Steve 155C
New member
This has been mentioned in the 2013 LCR national day post - but here's a bit more info about the exciting Lotus Cortina only race thats happening.
Contact our very own QB Editor (Geoff Letts) for more info - or the race organisers details are at the bottom of this post.......
(Post copied from http://www.thelotusforums.com/latest-news/our-news/legendary-lotus-cortinas-to-race-at-brands-hatch-lotus-festival/)
This August’s Lotus Festival at Brands Hatch (24/25 August) will mark 50 years of the Lotus Cortina. Celebrations will include a special race for the all-conquering touring car classic on the full Grand Prix circuit.
The Lotus Cortina was the first of a successful series of collaborations between Colin Chapman’s sportscar marque and Ford in the 1960s that included Formula 1 and the Indy 500. Instigated by Ford’s visionary executive Walter Hayes, Cortina bodyshells were sent to Lotus, where Twin Cam engines were installed and suspension modifications were made.
The car was duly homologated in September 1963, and in the same month had its first outing in the Oulton Park Gold Cup. Lotus Cortinas finished third and fourth, while the following year saw a string of successes on the National and International stage, culminating with Jim Clark’s easy win of the British Saloon Car Championship and Sir John Whitmore’s achievements on the European stage with an Alan Mann-prepared car.
Success also followed on the rally stages, whilst the coveted road-going cars were snapped up by those inspired by Clark’s exploits on the UK’s circuits. A Cortina cornering sideways with a front wheel cocked in the air became a familiar sight in the mid-60s motorsport world and it helped propel Ford to the top of the sales charts.
A huge field of spectacular action from a Cortina-only grid will form the centrepiece of this August’s Lotus Festival, with two races joining a packed race programme. Other activities will include Classic Team Lotus F1 displays and demonstrations, rally demos, a trade village, music concerts, club gatherings, air displays and more. Owners of both road and race Lotus Cortinas all over the world are invited to take part in displays and parades at the event.
Carol Spagg of race organiser Historic Motor Racing said: “We had 28 Cortinas on a 60-car grid at Silverstone last year and the crowd went wild to see them racing wheel to wheel! This year’s one-off race will give us the opportunity to have a record-breaking number of Lotus Cortinas all racing together on the long Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit. It is bound to be popular with drivers and spectators.â€
Contact our very own QB Editor (Geoff Letts) for more info - or the race organisers details are at the bottom of this post.......
(Post copied from http://www.thelotusforums.com/latest-news/our-news/legendary-lotus-cortinas-to-race-at-brands-hatch-lotus-festival/)
This August’s Lotus Festival at Brands Hatch (24/25 August) will mark 50 years of the Lotus Cortina. Celebrations will include a special race for the all-conquering touring car classic on the full Grand Prix circuit.
The Lotus Cortina was the first of a successful series of collaborations between Colin Chapman’s sportscar marque and Ford in the 1960s that included Formula 1 and the Indy 500. Instigated by Ford’s visionary executive Walter Hayes, Cortina bodyshells were sent to Lotus, where Twin Cam engines were installed and suspension modifications were made.
The car was duly homologated in September 1963, and in the same month had its first outing in the Oulton Park Gold Cup. Lotus Cortinas finished third and fourth, while the following year saw a string of successes on the National and International stage, culminating with Jim Clark’s easy win of the British Saloon Car Championship and Sir John Whitmore’s achievements on the European stage with an Alan Mann-prepared car.
Success also followed on the rally stages, whilst the coveted road-going cars were snapped up by those inspired by Clark’s exploits on the UK’s circuits. A Cortina cornering sideways with a front wheel cocked in the air became a familiar sight in the mid-60s motorsport world and it helped propel Ford to the top of the sales charts.
A huge field of spectacular action from a Cortina-only grid will form the centrepiece of this August’s Lotus Festival, with two races joining a packed race programme. Other activities will include Classic Team Lotus F1 displays and demonstrations, rally demos, a trade village, music concerts, club gatherings, air displays and more. Owners of both road and race Lotus Cortinas all over the world are invited to take part in displays and parades at the event.
Carol Spagg of race organiser Historic Motor Racing said: “We had 28 Cortinas on a 60-car grid at Silverstone last year and the crowd went wild to see them racing wheel to wheel! This year’s one-off race will give us the opportunity to have a record-breaking number of Lotus Cortinas all racing together on the long Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit. It is bound to be popular with drivers and spectators.â€