Thundersports 2020 Calendar
Bruce Chambers • January 17, 2020
More great racing, more great circuits.
For the 2020 season the HSCC have announced an extended calendar of races of their burgeoning Thundersports series:
After the runaway success of a three-event calendar in 2019, the Historic Sports Car Club has confirmed an extended six-event schedule for HSCC Thundersports next season.
With an average grid of 32 cars across the three events, the category hit the ground running and the extended schedule is sure to draw more competitors to Thundersports.
The high-profile Silverstone Classic race will be repeated and will sit alongside visits to Donington Park, Brands Hatch Grand Prix, Oulton Park International, Dijon-Prenois and a season opener on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in May.
The series is open to cars of the type used in the World Championship, FIA GT Championship and FIA 2 Litre Sports Car Championship up to 1981, along with Can-Am sports-racing cars from the heydays of the category in the 1970s. There is an invitation class for other appropriate cars.
Just as in period, Sports 2000s are encouraged into the series with a dedicated class covering all Ford Pinto-engined cars from right through until 1990. In 2019, there was excellent support from the Sports 2000 fraternity, which is expected to grow further next season.
The popular race weekend format will include a 30-minute qualifying session and two 30-minute races, with the option of two drivers contesting one race each. However, the Silverstone Classic will feature a single 40-minute race with the option of two drivers.
With an average grid of 32 cars across the three events, the category hit the ground running and the extended schedule is sure to draw more competitors to Thundersports.
The high-profile Silverstone Classic race will be repeated and will sit alongside visits to Donington Park, Brands Hatch Grand Prix, Oulton Park International, Dijon-Prenois and a season opener on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in May.
The series is open to cars of the type used in the World Championship, FIA GT Championship and FIA 2 Litre Sports Car Championship up to 1981, along with Can-Am sports-racing cars from the heydays of the category in the 1970s. There is an invitation class for other appropriate cars.
Just as in period, Sports 2000s are encouraged into the series with a dedicated class covering all Ford Pinto-engined cars from right through until 1990. In 2019, there was excellent support from the Sports 2000 fraternity, which is expected to grow further next season.
The popular race weekend format will include a 30-minute qualifying session and two 30-minute races, with the option of two drivers contesting one race each. However, the Silverstone Classic will feature a single 40-minute race with the option of two drivers.
The 2020 HSCC Thundersports dates are:
17/18 May: Silverstone GP (International Trophy)
6/7 June: Donington Park
11/12 July: Brands Hatch GP (Legends of Brands Hatch)
31 July-2 August: Silverstone GP (Silverstone Classic)
29-31 August: Oulton Park International (Gold Cup)
2-4 October: Dijon-Prenois (Motors Cup)
17/18 May: Silverstone GP (International Trophy)
6/7 June: Donington Park
11/12 July: Brands Hatch GP (Legends of Brands Hatch)
31 July-2 August: Silverstone GP (Silverstone Classic)
29-31 August: Oulton Park International (Gold Cup)
2-4 October: Dijon-Prenois (Motors Cup)
The Sport Protos Cup series ahs added a Le Mans Bugatti Cicuit date and are to finish of their 2020 season at the Le Mans Motors Cup meeting to be held 16-18th october 2020. Historic Sports 2000 cars are welcome more information should be available from the HVM website as it becomes available.
Entries are now open for the 2020 "Les 2 Tours D'Horlage" a 24 hour race for historic cars to be run at Paul Ricard. The grid is likely to be eclectic with Pre '90 Touring and GT cars, Pre '76 Sports Prototypes and pre '86 Sports 2000s all eligible. At Historic Sports 2000 HQ we can't recall anyone attempting a 24 Hour race in a Sports 2000 can anyone correct us? In fact what's the longest race in which a Sports 2000 has ever been run? Several early '80s cars were fitted with larger tanks and refuelling gear to run in the 200 mile series and subsequently Thundersports and several entered the 1000K Brands Hatch WSC round in 1981, but 24 hours, really? Anyway if you fancy it commit before Christmas as the entry fee is discounted significantly for earlier entries. For those mad enough to try more details can be found here .
The enthusiasm of Historic Sports 2000 drivers in supporting the resurgent HSCC Thundersports series has been recognised by a prestigious slot at the world's biggest historic motor racing festival, the Silverstone Classic. With this being a possibly unique opportunity to race a Sports 2000, entries opened on the 1st June and demand is certain to be high so if you want to secure your place on the grid then get your entry in soon. If entries exceed the grid capacity then priority will be given to those who competed in the Silverstone and Brands Hatch rounds so if you're wavering regarding Brands then it's another good reason to also get your entry in now. Click here for Brands Hatch entry form. Click here for Silverstone Classic entry form.
Swiss driver Thierry Mathez in his Tiga SC79 headed the times of the eight car historic Sports 2000 class in the Sport Protos Cup series second round Circuit de Dijon-Prenois today, bettering free practice pace setter Nelson in his 81 March by just over 0.3 of a second. Race 1 is to be held later today and race 2 on Sunday. For the full results please visit www.historicsports2000.com/results Photo: www.photoclassicracing.com
With the race 3 grid at Hockenheim missing the weekends double winner Volker Broehm and Saturdays second place finisher Elio Cocciarelli it was an open yet close run affair amongst the Historic S2000 group as they found themselves bunched together within the diverse field. The end of the first lap saw Olivier Kirten in his March 84S leading the group with T492 mounted David Williams in pursuit, the status quo was maintained until the 12th lap when a resurgent Damian Griffin in his T598 eased past Williams to take the fight to the yellow March, despite making an inroad into Kirten's lead he'd left himself too much to do and Kirten ultimately prevailed with a six second margin. For full results click here
Amongst an eclectic grid at the Jim Clark revival meeting at Hockenheim Volker Boehm steered his Swift DB2 to a brace of wins in the Historic Sports 2000 class in the first two of the weekends three YTCC races. Wet qualifying saw Ross Hyett quickest of the pinto powered cars in his Tiga but with improved conditions for the race Boehm was able to make best advantage of the more advance Swift chassis and European spec Avon tyres to score a dominant win in race one followed home by Clive Steeper and Ross Hyatt, whilst race two saw Elio Cocciarelli in is Tiga SC85 came closest to troubling the dominant Swift. With a third and final race scheduled for Sunday can anyone stop a Boehm hat-trick? Photo Joost Rijkhoek.
The HSCC have confirmd a healthy 10 car entry for the Historic Sports 2000 class for the thundersports double header at the May 18-19th International Trophy race weekend. If you haven't got your entry in yet, don't worry there's still time, Click here for entry form if you'd like to join the fun!
Entries are now open for the Brands Hatch Thundersports double header round at the end of June. This meeting represents a rare opportunity to race on the full Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit, entry forms can be dowloaded from the Thundersports page on www.historicsports2000.com .
Concurrent with the name change fro Pre '80 Endurance to Thundersports the series now welcomes entries from all Sports 2000 cars running to a period specification available before the end of 1990 so expect to see the later models form Lola, Royale, Swift and Shrike at the sharp end of the S2000 field this year. For more details of the Thundersports series click here .