RIP-ROARING DRAGSTERS, DRIFTERS AND HOT RODS

For the first time ever, some incredible displays and demos by dragsters, drifters and hot rods will light up this summer’s spectacular Silverstone Festival (25-27 August).

The exciting new fiery additions will be revving up in the Yokohama Shift & Drift Zone located on a former section of Silverstone’s famous Grand Prix circuit close to the event’s main entrance. Here, they will be joined by record-breaking stunt driver, Terry Grant, and the Slowly Sideways rally car demos which nod to Silverstone’s history of hosting World championship Rally GB stages back in the late eighties. Both return by popular demand.

The introduction of flame-spitting dragsters is particularly pertinent as it further enhances the Festival’s special celebrations to mark the 75 years of epic motorsport history at Silverstone.

Dragsters are very much part of that heritage as it was exactly 50 years ago in 1973 that the National Drag Racing Championship (NDRC) held its first international drag race at the Northamptonshire circuit on the then newly resurfaced Club Straight.

Marking that milestone a dozen dramatic dragsters will be firing up and performing twice daily burn-outs in the Yokohama Shift & Drift Zone.

Notable attractions include a Pro Modified 1957 Ford Thunderbird with a whopping 3,500bhp under its hood and an astonishing 1965 VW cab pick-up. With standstill to 60mph in just a second and clocking 199.89mph in a quarter mile, it is the fastest split-screen machine in the world!

The line-up of 12 super-cool retro-styled Hot Rods is equally evocative. Most are powered by small block Chevy V8s and they will be ready to rumble for twice daily ‘cruises’.

Adding further to the high octane atmosphere, informed commentary will come from renowned Santa Pod announcer, Colin Theobold.

The rousing wheel-spinning drift demos – the third new addition for 2023 – will come from the locally-based Helix Autosport, one of the country’s top entrants in the Drift Masters European Championship.

“We’ve really upped the ante with some exciting new content in the Yokohama Shift & Drift Zone – it is without doubt the biggest and best extreme machine show we’ve ever put on at the Festival,” enthused Nick Wigley, Event Director. “The introduction of both dragsters and hot rods will add to the Americana at the Festival, which also features on-track NASCAR displays to mark the ‘Days of Thunder’ series’ 75th birthday.”

Peter Fairlie, CEO of Yokohama UK added “The Yokohama Shift & Drift Zone promises to be packed with lots of thrilling action across the weekend. We’re sure it will be a great addition to this year’s Festival and we are proud to be supporting this initiative as part of our biggest investment to date in the event, which just continues to get better every year.”

Providing exceptional value-for-money, entrance to the action-packed Yokohama Shift & Drift Zone is one of the many outstanding attractions included in the price of admission to the Festival. Tickets also offer access to Silverstone Museum, live music from chart-topping bands on all three evenings, a Fan Zone dedicated to an incredible display of current Formula 1 cars, funfair rides, a Foodie Fest with celebrity chefs, both race paddocks and the grandstands.

A wide-range of tickets for the Festival are available, including camping and VIP hospitality options. Full details can be found here.