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Unique Maserati race for Donington Historic Festival

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Maserati, Motor Racing Legends (MRL) and the Maserati Club UK are staging a historic Maserati race at this year's Donington Historic Festival (May 3rd, 4th, 5th).

Running as a double header over two of the Festival's three days, the Maserati Centenary Trophy is for all types of Maseratis and OSCAs built before 1966. This means that the race will be open to all pre-'66 single-seaters and sports cars, including all pre-War cars and cars powered by Maserati or OSCA engines.

The Italian marque's history in motorsport goes back to 1926 - 12 years after its foundation in 1914 - when Alfieri Maserati took his Tipo 26 to class victory in that year's Targa Florio. This would be followed in 1927 by Maserati winning the Italian constructors' title and Alfieri's brother Ernesto taking the Italian drivers' title. In the subsequent decades, Maserati would drive into the motorsport history books with a series of iconic models and success in Grand Prix and sportscar racing, two Indy 500 wins and victory in the 1957 Formula One World Drivers' Championship for Fangio in the 250F.

Michael O'Shea, Racing Co-Ordinator for the Maserati Club UK, said: "The Maserati Centenary Trophy is the realisation of the Maserati Club UK's ambition to hold such a special race in Britain to celebrate 100 years of Maserati. The challenge of marking this important occasion was taken up by Motor Racing Legends and the venue will be the magnificent Donington Park circuit during the Donington Historic Festival.

"It is entirely appropriate that this celebration is held at Donington Park because Maseratis have been racing there since the circuit opened in the 1930s. Later the track became the host to the annual Shell Ferrari Maserati Challenge and now the cars will return from all over Europe for the Donington Historic Festival. As more and more of these valuable cars are consigned to private collections and museums, this will be a rare opportunity to see a grid of cars from the 1930s to the 1960s all powered by engines built by Maserati or OSCA."

Donington Historic Festival founder Duncan Wiltshire said, "This will be a fantastic race for spectators and drivers alike. To see a dedicated grid of historic models such as the 8CM, 250F, A6GCS and 300S out on track is something Festival visitors will never forget. It is particularly pleasing that Motor Racing Legends is working with the oldest Maserati club in the world to commemorate the marque's anniversary in this way. The Maserati Club UK's knowledge is an invaluable resource in organising such an event."