The New Home for
Mid-Century GT Racing: Pre-’66 GT
The mid-sixties produced some of the greatest GT cars of all time, and there’s a new Motor Racing Legends series for them in 2026: Pre-’66 GT Sprint. The new format sees one-hour races for these magnificent cars.
A New Place to Race
Created to offer a shorter format for GT cars of the era on the Motor Racing Legends bill, Pre-’66 GT Sprint will make its debut at the London Historic Trophy, Brands Hatch, 19th-21st June, before a cross-channel hopscotch sees races at Charade, Silverstone GP and Dijon.
Eligibility roughly follows the same principles as the Royal Automobile Pall Mall Cup, and the two do not share any race weekends. Pre-1966 GT cars, and under-2-litre GTP cars, form the grid, with specific classes within the entry. Whilst the Pall Mall Cup offers endurance racing for 1950s sports cars and pre-’66 tourers, shorter races for these cars are provided by the Stirling Moss Trophy and Top Hat series.
Each race is of one hour, with a mandatory pitstop allowing for two-driver teams. The main consideration of the concept is to offer a place to race these cars, with less stress on cars where endurance competition sometimes leads to expensive maintenance.
A Cross-Channel Tour
The inaugural race for Pre-‘66 GT Sprint sees the category take centre stage at the London Historic Trophy, racing on the Brands Hatch GP Circuit from 19th-21st June. This event is a key part of Brands Hatch’s 100th birthday ‘Century of Power’ celebrations and will be a highlight in the season.
The series then visits the Circuit de Charade for the newly-revived Trophées d’Auvergne, 10th-12th July, on a circuit Sir Stirling Moss described as ‘the most beautiful in the world’.
Another brand-new event follows this, with a visit to the BRDC Classic, 24th-26th July, and though it is perhaps less picturesque, the Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit is a fine drivers’ track.
Finally, the tour concludes at Circuit Dijon-Prenois 11th-13th September, joining the HVM Dijon Motors Cup.
Entries are open now, priced at £1615 per event for MRL Club members. Enter via the MRL app or web portal.
