Silverstone Classic 2018
Silverstone July 2018
Welcome to the Cavalier and Chevette Club
Your friendly Vauxhall - Opel Club since 1994
© Cavalier and Chevette Club 2023
We acknowledgement to Vauxhall Motors Ltd
For those of you who don’t know what the Silverstone Classic is, it’s a three-day car and race event at the UK’s Silverstone Circuit, home of the British Grand Prix. Over a long weekend every July, the event features a large number of historic race cars in races and static displays and draws
together a large number of car clubs. It is billed as “The World’s Biggest Classic Motor Racing Festival”. We have had a presence at this event for the last three years and 2018 was the biggest presence we had with myself in a Cavalier Mk3, Phil Sciaffe in Fred Coomb’s Mk3, Graham Meakes in his
Mk3 and Fred Coomb’s himself who was doing the Retro Road Run with his Chevette HS.
We had a nice position not very far from the Luffield Complex of corners where the famous Steve Soper - John Cleland incident happened. On the Friday of the event we took part in a track parade to celebrate 30 Years of the Cavalier Mk3. 2018 also marks 60 years of the British Touring Car
Championship, which Vauxhall were a big part of in the 1990’s and still is today. The racing runs from the National Paddock in the morning and switches to the International Paddock in the afternoon. The event uses the full circuit and it is access all areas. So you can walk in the garages and walk
straight up to a 1966 Lotus Cortina or take a closer look at a 1980’s WIlliams F1 Car. Where else would you get this sort of access. Certainly not in modern F1.
There is a huge Trader Village, various fairground rides including a big wheel. Jet Petrol are a sponsor of the event and have a huge marquee where you can try your hand on the VR Driving Simulator or change the wheel on a F1 car. We had a go at this on the Saturday and set a time of around 5
seconds. On the Sunday as there were more of us there, we went head to head with three to a wheel. Graham, Mike and Phil to one and myself with friends of mine Robert and Andy on the other. Team GSi v Team Chevette. After a few practices we went head to head and we roughly did the
same time of around 5 seconds but Team GSi was that little bit quicker. However if Tony Absolom needs a new pit crew to change the tyres on his Touring Car Cavalier he knows where to come!Also part of the package and included in your ticket price were two music concerts. Friday night was
U2 and Oasis Tribute and Saturday night was UB40 themselves. Mike Brewer was on site for two days doing one of his car clinics, opposite him was a static Spitfire plane which they fired up at set times during the day. There was also a Classic Car Auction by Silverstone Auctions. And while all
this is going on you have the track action right from the Super Touring Cars and 1980’s F1 to Pre-1966 Touring Cars, Pre-1966 Sports Cars and Daytona Masters, which is Endurance Racing.
Fred Coomb’s and Jason took part in the Retro Road Run track parade. The Retro Road Run, as well as letting you into the circuit for three days also takes you on a road run out into the local area. This year it went deep into the Cotswold’s. Silverstone Circuit is also surrounded by the camp-sites
which are used by the F1 and Moto GP so camping on site is not a problem. Hotels are available in the local area as well. A truly excellent event which was helped by the hot (if not too hot at times) weather. Dates for next year are 26th to 28th July but subject to change if the British GP dates
change as these have not been published at the time of writing. Thanks to Fred Coomb’s, Jason, Graham Meakes, Mike, Phil Sciaffe and friends of the Club Robert Foster and Andy for attending.
Kevin Bricknall (602)
