Top Hat and Masters historic racers will have an unprecedented televised season opener thanks to a deal between Masters Historic Racing, Motors TV and production company Race TV.
The Top Hat Raceday at Oulton Park on Saturday March 12th will receive a dedicated one-hour show highlighting the personalities, the cars and the action from the opening historic race meeting of the season. Viewers will be treated to the best of the action from the day plus in-depth features on some of the cars in action and interviews with leading drivers and preparers.
Top Hat Event Manager James Beckett said: “This is excellent news for Top Hat competitors who will have a chance to show a wide audience just what are race meetings are like. By focussing on people, cars and paddock atmosphere as much as the racing itself, we will be able to bring a great hour of entertainment to Motors TV’s viewers.”
Production of the telecast will be done by Race TV, which already has a wide portfolio of championships that it films for Motors and web-based transmission. Race TV’s Nick Barnett said: “I am delighted that we have been able to reach an agreement to show this opening Top Hat raceday of 2011. Historic racing is rich in personalities and mouth-watering cars and to bring those together, along with a circuit as picturesque as Oulton Park, will make for cracking television. We are working towards a transmission date of April 8th and every competitor who races at the event itself will receive a free DVD of the final programme making this a must-do event for the historic racing community.”
Races for Pre-66 Touring cars, Gentlemen Drivers Pre-66 GT Cars, Masters Sportscars plus Oldies but Goldies 50s saloons, a 70s Celebration Race and a Formula Ford 1600 race will make up the event content.
I think there are now 5 confirmed Mini entries that I am aware of, it would be good if we could see 8 or so out, I don't think that is beyond the bounds of possibility - is it ?
Former F1 driver, Roberto Moreno, to race with Masters at Oulton Park
Former F1 racer and F3000 champion Roberto Moreno is to make his historic motor sport debut when he races at Oulton Park on March 12th.
Moreno, who raced for Lotus, AGS, Coloni, EuroBrun, Benetton, Jordan, Minardi, Andrea Moda and Forti during his time in F1, will share Masters prime-mover Ron Maydon’s Mini Cooper S in the Pre-66 Touring Car race at the historic Cheshire circuit. Moreno was a spectator at the recent Masters track days at Goodwood and has been keen to race with the historic motor racing promoter ever since.
Top Hat Event Manager James Beckett said: “We really are delighted that Roberto wants to come and race with us. His enthusiasm is just incredible and I am sure that we will see him doing a lot of racing with us this season. He has his eyes on a Formula 1 car, but the Cooper S will be something very different for him at Oulton Park and I am sure that he will be very competitive. It will be great to have him racing at Oulton Park after a break of nearly 30 years.”
Although Moreno has raced with a roof over his head before, in the Italian and French touring car championships, racing the Cooper S will be a step into the unknown. He said: “I have been looking at racing in historic events for some time and I really like what Masters has to offer. I really like the way it offers lots of different races for competitors through the wide number of categories that are available. I really like what historic motor racing can offer competitors and I’m looking to get more involved through racing and instructing drivers as well
“I’m really looking forward to racing Ron’s Cooper S. I have never raced on the full circuit and never raced a Mini so it will be whole new experience!” Roberto last raced at Oulton Park in August 1982 when he finished eighth in a British Formula 3 Championship race in his Ralt RT3-Alfa Romeo.
Ron Maydon’s only comment was: “This could prove to be very embarrassing for me!”
Just a note folks, the cheaper ticket deadline finishes very soon and it's going from £12 to 16. Its free for kids under 13.
Where are we meeting?.
Unfortunately I will not be in the Mk1 but am prepaired to head the extreme right wing faction group based arround VW campers, we are 2 stong in numbers so far!!
Yorkie 'S' wrote:Oh Dear - not the cylinder head again Tim ?
No, just not happy with the power output as it was at Donington. I thought it was just me but after several testing sessions with proper drivers driving....it (happily?) wasn't! Remember, I run a homemade jobby, rather than luxuriating under Swiftpower
Masters gains MSA championship status – can you be a Masters Historic European Champion?
At last! Masters Historic Racing has announced it has obtained MSA-recognised championship status for four of its leading categories in a new initiative for 2011 after a five-year period of working towards this goal and launches this weekend at Oulton Park.
The MSA-recognised championship will be for GP Masters, WSM, Gentlemen Drivers and Pre-66 Touring Cars and will include the UK events at Oulton, Snetterton, Brands, Silverstone, Donington as well as the foreign Masters festivals at Porto, Nurburgring and Spa-Francorchamps.
This will make Masters the only historic race organiser running a pan-European championship with the full recognition of the FIA and the MSA and will allow Masters to offer drivers the prestige of being Masters Historic European Champion.
Masters series founder Ron Maydon said: “I am delighted that we are able to make this announcement which is the result of several years of hard work from all of the Masters team; MSA Chief Executive Colin Hilton and his team, and John Hughes, President of the FIA Historic Commission to whom I would like to express my thanks for their co-operation. This championship comes with the backing of the MSA and FIA, which is a huge compliment to Masters. This allows us to have champions and season-long excitement to see who will come out as the inaugural Masters Historic European Champion in their class. Masters races are always hard to win because of the quality of our entries and to say that you are a race winner is no mean effort, but to say you are a Masters Historic European Champion means that you are among the best of the best.
“This is an exciting development for Masters and means we are a fully-fledged public championship, rather than having an internal points system within a series. Once again, Masters is leading the way.”
Points will be scored in each class within the categories on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis and each category will have its own individual champion at the end of the season.
The opening championship rounds for WSM, Gentlemen Drivers Pre-66 GT Cars and Pre-66 Touring Cars will be this Saturday, March 12th, at Oulton Park.
Not a bad day today,had a good look for your camper Pete but no sign of it???
Anyway I thought i'd take some shots in the pits during driver change time and happened to be in a certain garage when the below kicked off...
We had fought our way back up to 6th when on my in lap the nearside driveshaft broke coming out of the chicane which was very hairy. I limped back to the pits and lost 11 mins changing the shaft so that Tony Jardine could have a run. The ups and downs of racing they say. Good to see all that came to the event and said hello
The shafts are Minispares competition ones and it broke the tip off the shaft but dont think the shaft was at fault the CV joint looks to have caused the problem. Very hairy as you are accelerating out of a corner as it snapped sideways then crabbed its way back to the pits. Brakes were very hot too so quite a few burns today but at least we got out again.
A few from the paddock courtesy of 'Surf Junior'......
and the track (courtesy Autosport forum)......
Marc learning how wide Jaaaags are when they're determined not to let you past......
Luckily he didn't hit anything....
...but was soon back up his chuff ...
..and out braked him up the outside on the last lap at Lodge ,we thought he beat the Jag to the line but the 'computer says...noooo' by a gnat's knacker.
Roberto Moreno started Maydon's car very well and was right up with the Yank Tanks until the loud pedal stopped working....
Last edited by Pete on Sun Mar 13, 2011 1:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Brynmor wrote:Not a bad day today,had a good look for your camper Pete but no sign of it???
Sorry Bryn, I took the cheaper and quicker option bringing the wife's car thus giving the brewing duties to Dave in his lovely pimped T5. Sorry I missed you.
acespeed72 wrote:they will be all over the car soon ha ha
The shafts are Minispares competition ones and it broke the tip off the shaft but dont think the shaft was at fault the CV joint looks to have caused the problem. Very hairy as you are accelerating out of a corner as it snapped sideways then crabbed its way back to the pits. Brakes were very hot too so quite a few burns today but at least we got out again.
andy, do you think this started last year when you had the knock with that cortina? - wasnt it this wheel that he hit?
please note, these are my own, individual sales, nothing whatsoever to do with my employer, minispares
I thought I'd go down to Oulton yesterday to see the first Masters event after all the traffic on this thread.
Good to see such a large entry of Minis. As usual I took loads of pics, and I shot some video for those who like moving pictures.
The video of the Pre-1966 Touring Car Race can be found at
