With a capacity grid of sports, saloon and GT cars of the 1960s and 1970s, the 2008 Heritage Grand Touring Car Challenge is set for a mighty start at Donington Park during the MSVR race meeting on 12/13 April.The spectacular series of races for period machinery is an incredibly popular part of the British motor racing scene, with cars ranging from Mini Coopers to Ford Mustangs and from Jaguar E Types to Sunbeam Tigers and Aston Martin V8s. The bigger cars have more power than grip, so the action is always fast and furious and the two-driver format makes for some great racing.Topping the entry in a fascinating new driver line-up in the Sunbeam Tiger of Jackie Cochrane from Northern Ireland. This is the car that set the pace in several Heritage GT events in 2007 and Cochrane has now teamed up with multiple BTCC champion Andy Rouse. Although he has never raced the 4.7-litre car before, Rouse has a vast amount of experience and they will make a formidable driver pairing.Ranged against the Tiger is a gaggle of potential race winners, including the mighty Aston Martin V8s of Chris Scragg and Roger Bennington/Les Goble. However, another Tiger could be a big contender as Chris Beighton and Jon Finnemore join the series in their very well sorted Tiger. Having been stars of the British GT Championship in recent seasons in a Marcos, Beighton and Finnemore are now switching focus to the Heritage series and will surely fly.Thundering American V8s are always a popular element of the HGT entry and at least eight of them will pack the grid at Donington. Father and son team Arthur and Boysie Thurtle will be very quick in their 5.9-litre Chevrolet Camaro, Alec Hammond is a leading runner in his Camaro and the Ford Mustang of father and daughter Robin and Zoe North is also very rapid. But along with all the American V8s, it could be an example of Malvern’s finest that is setting the pace as Rick Lloyd and Peter Horsman campaign Lloyd’s Morgan +8. In class C for the less modified V8s, the hard-charging MGB GTV8 of Roy McCarthy will be the benchmark and he’s likely to be up among the very fastest cars in the race. The Morgan +8 of Tony Lees is another class C contender from a fabulous field of Aston Martins, Jaguars, Mustangs and the glorious Iso Rivolta GT of Alan Collett.The two classes for the less powerful cars will produce races within the race, with the Ford Escort of Laki Christoforou sure to be quick in class B as the Mini Coopers of Conor O’Brien and Harvey Death take on the Lotus Cortina of racing newcomer Kate Bennington in class A. Kate and her father Roger are the driving forces behind the series from Heritage Racing Support, and they will both have the chance to join in the fun at Donington Park.