The Historic Sports Car Club will re-introduce an endurance race into its 2023 schedule, with a three-hour pre ’66 GT race at Snetterton in April.
Recreating the former Autosport Three Hour race, the HSCC will run the endurance race on the Snetterton 200 circuit on Sunday April 23 for all pre ‘66 GT cars.
The race will be attractive to those who normally compete in the HSCC’s Guards Trophy as well as a range of other championships and series. The Club is keen to welcome competitors who want to tackle this one-off endurance contest and cars from Classic K, Gentleman Drivers, GT and Sports Car Cup, Equipe GTS, Ecurie GTS, and Motor Racing Legends will all be eligible for the race.
The three-hour contest will be open to two or more drivers per car with pit stops and special refuelling arrangements. A widened choice of tyres is being considered for the race.
Andy Dee-Crowne, CEO of the HSCC, said: “We have been looking to bring this race back onto the schedule in tribute to the original Autosport Three Hours, and we felt that this was a good time to re-launch it at our annual Snetterton race meeting.
“We hope to attract a wide range of GT cars of all engine capacities, including those that may not normally race with the HSCC but will be very welcome to come and tackle this one off race. Where necessary, day membership of the HSCC will be included in the entry fee.”
Refresh for Guards Trophy
Meanwhile, there will be changes to the HSCC Guards Trophy, which is open to pre ‘66 GT cars and pre ‘69 sports racing cars. Notably, race distances will be increased to 60 minutes from the previous 45 minutes. With mandatory pit stops and the option of two drivers, the Guards Trophy has long been a popular part of the HSCC race schedule.
The calendar will take in six high profile races including Silverstone Grand Prix circuit Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit, Donington Park and, provisionally, the Oulton Park Gold Cup. A race at Mondello Park in Ireland in August is also under consideration.
Hugh Colman is the series chairman for the Guards Trophy and said: “We are keen to welcome everyone to the Guards Trophy next year, whether they have raced with us before or whether they are new to the series. With an increase to hour-long races, we hope that these events will prove very popular with drivers of both sports racing and GT cars. We have a great paddock atmosphere, excellent on-track driving standards and a calendar that takes us to some of the best tracks in the UK. We are currently reviewing tyre regulations to ensure the series is attractive to as many drivers as possible.”
The provisional HSCC Guards Trophy calendar for 2023 is:
27/28 May Silverstone GP (International Trophy)
24/25 June Donington Park
15/16 July Brands Hatch GP (Legends of Brands Super Prix)
28-30 July Oulton Park (Gold Cup)#
2/3 September Croft (Nostalgia Meeting)
14/15 October Silverstone National (Finals Meeting)
# to be confirmed
