Silverstone Classic 2018

I tend to start most posts with a nod to the weather, usually poor, that I encounter on my jaunts to different motoring events. The idea that as a nation we’re obsessed with the weather may have some truth but with such unpredictability you can excuse us for being bemused when the weather fails to surprise us. The weeks building up to this years Silverstone Classic were uncharacteristically hot, so much so that it convinced us to leave the waterproofs at home and actually buy a coolbag. I kid you not. The sheer surprise element of predictable hot weather in the summer months left us confused and delighted at the gloriousness of Silverstone on a fine summer’s day…… in the middle of summer…. shocking. So with extra ND filters packed to combat this sunshine over three full days of action on and off track we headed to the world famous Northamptonshire circuit steeped in history.

Porsche Club GB is a wonderful club to be a member of. We don’t make use of every perk or go to every club event but the one’s we do use more than cover the cost of membership and the wonderful hospitality provided at events such as the Classic is second to none. Reduced entry price, infield parking, club grandstand and posh WCs along with complimentary coffee provided by Gas Coffee all weekend. You’d be mad not to join.

So on to the racing. The Silverstone Classic is simply the largest classic motorsport event in the UK. There really is something for everyone. Apart from the special demonstrations, of such things as modern F1 cars and super bike legends, all of the racing you see is real. It’s not like watching Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks tear it up in a ring. No illusions here, seriously, it was pretend. Not the leotards, they were very real, but…. It really is the most glorious display of some of the rarest, most expensive, historically significant racing cars in the world battling it out wheel to wheel in serious competition for that top step. I hope my photographs show this realism and capture some of the atmosphere as the access to paddocks, pits and grandstands at the classic is brilliant for getting right in with the action. The smell of race fuel, the noise, the excitement of a driver swap in the pits, all of this adds to the enjoyment of three solid days racing making lugging all my camera gear round seem somewhat worthwhile.