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The Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy will be awarded to the winner of the British round of the FIA GT Championship at Silverstone on 15th May 2005 - and there will be lots of Ferrari interest. Other marques represented at Silverstone will be Chevrolet, Lamborghini, Lister, Maserati, Porsche, Saleen and Aston Martin with the new Prodrive DBR9 making its UK debut. The RAC TT was the event that all great racing drivers wanted to win in its heyday. First contested on September 14th 1905 at the hilly and picturesque, 52 mile, Isle of Man circuit, John Napier won in an Arrol-Johnston in the 6 hour race comprising 4 laps, 208 miles, with an average speed of 33.9 mph. Whilst there were occassional breaks in the Tourist Trophy being contested, especially during both world wars, it remained one of the most coveted competitions in the motor sports calendar. Over the years it moved around the country and, in total, has visited seven circuits: the Isle of Man, Ards and Dundrod in Northern Ireland, Oulton Park, Donington, Goodwood and Silverstone. The late ‘50s and early ‘60s were probably the most significant in the Trophy’s history, with some of motor sports’ great names winning, including Stirling Moss seven times, Denny Hulme four times, Graham Hill and Stuart Graham twice, Innes Ireland, Andrea de Adamich and Derek Bell in the fastest ever race. And most of the world’s most desirable sports car marques have competed for the Trophy over the last hundred years including Rolls-Royce, driven and won by the founder, the Hon C. S. Rolls in 1906, Mercedes, Alfa Romeo, Porsche, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Ferrari, MG, Sunbeam, Lola and BMW. Ferrari have won the event six times, the first winner being Stirling Moss at Goodwood in 1960 in Rob Walker's 250 GT SWB Berlinetta (s/n 2119GT). Moss won again in a 250 GT in ' 61 followed by Innes Ireland (' 62) and Graham Hill (' 63) in GTOs. Hill won again in ' 64 in a 330SP, then there was a long gap to Ferrari's next win which was in 1998 by Collard/Sospiri in a 333SP (s/n 022). The Ferrari FIA GT teams will struggle to add to this distinguished list, but it's just possible, provided the MC12s falter Ticket Information for the FIA GT Championship 14th/15th May 2005 Adult On the Day Adult (Advance)
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