Sir Chris Hoy victorious at Silverstone Classic
Cyclist-turned-racing driver takes impressive victory in endurance race
Champion cyclist Sir Chris Hoy made a successful return to motor racing at the Silverstone Classic on Sunday.
Taking part in the Masters Endurance Legends race for Le Mans-style cars built between 1995 and 2012, Hoy drove a 2007 Courage LC75 after historic racer Mike Furness had piloted it the previous day.
The six-time Olympic gold medallist and 11-time world champion track cyclist was victorious in the P2 class of the race, and sixth overall behind faster cars. He was 45 seconds clear of the closest car in class at the end of the 15-lap race.
Hoy is no stranger to motorsport, having competed regularly from 2013 to 2016 in a bid to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After racing in Britain and Europe, and taking the 2015 LMP3 championship in the European Le Mans Series, Hoy achieved his goal of racing at the iconic French endurance event in 2016.
He tweeted: “Not a bad day out at Silverstone Classic! Such a great event, well done to the organisers and huge thanks to Mike Furness and Damax Motorsport for an incredible car.”
Hoy also took part in the previous weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, driving various Porsches up the hill as part of the event’s silver jubilee. He returned to Le Mans in June for the Aston Martin Festival race alongside Ex-Formula One driver and Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle.
The Silverstone Classic played host to more than 1,000 iconic racing cars of all disciplines, from Formula One to touring cars. Star drivers on track included British Touring Car champions including Jason Plato and John Cleland.
In addition, Silverstone Auctions put dozens of cars under the hammer, with a 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster selling for a whopping £860,625.
