Guards Trophy Championship

The Guards Trophy Championship is contested by sports racing cars (SRs) and grand touring cars (GTs) from the 1960s. Grouped into similar performance classes, running on (Dunlop) control tyres and, new for 2025, there are several split grid races as well as several mixed grid races. There are separate awards for each class at each race. At the end of the season separate overall Sports Racing and GT Champions will be crowned, ensuring that the GT drivers share the spotlight with the sports racing drivers.

The race format is a mini-enduro, 50-minute race with a mandatory pit-stop and optional driver changes. Dual driven cars are actively encouraged, but solo drivers are not penalised.

Promising grids of 30-plus cars, the Guards Trophy remains a highlight of the HSCC’s race weekends.

There are also new classes for the smaller-engine sports racers (up to 1,150 cc) and the larger-engine pre-’67 ‘big bangers’, meaning the range of cars competing in the sports racing classes will be wider than ever.

Revised classes for the GT categories should allow a more balanced championship, with a new class for the smaller-engine cars (up to 1,300 cc), a further split for cars between 1,651 cc – 2,000 cc, and cars between 2,001 cc – 3,000 cc, ensuring the MGBs and their like are separated from the TR4s and Austin Healeys.

Invitation classes for both GT and Sports Racing categories welcome cars that are not eligible for the main classes, albeit in a non-points scoring class.

2025 Champions

SR OVERALL
1ST ANDREW HIBBERD: LOTUS 23B
2ND BENJAMIN & ROBERT TUSTING: LENHAM P69 SPIDER
3RD TED PEARSON & CALLUM GRANT: CHEVRON B8

GT OVERALL
1ST STEPHEN REECE: LOTUS ELAN
2ND CHARLES ALISON & PETER THOMPSON: TVR GRIFFITH
3RD CHRIS THOMPSON: MGB

2025 Class Winners

SRA
1ST ANDREW HIBBERD: LOTUS 23B
2ND ASHLEY HUDSON: LOTUS 23B
3RD CHARLES COOK: MERLYN MK4A

SRB
1ST BENJAMIN & ROBERT TUSTING: LENHAM P69 SPIDER
2ND TED PEARSON & CALLUM GRANT: CHEVRON B8
3RD HUGH COLMAN: CHEVRON B8

SRC
1ST DANIEL PICKETT: CHEVRON B16
2ND DAN EAGLING: CHEVRON B16
3RD ALAN PURBRICK & DAVID BRISE: CHEVRON B16

SRD
1ST HENRY STEPHENSON: GT40
2ND MARTIN STEPHENSON: GT40
3RD GRAHAM MOSS: LOTA T70 MK2

GTA
1ST STEPHEN REECE: LOTUS ELAN
2ND RUPERT ASHDOWN: LOTUS ELAN 26R
3RD IAN McDONALD & CELIA STEVENS: COSTIN ELAN

GTB
1st CHRIS THOMPSON: MGB
2ND NICK THOMPSON: MGB
3RD BENN TILLEY: MGB

GTD
1ST CHARLES ALLISON & PETER THOMPSON: TVR GRIFFITH
2ND CHARLES ALLISON & PETER THOMPSON: SHELBY COBRA 4727
3RD RUDI FRIEDRICHS: AC SHELBY COBRA

Eligible Cars

The revised for 2025 Guards Trophy Championship is open to Sports Racing, Sports Prototype, standard Grand Touring (GT), Competition Grand Touring (GTS) and Grand Touring Prototypes (GTP) from FIA Periods E1, F1 and G1 (and built prior to the dates specified below under each class structure). All cars should have, as a model, international competition history in period.

There are also Invitation Classes (not eligible for the championship points) for unlimited capacity Standard GT, Competition GT and GT Prototype cars built prior to 31/12/72 and for Sports Racing and Sports Prototype cars built prior to 31/12/69 that do not fall into one of the specified classes below.

Regulations are as FIA Appendix K, namely full period racing specification in accordance with manufacturers’ homologation forms.

All vehicles must have an FIA HTP Historic Technical Passport or a valid Vehicle Identity Form (VIF) to be eligible for championship points.  Cars entered with a VIF must comply with the equivalent technical requirements of the appropriate FIA Appendix K requirements and may be subject to further scrutiny prior to any race entered.

 

Classes cover the following FIA periods:

Period E1  1947-1961

Period F1  1962 – 1965

Period G1  1966 – 1971

 

 

Class Structure (revised for 2025):

GTA          All Standard, Competition GT & GT Prototype cars 1,301cc – 1,650cc built to FIA Period E1, F1 and G1 from 01/01/1960 – 31/12/1969. *

GTB          All Standard, Competition GT & GT Prototype cars 1,651cc – 2,000cc built to FIA Period E1, F1 and G1 from 01/01/1960 – 31/12/1969. *

GTC          All Standard, Competition GT & GT Prototype cars 2,001cc – 3,000cc built to FIA Period E1, F1 and G1 from 01/01/1960 – 31/12/1969. *

GTD          All Standard, Competition GT & GT Prototype cars 3,001cc – 5,500cc built to FIA Period E1, F1 and G1 from 01/01/1960 – 31/12/1969. *

GTE          All Standard, Competition GT & GT Prototype cars up to 1,300cc built to FIA Period E1, F1 and G1 from 01/01/1960 – 31/12/1969. *

GTI            All Standard, Competition GT & GT Prototype cars, unlimited capacity, built to FIA Period G1 specification 01/01/1970 – 31/12/71. Subject to the approval of the Championship Organisers.

SRA          Sports Racing and Sports Prototype cars up to 1,600cc built to FIA Period E1 and F1 specification from 01/01/1960 – 31/12/1965. *

SRB          Sports Racing and Sports Prototype cars up to 2,000cc built to FIA Period G1 specification from 01/01/1960 – 31/12/1968. *

SRC          Sports Racing and Sports Prototype (closed-coupe) cars up to 2,000cc built to FIA Period G1 specification from 01/01/1969 – 31/12/1969. *

SRD          Sports Racing and Sports Prototype cars, unlimited capacity, built to FIA Period E1, F1 & G1 specification from 01/01/1960 – 31/12/1966.

SRE          Sports Racing and Sports Prototype cars up to 1,150cc built to FIA Period E1 and F1 specification from 01/01/1958 – 31/12/1965. *

SRI            Sports Racing and Sports Prototype cars up to 2,000cc, not falling into the above classes, built to FIA Period E1, F1 and G1 specification from 01/01/1958 – 31/12/1969. Subject to the approval of the Championship Organisers.

* In all classes marked with an asterix, cars built after the cut-off date but manufactured to pre-cut off dates will be allowed, subject to the approval of the Championship Organisers.

Tyres

For 2024, tyres will be as follows:

•          Dunlop L or M 204 compound for Sports Racing Classes SRA and SRD, and all GT Classes (GTA to GTI).

•          Dunlop CR65/82 Post Historic 484 compound (additional hand cut grooves are permitted) for all Sports Racing/Sports Prototype classes.

Where appropriate sized tyres are not available for a specific car then the driver is responsible for agreeing the choice of tyres with the Championship Organiser before the start of the Championship.

Champions

2025 Sports Racing: Andrew Hibberd (Lotus 23B)

2025 Grand Touring: Stephen Reece (Lotus Elan)

2024 Sports Racing: Robert and Ben Tusting (Lenham P69)

2024 Grand Touring: Bruce White (Lotus Elan)

2023 Sports Racing: Steve Nuttall (Chevron B8)

2023 Grand Touring: Eddie Powell  (Lotus Elan 26R)

2022 Sports Racing: Peter De La Roche (Lotus 23B)

2022 Grand Touring: John Davison (Lotus Elan 26R)

2021 Sports Racing: Andy Newall (Chevron B6)

2021 Grand Touring: John Spiers (TVR Griffith)

2019 Sports Racing: Benn Tilley (Lotus 23B)

2019 Grand Touring: Ross Hyett (Lotus Elan 26R)

 

 

 

CONTACT:

Acting Championship Coordinator: Chris Sharples

Chris Sharples