The Finest Sports-Racers at Spa - Woodcote Trophy and Pre-War Sports Car Series

A spectacular grid comprising 45 of the finest sports cars of the pre-1956 era will take the start of the Fiskens-sponsored Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy race at Spa-Franchorchamps, to be held during the Spa Six-Hours Meeting, 5th to 7th October. This is the final race of 2007 for the Woodcote Trophy, which aims to see genuine historic race cars running in their correct period specification.

Among the cars fighting it out at the front of the grid in the one-hour, two-driver race will be four Jaguar D-types, two of which are ex-works cars from 1954. There’s also the very quick Jaguar C-type of Nigel Webb and Gary Pearson, while the rare sight of three Allards – a J2, a J2X, and the 1952 J2X Le Mans of Tom Walker – will add to the spectacle. So too will the Maserati 300S of Andrea Burani and David Franklin, and a second Maserati 300S, this one piloted by Burkhard Von Schenk and Gregor Fisken of the fine historic automobile dealership, Fiskens, which sponsors the Woodcote Trophy.

But these are just some of the glorious sports-racers taking part, which also include Ferrari 750 Monza, Aston Martin DB2 and DB3S, Gordini 23S, Osca MT4 and plenty more.Duncan Wiltshire, Chairman of Motor Racing Legends, the company behind the Woodcote Trophy, says. “We’re thrilled that our final race of the season has attracted such a large number of high-quality entries. Right through the field are cars with serious provenance, running in period specification, and there’s likely to be just as much excitement over who wins a class for smaller-engined cars, on drum brakes, as there is over who takes the chequered flag first overall.”Pre-War Sports Car Series at Spa

Also at the Spa Six-Hours meeting is the final round of the 2007 Motor Racing Legends Pre-War Sports Car Series, and the variety of sports cars from the 1920s and 1930s promises to be outstanding. The legendary Spa circuit will echo to the sound of pre-War Bugatti and Bentley; MG and Morgan; Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo; Frazer Nash, Singer, HRG, BMW, Talbot and Stutz…

The one-hour, two-driver race sees entries as varied as MGs with tiny, (sub-1-litre) supercharged engines, right up to the thundering 4.9-litre Stutz Blackhawk, owned by Norman Barrs and ably driven by Colin Warrington and John Guyatt. Not to mention the 5-litre Bugatti Type 50 of Mike Preston. The 8C Alfa Romeos of Peter Neumark, Nicolas D’leteren and Hubert Fabri are bound to be among the quickest cars, but they will be under severe pressure from the likes of Gideon Hudson and Josh Sadler in their Talbot 105, as well as the famously quick Talbot Alpine of John Ruston, to be driven by John Polson.

Meanwhile, no fewer than nine Bentleys, ranging from 3-litre to the 4.5-litre Blower of Martin Overington, will be doing their utmost to claim a slice of glory – and ex-England Rugby Captain David Cooke, in his Alfa 6C Spyder, won’t be far behind. In total, 33 pre-War cars are entered for the Spa race, which looks set to be a highlight of the racing year.

Both races are sponsored by Fiskens, the fine historic automobile dealership. Says Fiskens sales manager Will Stone, “Spa is an outstanding way for the Woodcote Trophy and Pre-War Sports Car Series to finish off the year. It’s a remarkable circuit steeped in history, and is always an event that has that end-of-term party feeling!”