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[Rick]

Press release:

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Ex-Rosberg 1983 Williams to star at Thruxton's 50th Anniversary.

Monaco GP-winning machine Thruxton-bound for anniversary celebration
Former Keke Rosberg car primed to tackle Britain’s fastest circuit
Family-friendly Hampshire festival set to thrill young and old alike in June

The car raced to Monaco Grand Prix glory by Keke Rosberg in the 1983 Formula 1 World Championship is set to return to the track as part of Thruxton Circuit’s eagerly-anticipated 50th Anniversary Celebration this spring.

Thruxton’s 50th Anniversary Celebration will take place over the weekend of 2/3 June. The first motorsport event to be held at the venue in its current guise was on Easter Monday, 1968 and half-a-century on, a whole host of single-seaters, sportscars and saloons from the last five decades will hit the track for a spirited sprint down memory lane.

Away from the race programme, there will be a raft of eye-catching demo runs and static displays, car club reunions and a smattering of famous faces, as well as a funfair, live music, overnight camping and a fireworks display in evidence of the festival’s family-friendly appeal.

With its 540kg aluminium honeycomb chassis powered by a three-litre Ford Cosworth DFV V8 engine punching out 530bhp and a six-speed gearbox, the Williams FW08C will both look and sound phenomenal as it scorches around Thruxton’s flat-out sweepers in the hands of a yet-to-be-confirmed high-profile driver. The last time an F1 car was driven at Thruxton in anger was all the way back in 1993, when Damon Hill averaged an eye-watering 147.25mph in the title-winning Williams FW15C.

“We are thrilled to be able to confirm the attendance of the Williams FW08C for a high-speed demo run at our 50th Anniversary Celebration,” enthused Thruxton Group Managing Director, Bill Coombs. “We are grateful to Williams Heritage for agreeing to supply the car.

“I have no doubt that the FW08C will make for a quite incredible spectacle in June. It is what I would call a ‘proper’ F1 car – with its screeching V8 engine and wide rear tyres – and it will surely bring back many evocative memories for those like me who were lucky enough to have witnessed it competing during its heyday. This really will be very special indeed.

“Best of all, this is only the first of several exciting announcements we have in the pipeline for our 50th Anniversary Celebration, so stay tuned to find out what else we have in store for an event that promises to be a race meeting with a difference and much, much more besides.”

Rosberg was the reigning Formula 1 World Champion in 1983, and the moustachioed Finn remained a major player as the complexion of the sport began to change with the advent of the legendary turbo era. Although the FW08C’s ageing, naturally-aspirated Cosworth powerplant was at a disadvantage around some circuits, at the higher-downforce tracks, it truly came into its own and Rosberg was the architect of a superbly-judged wet/dry victory in Monte-Carlo that year.

He went on to finish fifth in the world championship standings, with the additional points scored by French team-mate Jacques Laffite securing Williams fourth spot in the constructors’ classification.

The FW08C is now part of the esteemed Williams Heritage portfolio, which was created in 2014 to manage the British outfit's collection of historic Formula 1 cars. It is headed up by Jonathan Williams and run by long-time former Williams mechanic and team manager Dickie Stanford.

Since the team’s debut in the top flight back in 1978, Williams cars have won 114 grands prix and no fewer than 16 world championships.

Advance tickets for Thruxton’s 50th Anniversary Celebration on 2/3 June are available from just £12 for Saturday entry and £15 for Sunday – or £24 for both days. Sunday grandstand seats are an additional £5. Accompanied children aged 15 and under will be admitted free of charge.

For further information or to buy tickets, see https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/50th-anniversary or call 01264 882200 and select Option 1.
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[Rick]

Nigel Mansell CBE and Murray Walker OBE to open The Thruxton Centre.

Motorsport legends to inaugurate The Thruxton Centre for 50th Anniversary.

- 1992 F1 World Champion has fond memories of Britain’s fastest circuit
- Much-loved veteran commentator to make popular public appearance
- Fans offered the opportunity to get up close to title-winning 1992 Williams

The Thruxton Centre – Thruxton Circuit’s new, £2 million state-of-the-art hospitality facility – will be officially opened at 12:00 noon on Sunday, 3 June by 31-time Grand Prix-winner and 1992 Formula 1 World Champion, Nigel Mansell CBE alongside his lifelong friend and semi-retired motorsport commentator and journalist, Murray Walker OBE.

Thruxton’s flagship hospitality building is the latest addition to the venue as part of a comprehensive modernisation programme. The fully-catered facility will comprise a new restaurant and bar, exhibition space, function rooms, hosting suites and outside viewing terrace.

Thruxton’s 50th Anniversary Celebration will take place over the weekend of 2/3 June, featuring 15 races as well as high-speed demonstrations from Williams’ 1983 FW08C and other iconic racing cars and bikes. As the stars of the eagerly-anticipated inauguration of The Thruxton Centre, Mansell and Walker will be amongst the high-profile guests, and both spoke warmly about the popular Hampshire track – the quickest in the country.

Mansell said: “I remember Thruxton very fondly from my early racing days, as a very fast, demanding circuit where I enjoyed several exciting and successful races.”

Walker added: “I’ve been commentating at Thruxton since the early 1950s, notably at motorcycle races, the great Formula Two events and the thrilling British Touring Car Championship. I love its friendly atmosphere and am honoured to join my mate Nigel for the opening of this superb new building.”

Mansell’s 1992 Formula 1 World Championship-winning Williams FW14B will also be on display. Penned by legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey OBE and Technical Director Sir Patrick Head, the FW14B – pioneer of the sport’s game-changing active suspension technology – won ten Grands Prix, achieved 15 pole positions out of 16 and set 11 fastest laps in the hands of the Briton and team-mate Riccardo Patrese. Between them, the pair tallied no fewer than 21 podium finishes that year, with Mansell clinching the coveted Drivers’ crown as early as the Hungarian Grand Prix in August – a record at the time.

“We’re over-the-moon to be able to confirm Nigel and Murray to officially open The Thruxton Centre,” enthused Thruxton Group Managing Director, Bill Coombs. “They are both absolute motorsport royalty, not only in Britain but all around the world, and I am sure they will prove to be a huge draw at our 50th Anniversary Celebration. The new facility will truly enhance the Thruxton offering for racegoers, manufacturers and corporate guests alike.

“For fans to also get the opportunity to see the Williams FW14B – one of the most dominant cars in the sport’s history – in the flesh will be a rare treat, and strengthens the team’s presence at the event alongside the FW08C, which we announced earlier this month. Better yet, there’s much, much more still to come – so watch this space!”

The first motorsport event to be held at Thruxton in the venue’s current guise was in March, 1968 and half-a-century on, a whole host of single-seaters, sportscars and saloons from the last five decades will hit the track for a spirited sprint down memory lane at the circuit’s 50th Anniversary Celebration.

Away from the race programme, there will be a raft of eye-catching demo runs, static displays and car club reunions, as well as a funfair, live music, overnight camping and a fireworks display in evidence of the festival’s family-friendly appeal.
_________________
Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
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