RACING Reverend Simon Butler from Upton Grey near Basingstoke will take to the track over the August bank holiday weekend in a 1963 Lotus Elan.  

Competing at the Silverstone Classic in the International Trophy for pre 1966 GT cars, the bright orange Elan will make its first appearance on track in over 20 years. 

“There is still a lot of development work to do on this car, we are really in the very early stages of understanding the car and making it competitive,” Simon said.

The International Trophy forms part of the line up at the world-famous Silverstone Classic which attracts some 150,000 spectators over the three-day event.

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“The Silverstone Classic is a great event to race at. It has an amazing variety of cars from across the decades and some really competitive racing,” Simon said.

Basingstoke Gazette: Racing Reverend Simon ButlerRacing Reverend Simon Butler

Run by Masters Historic Racing, the Pre-66GT race will feature a wonderful selection of cars from the early 1960s, ranging from the diminutive Lotus Elan, to sleek E-Type Jaguars and American muscle in the form of several Shelby Cobras and Daytona Coupes.

Getting back behind the wheel of a historic car marks a step back in time for the Racing Reverend who has been focussed on a more contemporary form of motorsport for the 2022 season as he competes in the LMP3 category in the Michelin Le Mans Cup.  

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Simons Le Mans Cup programme is supported by a number of Basingstoke-based companies including Asset Advantage, SonicWall and The Escape. 

“I’m really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of a historic car. They are such fun to drive and the grid is full of very experienced and fast drivers,” Simon added.

You can keep up to date with Simon’s progress at Silverstone via his Twitter feed @racing_reverend.