by James Beckett

Neil Cunningham thrilled visitors to the Silverstone Classic with spectacular performances in a number of historic racing machines reports James Beckett.

Fresh from contesting the Le Mans Classic in the Jaguar D Type that won the 1955 race in the hands of Mike Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb, the UK-based Kiwi was tasked with driving Jaguar C and E Type cars, as well as a 1965 Ford Mustang at Silverstone's historic highlight.

Neil Cunningham at the Silverstone Classic

Roaring around Silverstone's Historic Grand Prix Circuit, Cunningham drove the E Type to third position in the Gentlemen Drivers race. A two-driver race for GT cars of the 1950s and early 1960s. The one-hour event was run in two sections due to an accident involving another E-Type driven by Carlos Monteverde, and in the combined results the Black Bullet was classified on the podium.

Cunningham was also hugely impressive at the wheel of an ex. Duncan Hamilton Jaguar C Type in the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy.
Cunningham was running in a fine second position behind a faster, and newer, Jaguar D Type before handing over to car owner Nigel Webb. A lengthy pit-stop saw the crew drop down the order, and eventually recover to finish seventh.

Arguably Cunningham's best performance of the weekend came at the wheel of Bob Pepper Racing's Mustang. Pepper raced the car in a race on Saturday - finishing fifteenth, leaving Cunningham with plenty of work to do in his outing in the Ford on a grid made up from the results of race one.

Neil Cunningham at the Silverstone Classic

Chasing through the pack in the HSCC Big Saloon Car Race, Cunningham clocked fastest laps en-route to finishing fourth at the end of the thirty minute event.

He said afterwards, "What a weekend of racing! Racing this type of historic car is a real dream and I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to drive the cars owned by Nigel Webb and Bob Pepper."

He added, "Silverstone Classic is one of the highlights of the European historic racing season and following the success of this weekend I am now fully focussed on landing a drive for the Goodwood Revival in September."