The Historic Sports Club’s race programme will have its greatest Formula 3 element so far in 2012, with race series spanning 20 years of the category and an involvement with the earliest Formula 3 cars from the 1950s.A celebration of Formula 3 was a focal attraction at Autosport International today (Friday 13 January) as a host of former F3 racers gathered at the HSCC stand. Among them were former British F3 champions Tony Trimmer (1970), Jonathan Palmer (1981), Andy Wallace (1986) and David Brabham (1989). A display of a dozen Formula 3 cars told the remarkable story of the category from 1950 right through to 2012.From races for the 500 Owners’ Association, via stand-alone races for Historic 1000cc F3 cars of the late 1960s through to the Classic F3 Championship for the 1600cc and 2000cc cars of the 1970s and early 1980s, the HSCC will be home to an unrivalled array of racing for period F3 cars in 2012.The club’s Classic Formula 3 Championship will have a fresh look this year following a move to admit later Formula 3 cars up to 1984 including the Ralt RT3, which was previously specifically excluded. The later series cars (1981-84) must run in flat-bottom trim and carry mechanical injection and the VW engine is now eligible. These changes bring the championship in line with the regulations used in the similar French series and also the rules for the race at the Monaco Historic GP.Meanwhile, the Historic 1000cc cars raced between 1964 and 1970 will, for the first time, have a series of stand-alone races as support for the category gets stronger and stronger. Representing the earliest era of F3 will be the 500 Owners’ Association race series, which will have up to four races with the HSCC this season.The flagship HSCC event for Formula 3 cars will be the Wolds Trophy at Cadwell Park (21/22 April), which will again have a very strong F3 theme. Races for all three categories are already attracting interest from European drivers.