Silverstone, Saturday 3rd April, 2010.

We've come to Silverstone today for an eclectic meeting of races for olde and new cars and 250cc Superkarts (which we don't see 'cos it rains and we're such petals). We weren't sure we would bother coming here today but, as the Beeb says it won't rain 'til this afternoon, we set the alarm for 6 o'clock (gulp) and make a real effort to get here in time to see the Classic Sports cars which are due on track at the unearthly hour of 10:55am (we don't usually get to Silverstone until lunch time).
1) As per the norm we head straight to the Pit Garages to get some close ups. Here, Vicky is embarrassed 'cos I'm oblivious to the chap on the right who would very much like to get on with the little matter of preparing his 1969 T70 Lola for the morning qualifying session if yer don't mind. Thankfully, he was very good natured about me getting under his feet. We tell him it's a beautiful car and wish him all the best for the race (finished fifth) and move on and try not to get in the way of anyone else.

2) All of you who follow motorsport and can remember the glorious '70's will know exactly which Formula One car this is from. So we don't need to tell you, do we? David bores Vicky with long tales of how he saw James Hunt win in this car at Silverstone in a non-championship Formula One race. It was about 1973/74, he says, as Vicky tries to stay awake. So, you've definitely got it now, haven't you?



3) For those of you who who haven't guessed it yet, the airbox in the photo above comes from this ex-James Hunt Hesketh 308B now driven by Frank Sytner. When we last visited Silverstone, Sytner was driving a Lola T332 in the Classic F5000/F2 race. Now here we are again and he's driving a Hesketh. So, that's two of the most iconic cars of the early-to-mid '70's. Let's just hope Mr Sytner realises what a lucky so-and-so he is,eh?

4) This driver is clearly famous although we have no idea who he is. We know he's famous 'cos fully grown men (some of whom are nearly as olde as David) have formed an orderly queue and are waiting patiently for him to sign things. We note he is driving in the SuperLeague Formula for Team Olympique Lyonnais (all the cars are in the colours of so-called world famous football clubs for marketing reasons far too complicated to go into here). We resolve to google him when we get home and duly discover it is Sebastien Bourdais who is quite famous, as it happens.

5) This is either Luca Bettini or Ed Weerensteijn forgetting which way the circuit goes at Copse Corner. Whichever one it was certainly did well to save the Saker Sprint from any damage and they continued for another 25 laps to finsh 22nd in the Dutch Supercar race which, we have to say, we enjoyed a lot more than we thought we would given it was full of, ahem, modern cars. It was the variety of machinery we liked.

6) Back in the pits for lunch and David is appalled to find that someone is publicising his telephone number and identity for all to see.

7) 'Ere, mate. Wanna barrel of racing fuel? Given how many security guards were milling around keeping an eagle eye on these barrels outside every SuperLeague team garage we can only presume it is pretty expensive, and volatile, stuff.

8) I was nineteen before I had my first set of wheels. I was a late starter, obviously. This chap is Craig Dolby and he's barely eighteen years old. The car he is driving has a V12 engine and 750 BHP. No doubt, big things are expected of him. He won the first SuperLeague Race and did well in the other two. If he wins the Championship he stands to win one million Euros. It fair makes yer fink, dunnit?

9) We've driven all 'round the circuit, for the first time since the 1986 Motorcycle GP (ah, the nostalgia), and finished up at the entrance to Abbey Curve. The existing GP circuit goes sharp left and right here and then joins the 'stadium section'. Work on the new section of circuit is progressing well (eat yer heart out Donington Park) and snakes from here to a point just short of Becketts where it joins the exsiting club circuit. We look forward to spectating here for this years Moto GP round and hope it lives up to the hype.

10) It's gone three o'clock and the spray from the tyres of the Liverpool FC car, driven by James Walker, tells us that it is raining and it is time to go home. Well, we have been here about six hours and taken 622 (count 'em) photos. Besides we're tired and need to conserve some energy for Loton Park tomorrow (and, possibly, the Red Marley Classic Bike Hillclimb on Monday if it doesn't rain). We're not as young as we were, y'know.