Jamie Whitham, Alex George And Guy Martin To Race At Silverstone Classic
Jun 21, 2007
Silverstone’s motorcycle racing heritage is to be honoured by a full grid of two-wheeled racers at the Silverstone Classic, in association with Bonhams, on July 27-29.
Up to 50 racing machines from the 1970s and early ’80s, with a minimum engine size of 750cc, will battle it out for the Mike Hailwood Trophy on Saturday and the John Surtees Trophy on Sunday.
Both Hailwood and Surtees were bike racing legends who made a successful transition to cars, Surtees becoming the only man to win World Championship titles on both two wheels and four. Hailwood, killed in a road accident in 1981, drove for Surtees when he became a Formula 1 team owner, and scored the team’s best-ever World Championship Grand Prix finish - second - in Italy in 1972.
The era of eligible motorbikes spans the last years of pre-eminence in motorcycle racing of British manufacturers and the early years of Japanese domination, meaning that Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki are joined on the grid by Triumph and Vincent.
Among the riders at Silverstone there are likely to be some big names from motorcycle racing. Twice former British Superbike Champion Jamie Whitham, now a popular TV pundit on ITV’s coverage of Superbike racing, is almost certain to be in the field, for Sunday’s race at least, on a Harris Suzuki.
Alex George, a contemporary of Hailwood’s, is also hoping to be in the field. George was the man who deprived Hailwood of what would have been his 15th Isle of Man TT victory, when he took honours in the 1979 Formula 1 TT.
Guy Martin, a winner at the Silverstone Classic last year, is expected, like Whitham, to ride a Harris Suzuki. Martin, one of the bright young names of the sport, is fresh from finishing second in the Isle of Man Senior TT earlier this month.
The entry is put together by the Classic Racing Motorcycle Club (CRMC). CRMC Entry Secretary John Davidson said: “We have seven meetings every year that are full of classic bikes, and this is an extra one-off for the 750s and above. For the riders who have got those machines it’s a unique opportunity to race on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. The Silverstone Classic is certainly a highlight of our year. ”
