a race for Group C sportscars - some of these were only slightly older than a dozen years. I also recollect races for modern cars, such as Fiat 500 Abarths.

I think the key point is that the Silverstone Classic doesn't set out to replicate/showcase a particularly era of motorsport. Instead, it is about a wide spectrum of races. It is perhaps inevitable within this that there will be races that resonate with some people more than others.

[John Turner]

I sort of see Robin's point but things evolve, and as kipper says many of these cars are now getting on a bit although, for me the Hurracan is a bit too recent. However, anything with an Aston Martin badge (with one fairly recent exception!) does it for me to it was good to see one get amongst those Lambos!

[flatlandsman]

I would imagine it was an effort to try and attract fans of a different generation, or perhaps they initially struggled to get grids for whatever else they thought about initially.

Entries for the event are draconian, and maybe they tried something else and it was not working. The event was renamed this year so perhaps this also suggest a different tone.

I do not know who runs it, I think it has been run through several promoters over the years, maybe this one is trying something new. I have no issue with what is on offer, the issue i have is the very high admittance fees, the venue and the way they treat fans.

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by flatlandsman

I would imagine it was an effort to try and attract fans of a different generation, or perhaps they initially struggled to get grids for whatever else they thought about initially.

Entries for the event are draconian, and maybe they tried something else and it was not working. The event was renamed this year so perhaps this also suggest a different tone.

I do not know who runs it, I think it has been run through several promoters over the years, maybe this one is trying something new. I have no issue with what is on offer, the issue i have is the very high admittance fees, the venue and the way they treat fans.

It is still operated by Goose Live Events, but is now owned by Silverstone Circuits (again), so it is their event.