[ MONTH IN CARS ] Events
Historic motorsport show returns after years of setbacks with an F1 spectacular
Having weathered covid, last-minute cancellations and, last year, the devastating flooding of its Stoneleigh Park site, Race Retro made a dramatic comeback for 2025. Celebrating 75 years of Formula One, Grand Prix cars took centre stage, but long-hidden competition cars of every discipline emerged for the show.
Shadow DN11
This was Shadow’s very last F1 car – and its sole attempt at ground effect – seen for the first time in public since the 1980 Monaco Grand Prix, after which Shadow founder Don Nichols put it straight into his personal car collection. ‘It was raced by Stefan Johansson in Argentina and Brazil, then David Kennedy at Kyalami, Long Beach, Zolder and Monaco,’ said owner Liaz Jakhara of Zul Racing. ‘It wasn’t a successful year, and a lack of money led to Nichols selling the team to Teddy Yip.’ Yip rebranded the team Theodore mid-season. Neither Johansson nor Kennedy managed to qualify in the DN11.
Jakhara bought the car in 2019, following Nichols’ death, but its restoration has been protracted. ‘Its Cosworth DFV had been removed by Ford, first to power the Supervan, then a C100 Group C prototype.’ Jakhara had to track the engine down, rebuild it and reunite it with the car, as well as locating Shadow’s original moulds and jigs to set the car up correctly.
Pontiac Grand Prix
It’s the first time this Richard Petty NASCAR Pontiac has been shown in the UK. US-based Chapman Root bought it from Petty in 2005 and used it in historic racing series. In storage since 2008, the car is in the UK having been restored and prepared for more international racing series by Derek Drinkwater. It’s still running its original engine.
It only made the podium once – at the dramatic Busch 500 night race at Bristol Motor speedway in 1988 – achieving third place but effectively marking the end of Petty’s winning ways. Set up for European racetracks, the car may make some unexpected appearances during this year.
Ralt RT3
Restored to original specification, this F3 Ralt began the career of an endurance-racing legend. ‘It was Didier Theys’s car,’ said racer-owner Gary Ward, who drove in F3 in 198688. Theys drove the car in the 1983 European Championship, scoring second-place finishes at Zolder and la Chatre and third at Silverstone. He went on to a spectacular endurance-racing career, winning the 1987 Spa 24 Hours, the 1998 Sebring 12 Hours, the Daytona 24 Hours twice – 1998 and 2002 – and three consecutive podium finishes at Le Mans from 1997-1999.
‘After 1983, F3 banned ground effect and the car was obsolete,’ said Ward. ‘It was sold into the Italian hillclimbing scene, where the original Alfa Romeo Novamotor was replaced with a Spiess Toyota unit. This was supposedly rebuilt when I got the car, but it hadn’t been. I was 3.5 seconds into the lead at Silverstone when the cylinder head gasket went. I’ve since restored and rebuilt it with a Judd, and returned the car to its original and period Marlboro livery.’
Leonard MG
This unique special was displayed in incredible barn-find condition, seen for the first time since 1959.
Inspired by Ferrari, and commissioned by Lionel Leonard in 1955, the car was built and raced by Chris Bristow in 1956. A mix of lightweight aluminium bodywork, a 100bhp MG XPAG engine and an overall weight of less than 500kg gave it 125mph performance, Bristow taking wins at Crystal Palace and Silverstone in the car.
Considered a future World Champion, Bristow went into Formula One, becoming Stirling Moss’s teammate at Cooper in 1959, only to be killed in an accident at the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix.
The Leonard MG has only recently been rediscovered, by art dealer Ken Bolan, who intends to see it restored, and raced once again, at the Goodwood Revival.
Ford Escort RS2000 ModSports
This racing Escort has a mystery past, which owner Steve Barnard is keen to uncover. ‘Steve found it on eBay for sale in a lockup garage late last year,’ said Steve Watton, chairman of the Historic Sports Car Club’s Historic ModSports and Special Saloons series. ‘He’s rebuilt it as-found, with a 2.0-litre Cosworth BDG on mechanical fuel injection, but analysing it, the car appears to have been prepared for ModSports in accordance with the 1979 Blue Book rules, but not modified since that time.
‘Some people have said it’s the Geoff Wood car, but it isn’t – it’s the wrong colour, plus we know where that car is – but whoever built it, a lot of time and money went into this car, so we’d be fascinated to know more about its racing career.’
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