On Sunday 14 April the coveted Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy will be awarded to the winning drivers in the British round of FIA World Endurance Championship at Silverstone which is the opening round of the eight race series spanning four continents in 2013. The 6 Hours of Silverstone is the opening round of the World Championship that also visits Belgium, France, Brazil, USA, Japan China and Bahrain.

The 108-year-old Tourist Trophy is one of the most significant prizes in International motorsport. It was the first formally organised and contested international endurance race in the world and over the years has been won by such racing greats as Rudolf Caracciola, Tazio Nuvolari, Sir Stirling Moss, Graham Hill, Denny Hulme and Derek Bell. The first Tourist Trophy meeting was held on the Isle of Man on 14 September 1905 with cars setting off from Alexander Drive, Douglas on a 52 mile course. John Napier, in an Arrol-Johnston won in the 6 hour race comprising 4 laps, 208 miles, with an average speed of 33.9 mph.

Whilst there were breaks in the Tourist Trophy being contested in the early 20th century and during both world wars, it has remained one of the most prominent endurance competitions on the world motorsport calendar. Over the years the challenge moved around the country and has been contested at circuits on the Isle of Man, England and Northern Ireland. As well as the imposing Isle of Man track, the other circuits include Ards in Northern Ireland, Donington Park, Dundrod in Ulster, where the career of the then unknown Stirling Moss was launched, Goodwood, Oulton Park and finally, in 1970, Silverstone, which has hosted more Tourist Trophy events than any other circuit.

In 2005 the Tourist Trophy returned to Silverstone in its centenary year for the FIA GT Championship race. Dutchman Peter Kox and Portugal’s Pedro Lamy triumphed in the three-hour race taking the chequered flag in a British-built Aston Martin. The Tourist Trophy then continued to be awarded to the winners of the FIA GT and FIA GT1 World Championship and now, in 2013, the FIA World Endurance Championship takes up the guardianship of this important award for international endurance racing with a 6-hour race featuring the top manufacturers and drivers in sportscar racing.

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, said: “We are extremely pleased to announce our partnership with the Royal Automobile Club to award the prestigious Tourist Trophy to the winners of the opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Silverstone. 2013 is a very important year for the Automobile Club de l’Ouest as it marks the 90th anniversary of the first running of the 24 Heures du Mans in 1923. To be able to award the Tourist Trophy, which its rich history and tradition, is a great honour for us in this important year and will get the 2013 season off to a great start. We look forward to seeing which names from the FIA WEC grid will be added to the roll of honour alongside the names from the past such as Caracciola, Shelby, Moss, Hill and Bell; names that also have great association with Le Mans.”

Ben Cussons, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club Motoring Committee, said: “The Royal Automobile Club is proud to be awarding the Tourist Trophy to the winning drivers at the 6 Hours of Silverstone in April. The Tourist Trophy has always celebrated the best of endurance sportscar racing and it is entirely appropriate that it will be presented at the opening round of the World Endurance Championship in such an important year for championship promoters the Automobile Club de l’Ouest. The first ever race in 1905 lasted over 6-hours and it is truly fitting that over 100 years later we have gone full circle back to a 6-hour endurance race in 2013. We are truly looking forward to see the race at Silverstone on 14 April and seeing the Tourist Trophy held aloft on the podium once again.”

The Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy will be awarded to the overall winning drivers in the opening round of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship at Silverstone on 14 April. The meeting also includes the first round of the 2013 European Le Mans Series.  

Tourist Trophy Winners 1905 - 2011

Year Driver(s) Nat Car Circuit
1905 John Napier GB Arrol-Johnston Isle of Man
1906 Hon Charles Rolls GB Rolls-Royce 20hp Isle of Man
1907 Ernest Courtis GB Rover 20hp Isle of Man
1908 William Watson GB Hutton Isle of Man
1914 Kenelm Lee Guinness GB Sunbeam Isle of Man
1922 Jean Chassagne F Sunbeam Isle of Man
1928 Kaye Don GB Lea-Francis Ards
1929 Rudolf Caracciola D Mercedes-Benz SS Ards
1930 Tazio Nuvolari I Alfa-Romeo 6C Ards
1931 Norman Black GB MG Midget Ards
1932 Cyril R Whitcroft GB Riley 9 Ards
1933 Tazio Nuvolari I MG Magnette Ards
1934 Charles Dodson GB MG Magnette Ards
1935 Freddie Dixon GB Riley 1.5 Ards
1936 Freddie Dixon / Charles Dodson GB/GB Riley 1.5 Ards
1937 Gianfranco Comotti I Darracq Donington Park
1938 Louis Gérard F Delage Donington Park
1950 Stirling Moss GB Jaguar XK120 Dundrod
1951 Stirling Moss GB Jaguar C Type Dundrod
1953 Peter Collins / Pat Griffith GB/GB Aston Martin DB3S Dundrod
1954 Paul Armagnac / Gerard Laureau F/F DB-Panhard Dundrod
1955 Stirling Moss / John Fitch GB/US Mercedes-Benz 300SLR Dundrod
1958 Stirling Moss / Tony Brooks GB/GB Aston Martin DBR1 Goodwood
1959 Carroll Shelby / Jack Fairman / Stirling Moss US/GB/GB Aston Martin DBR1 Goodwood
1960 Stirling Moss GB Ferrari 250 GT SWB Goodwood
1961 Stirling Moss GB Ferrari 250 GT SWB Goodwood
1962 Innes Ireland GB Ferrari 250 GTO Goodwood
1963 Graham Hill GB Ferrari 250 GTO Goodwood
1964 Graham Hill GB Ferrari 330 P Goodwood
1965 Denny Hulme NZ Brabham BT8 Oulton Park
1966 Denny Hulme NZ Lola T70 Mk2 Oulton Park
1967 Andrea de Adamich I Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA Oulton Park
1968 Denny Hulme NZ Lola T70 Mk3 Oulton Park
1969 Trevor Taylor GB Lola T70 Mk3B Oulton Park
1970 Brian Muir AUS Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Silverstone
1972 Jochen Mass/ Dieter Glemser D/D Ford Capri RS2600 Silverstone
1973 Derek Bell / Harald Ertl GB/A BMW 3.0 CSL Alpina Silverstone
1974 Stuart Graham GB Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Silverstone
1975 Stuart Graham GB Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Silverstone
1976 Jean Xhenceval / Pierre Dieudonné / Hugues de Fierlandt B/B/B BMW 3.0 CSL Silverstone
1977 Dieter Quester / Tom Walkinshaw D/GB BMW 3.0 CSL Silverstone
1978 Raijmond van Hove / Eddy Joosen B/B BMW 3.0 CSL Silverstone
1979 Martino Finotto / Carlo Facetti I/I BMW 3.0 CSL Silverstone
1980 Umberto Grano / Harald Neger / Heribert Werginz I/A/A BMW 635 CSi Silverstone
1981 Tom Walkinshaw / Chuck Nicholson GB/GB Mazda RX7 Silverstone
1982 Tom Walkinshaw / Chuck Nicholson GB/GB Jaguar XJ-S Silverstone
1983 Rene Metge / Steve Soper F/GB Rover SD1 Vitesse Silverstone
1984 Helmet Kelleners / Gianfranco Brancatelli D/I BMW 635 CSi Silverstone
1985 Tom Walkinshaw / Win Percy GB/GB Rover SD1 Vitesse Silverstone
1986 Denny Hulme / Jeff Allam NZ/GB Rover SD1 Vitesse Silverstone
1987 Enzo Calderari / Fabio Mancini CH/I BMW M3 Silverstone
1988 Andy Rouse / Alain Ferté GB/F Ford Sierra RS500 Silverstone
1994 Paul Radisich NZL Ford Mondeo Ghia Donington
1997 Alain Menu CH Renault Laguna Donington
1998 Vincenzo Sospiri / Emmanuel Collard I/F Ferrari 333 SP Donington
2005 Pedro Lamy / Peter Kox P/NL Aston Martin DBR9 Silverstone
2006 Andrea Bertolini / Michael Bartels I/D Maserati MC12 Silverstone
2007 Thomas Biagi / Mika Salo I / FIN Maserati MC12 Silverstone
2008 Karl Wendlinger / Ryan Sharp A/GB Aston Martin DBR9 Silverstone
2009 Karl Wendlinger / Ryan Sharp A/GB Saleen S7-R Silverstone
2010 Warren Hughes / Jamie Campbell-Walter GB/GB Nissan GT-R Silverstone
2011 Michael Krumm / Lucas Luhr D/D Nissan GT-R Silverstone

Multiple winners of The Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy

Stirling MOSS – 7 wins (’50 / ’51 / ’55 / ‘58/ ’59 / ’60 / ’61)
Denny HULME – 4 wins (’65 / ’66 / ’68 / ’86)
Tom WALKINSHAW – 4 wins (’77 / ’81 / ’82 / ’85)
Graham HILL – 2 wins (’63 / ’64)
Stuart GRAHAM – 2 wins (’74 / ’75) The only post war racer to win the TT on both 4 and 2 wheels (1967 Isle of Man TT 50cc)
Tazio NUVOLARI – 2 wins (’30 / ’33)
Chuck NICHOLSON – 2 wins (’81 / ’82)
Freddie DIXON – 2 wins (’35 / ’36) Also won the TT on both 4 and 2 wheels - 1923 Sidecar TT, 1927 junior TT
Charles DODSON – 2 wins (’34 / ’36)
Karl WENDLINGER – 2 Wins (‘08 / ‘09)
Ryan SHARP – 2 wins (’08 / ‘09)