ITV4 is to screen highlights of this month’s staging of the Silverstone Classic, the world’s biggest classic motor racing festival.
A special one-hour programme, produced by Whisper Films, will round-up all the main action from 24 thrilling races, featuring the full spectrum of historic motorsport.
Celebrating motorsport across all decades from the 1920s to the early 1990’s, the 2013 Silverstone Classic takes place over the weekend of July 26-28.
ITV4’s highlights of the event will be premiere on Thursday, August 15, at 9.00pm, with a further four repeat showings – at 9.00am on Sunday, August 18, as well as 8.00pm on both August 21 and September 9.
It will also be broadcast again over the Christmas period and will be available to watch ITV’s online catch-up service ITV Player.
Louise Goodman, a familiar face to ITV4 viewers via the channel’s extensive coverage of the British Touring Car Championship, will present the hour-long programme, which will be produced by Jim Wiseman, whose portfolio includes more than 70 episodes of BBC Two’s Top Gear.
Now in its 23rd year, the event billed as the ‘World’s Biggest Classic Motor Racing Festival’ will feature around 1000 beautiful and exotic race cars, attracting over 1,000 competitors.
A further 7,000 fabulous classic cars on the infield over the weekend, with an ‘Access All Areas’ policy allowing the spectator close to all the action.
There is also rock and classical music entertainment on a grand scale, as well as aerobatic displays, a period fun fair and so much more to entertain spectators.
The 2013 event will feature aspecial parade of 911 Porsche 911’s, as the world’s most successful sportscar celebrates the 50th birthday.
Iconic British marque Aston Martin’s centenary will be celebrated with an extensive car display and a 100-car parade lap, plus there will be various displays and parades to mark 50 years of Italian sportscar giant Lamborghini.
The Silverstone Classic event was previously televised live on Motors TV in 2008 and 2009, but its coverage of the event was dropped by the organisers after a fall in ticket sales.
It is the first time that ITV has covered the event and joins ITV4’s extensive motorsport portfolio which includes British Touring Cars, World Rally Championship, British Superbikes, Isle of Man TT and the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Revival meetings.
“We are delighted that the Silverstone Classic is poised to be added to ITV4’s impressive line-up of premium sports which includes the Tour de France, Champions League football and Aviva premiership rugby,” said Nick Wigley, Event Director.
“Free to air television coverage confirms the Classic’s status as one of the jewels in the UK’s motor sport calendar.
“It will also take the excitement, glamour and appeal of the thriving historic racing scene to new audiences.”
With record race entries, this year’s Silverstone Classic will be the biggest and best yet.
The full line-up showcases eight decades of glorious motor sport history featuring the finest Formula One, Le Mans, GT, touring and sportscars from previous generations.
Staged on the full Silverstone Grand Prix circuit, many of the individual grids boast more than 50 starters, starring past and present racing legends plus a number of well-known personalities from other professions.
Former grand prix driver David Coulthard said: “The Silverstone Classic is the biggest participation motor sport event in the World and that tells you all you need to know.”
Coulthard, now a Formula 1 commentator for the BBC, attended the official preview and drove the very Lotus 25 that took fellow countryman Jim Clark to the Formula One World Championship title exactly 50 years ago in 1963.
“With so many fantastic cars not just taking part but still competing wheel-to-wheel at flat-out speeds at the home of the British Grand Prix, the Classic is recreating motor sport history with its own special drama and appeal.
“I know the team at Whisper will capture lots of that magic, so it’s going to make fabulous viewing on ITV4.”
Whisper Films – co-owned by Coulthard and former BBC F1 presenter Jake Humphrey – is also responsible for ITV4’s DTM German Touring Cars highlights shows.
In addition to its Silverstone Classic show, ITV4 will also screen highlights of inaugural Isle of Man TT Classic event in August.
