evo duo to storm Silverstone Classic in brutal Broadley Lola
Marino Franchitti and Richard Meaden pair up to drive one of our favourite racers
Friend of evo Marino Franchitti and contributing editor Richard Meaden will contest the FIA Masters Historic Sports Car race at the Silverstone Classic this weekend.
For Marino, the event will be his first competitive outing at the Classic, and there can be little more special in which to make his debut than the car the duo will race – a Broadley T76.
You might remember the Broadley from evo’s 2014 Track Car of the year event, where it scored a podium position with the Porsche 911 GT3 and Ariel Atom 3.5R.
A faithful continuation of the Lola T70 of the late 1960s, the Broadley was quite unlike any other car in the competition, but had both pace on track and an undeniable sense of cool – leading Marino to say it made him feel like Steve McQueen.
Its 4949cc V8 produces 520bhp at 7000rpm and 620lb ft at 6000rpm, while a dry weight of 840kg means there’s very little inertia for the huge V8 to push along – as you can see in our on-board video above.
Marino and Dickie’s Broadley has one thing our Track Car contender did not – an iconic livery. The Silverstone car replicates the dark blue, Sunoco-liveried T70 run by Roger Penske racing at the 1969 Daytona 24 Hours.
That particular car walked away with victory in the hands of Mark Donohue and Chuck Parsons. With Marino and Meaden at the wheel, the Broadley has a strong chance of replicating that success – last year, Dickie finished third, partnered with another ex-evo man, Chris Harris.
They’ll have stiff competition: Around a dozen other Lola T70s, a collection of Ford GT40s and a series of CanAm cars will also join them on the grid.
The cacophony of V8 engines is sure to be one of the most entertaining races of the weekend. Other big name drivers will also entertain, including BTCC champions John Cleland, Tim Harvey, Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden, as well as Le Mans winner and friend of evo Andy Wallace.
Advance tickets are on sale for £25 until 17:00 on Thursday, with gate admission starting at £40 for adults.
