Tag Archives: Sebastiani

Five Classic Racing Ferraris – Silverstone Classic

The Silverstone Classic meeting usually offers the Ferrari fanatic a bonanza of Maranello’s finest road and racing cars and I am sure this year’s Silver Jubilee edition of the event will be no different.

Ferrari 500 TRC, David and James Cottingham, Silverstone Classic

Among the myriad of Ferrari racers seen in recent years have been the Cottinghams Ferrari 500 TRC which finished 7th both at the 1957 Le Mans 24 hours and on the 1958 Targa Florio.

Ferrari 246 Dino, Tony Smith, Silverstone Classic,

Another regular competitor is Tony Smith’s 1958 Ferrari 246 Dino which counts among it’s former occupants Wolfgang von Trips, Oliver Gendebien, Dan Gurney and Phil Hill the latter drove the car to the last win for a front engined Grand Prix at Monza in 1960.

Ferrari 166/206, Harry Leventis,  Gregor Fisken, Silverstone Classic,

Ing. Forghieri, responsible for the design of Harry Leventis’s Ferrari 166/206, above, was never the cars biggest fan, once likening the design, in conversation with desginer Gordon Murray, as to sticky brown smelly stuff, however that did not prevent Ludovico Scarfiotti driving the car in an earlier form to claim the 1965 European Hillclimb Championship.

Ferrari 512M, Nathan Kinch, Silverstone Classic

Ferrari 512’s are not an uncommon sight at Silverstone Classic weekends, #1030 seen above with Scotsman Nathan Kinch at the wheel, was raced in S form in 1970 and M form in 1971 under the Ecurie Francorchamps banner but found it’s greatest success under JC Bamford’s ownership for whom Peter Brown, Willie Green and Neil Corner all drove it on various occasions to seven straight wins in it’s last seven races during 1972 six victories were claimed in the Motoring News GT Championship and the other in the Interserie race held at Silverstone.

Ferrari F40 LM, Stefano Sebastiani, Silverstone Classic,

Finally the Silver Jubilee edition of the Silverstone Classic will see the first race for GT cars from the 1990’s, above Stefano Sebastiani is seen about to put his 1989 F40 LM, a converted road car, through it’s paces during last years popular GT demonstration run.

Tickets for this years advance ticket only Silver Jubilee Silverstone Classic are available from this linked website.

Thanks for joining me on this “Five Classic Racing Ferraris” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the first of a series of Formula Junior open wheelers. Don’t for get to come back now !

Share

Race Spec Conversion – Ferrari F40 #80856

The Ferrari F40 was built as a technical tour de force to celebrate Ferrari’s first 40 years of achievement in a single model intended purely for the road.

Ferrari F40, GT Legends, Silverstone Classic,

By 1989 an IMSA GTO LM version had been built which had no factory backing, despite this Jean Alesi, and fellow Frenchman Jean-Pierre Jabouille, Jacques Laffite, Jean-Louis Schlesser, Olivier Grouillard, Michel Ferté, American Hurley Haywood and Belgian Eric van de Poele would all have a go challenging the dominant factory Audi 90’s, but could do no better than record a string of second and third places up until the end of 1990.

Ferrari F40, GT Legends, Silverstone Classic,

Today’s featured car started life as a 1989 road car, chassis #80856, that had been involved in some sort of accident before Robin Smith’s Simpson Engineering took the car on and converted it into a racer.

Ferrari F40, GT Legends, Silverstone Classic,

The long list of modifications includes, but is not limited to; installation of a roll cage for safety and additional stiffness, new competition spec fabricated and rose jointed suspension and uprights, adjustable anti roll bars, air jacks and competition spec brakes with balance adjustment.

Ferrari F40, GT Legends, Silverstone Classic,

The power output is said to be 790hp aided by engine modifications that included fitting Group C Lancia LC2 spec heads and cams.

The exact competition history of this vehicle on the internet appears to be a little clouded by Simpson Engineering’s F550 V12 powered Ferrari F40, but from what I gather this car has been raced in the British GT, Britcar and Pirelli Ferrari Open Series over the last 10 years with the primary drivers appearing to be Andrew Mott and Jacopo “son of Stingbrace” Sebastiani among others.

As of mid November this car has been up for sale, if you are in the market for such a wonderful vehicle you will find contact details on this linked web page, usual disclaimers and “Caveat Emptor” advice applies.

Thanks for joining me on this “Race Spec Conversion” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another Bristol powered special. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share