THE PRE-WAR ROAR RETURNS TO THE NORTH
THE VINTAGE & HISTORIC SEAMAN TROPHY RACES.
Oulton Park Gold Cup
Saturday 29–Monday 31 August 2026
An exceptional grid of 21 pre-war and early post-war racing cars, including up to nine ERAs, will compete in two races for the Vintage and Historic Seaman Trophies over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
The grid is being run by the Vintage Sports-Car Club, in conjunction with Tom Hardman Limited. The VSCC’s experience, officials and volunteers have been fundamental to bringing the event together—quite simply, without the Club, we could not have managed it.
See the cars up close, meet the people who keep them alive and hear the pioneer age at full voice.
CARS TO INSPIRE
Brian Redman, one of Britain’s great international sports-car drivers, whose career included victories at Daytona, Sebring, the Nürburgring and Spa is supporting this event and remembers how much these cars impacted him as a young driver.
“In 1960, waiting in line, I sat in my 848cc Mini Minor at a Southport Sprint. Ahead of me, the rear wheels jacked off the ground, the engine and transmission being warmed up, was Jim Berry’s ERA. ‘Rap—rap—rap’ goes the exhaust, the heady smell of methanol fills the air; I was mesmerised by the sight and sound of this pre-war, giant-killing beauty.”
That memory has stayed with him for more than sixty years. It is exactly why we want these cars to be seen, heard and experienced by a new generation today.
THE GRID
Amongst those in attendance, we are excited to announce that we have secured entries from;
ERA R1B — The Dick Seaman Car
Built in 1935, R1B was the first of ERA’s improved B-series cars and was built for the young British driver Richard ‘Dick’ Seaman. With its 1.5-litre supercharged engine and distinctive black bodywork, it became the car in which Seaman established himself internationally. After entrusting its preparation to the brilliant Italian engineer Giulio Ramponi, Seaman won with R1B at Pescara, Berne and Brno in a remarkable run of success during 1935. Within two years he had progressed to the mighty Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix team.
Following Dick Seaman’s untimely death in 1939, the Vintage and Historic Seaman Trophies were presented to the VSCC by his friend George Monkhouse in his memory. It is therefore particularly fitting that, for the revival of these races at Oulton Park, R1B — the ERA in which Seaman achieved some of his greatest early successes — is back on track and competing for the trophies that bear his name.
Delage 15-S-8 – From the Bira Stable
The Delage 15-S-8 was one of the technical masterpieces of its age: a 1.5-litre, supercharged straight-eight Grand Prix car designed by Albert Lory and capable of extraordinary performance from such a small engine. Delage developed the type for the new 1926 Grand Prix regulations and went on to dominate the 1927 World Manufacturers’ Championship.
Its later story became entwined with the celebrated White Mouse racing team of Prince Chula and Prince Bira of Siam. Delage 15-S-8 machinery was acquired and developed for Bira during the 1930s, adding another remarkable chapter to a competition history already stretching back to the very beginnings of Grand Prix racing.
AND MUCH MORE…
Beyond these two remarkable cars, the grid brings together machinery from some of the great names of pre-war competition: Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Maserati, Talbot-Lago, Frazer Nash, Aston Martin, MG and Morgan, alongside the extraordinary gathering of ERAs. From supercharged Grand Prix cars to lightweight sports racers, it is a rare chance to see machines from across the pioneering years of motorsport together, up close and at racing speed.
Beyond the Seaman Trophy races, the Gold Cup brings together machinery from across the history of motorsport — from pre-1966 Grand Prix cars and Formula Junior to Formula 5000, Formula 2, historic sports racers, GTs and special saloons. With celebrations for Sir Jack Brabham and Can-Am also forming part of the weekend, you can experience several generations of racing technology in one place.
Come and see them, hear them and experience them for yourself at Oulton Park this Bank Holiday weekend.
Follow the link below to book your tickets and join us for the return of the Vintage and Historic Seaman Trophies.
Tickets for the event are purchased directly from Oulton Park / MotorSport Vision (MSV). Tom Hardman Limited and the Vintage Sports-Car Club are not responsible for ticket sales, booking queries, refunds, cancellations, admission terms or any other aspect of the ticketing process. Please refer directly to MSV for all ticket-related enquiries.
Below – ERA’s battling on track at Oulton Park… Thanks to Dennis Rishton for providing the photograph.
MORE THAN ANOTHER RACE
Bringing these cars back together at Oulton Park is about more than recreating a historic grid. It is about making sure the next generation has the chance to experience them as they were meant to be experienced: moving, competing, making noise and demanding something from the people who drive and maintain them.
Many of these cars are now approaching their centenaries. They have survived because successive generations have chosen not simply to preserve them, but to understand them, use them and pass that knowledge on. Seeing them race gives a perspective that no static display can quite provide. It reveals the ingenuity, courage and ambition of the period in which they were created, and makes that history immediate real – and very relevent to the age of innovation and change that we live in now.
That is why bringing them back to Oulton Park after so many years matters. We want established enthusiasts to enjoy seeing these cars together again, but just as importantly, we want a new generation to see an ERA, Bugatti, Delage or Maserati for the first time, experiencing the full power and presence that is so addictive to us all.
If this weekend inspires a future driver, engineer, mechanic, owner or simply a lifelong enthusiast, then the effort required to bring these cars together will have achieved something far beyond the races themselves.
The cars have endured. Our responsibility is to make sure the enthusiasm, knowledge and sense of wonder endure with them.
SUPPORTING THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE CARS
We created the Regatta Drivers’ Club to give our drivers, mechanics and teams a comfortable base throughout the weekend — somewhere to eat, take a break, meet fellow competitors and focus on the job of keeping these remarkable cars running.
Historic racing asks a great deal of the people behind the scenes, and the Drivers’ Club is our way of making sure they are properly looked after while they are with us at Oulton Park.
The Club has been made possible through the generous support of our Drivers’ Club sponsors, whose backing has helped us provide that hospitality across the weekend:
REGATTA GREAT OUTDOORS
Headline Sponsor and Naming Partner of the Regatta Drivers’ Club
We are delighted to welcome Regatta Great Outdoors as the headline sponsor of the Drivers’ Club.
Founded in 1981, Regatta is a family-run British brand creating practical, reliable outdoor clothing, footwear and equipment designed to help people enjoy more time outside.
Their support is a natural fit for a weekend built around people, machines and the shared experience of historic motorsport in the open air. As Naming Partner of the Regatta Drivers’ Club, their backing has been pivotal, allowing us to create a comfortable and welcoming base for drivers, mechanics and teams throughout the weekend.
We are extremely grateful to Regatta for getting behind the event and for helping us look after the people who make the racing possible.
ELEV8 Group
For many historic car owners, finding the right car can mean looking beyond the UK. Once cars, parts or suppliers cross borders, international payments and foreign exchange quickly become part of the process.
Elev8 helps private clients and businesses manage that side of things, making cross-border payments straightforward and helping clients manage costs and currency exposure effectively.
Elev8 already works with Tom Hardman Limited, and over the last few years both we and our customers have benefited from their highly efficient, personal approach to international financial transactions.
Founded by Josh and Terry, Elev8 combines specialist expertise with a genuinely hands-on service. As they put it:
“We take care of the currency. You can get on with the cars.”
We are delighted to have their support for this event and grateful for their contribution to helping us look after the drivers, mechanics and teams throughout the weekend.
Classic & Sports Finance has been a trusted and valued partner of Tom Hardman Limited almost from our inception, providing specialist finance for classic, vintage, sports and competition cars.
Rob and the team combine an understanding of and passion for cars with the financial expertise needed to make ownership and acquisition straightforward.
Based at Sherburn in Elmet, The Motorist has created a genuine meeting place for the motoring community in the north — bringing together interesting cars, events, food and, most importantly, the people who enjoy them.
That shared enthusiasm for bringing people and cars together makes their support particularly appropriate for this weekend.
Turrino Wire Wheels combines traditional craftsmanship with specialist engineering to build, restore and develop wire wheels from its workshops in Kings Cliffe.
Their work spans historic and classic machinery, with an emphasis on individual manufacture, technical knowledge and keeping these distinctive wheels in use.
OUR HEARTFELT THANKS
This event has only been possible through the support of a number of people and organisations who share our belief in keeping these cars active, visible and enjoyed.
We are enormously grateful to our Drivers’ Club sponsors whose backing has helped us create a space for the drivers, mechanics and teams throughout the weekend.
We would also like to offer our sincere thanks to the private donors who have generously contributed to the event. While they remain anonymous, their support has been every bit as important in helping us bring this exceptional gathering together.
To all of them: thank you for helping us keep these cars racing, and for supporting the people who make that possible.
Motorsport Safety & Event Disclaimer
Motorsport involves inherent risks. All competitors, team members, guests and spectators should follow the instructions of the circuit, event organisers, officials and marshals at all times and remain within designated areas.
Competitors are responsible for ensuring that their vehicles, licences, equipment and personal safety requirements comply with the relevant regulations and event instructions.
The Vintage & Historic Seaman Trophy races are run by the Vintage Sports-Car Club in conjunction with Tom Hardman Limited.
Event details and timings may change before or during the weekend. Spectator admission and ticketing are subject to the terms and conditions of Oulton Park / MotorSport Vision (MSV).
Nothing in this notice excludes or limits any liability which cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.