1980s Touring Car monsters take to the track in new historic race series

If, like me, you're a child of the 70s, this news could be of particular interest to you. The Touring Car monsters of the late 70s and early 80s are set to rub flared wheel arches and swap cigarette-sponsored paint once more on the racetrack, starting on 29th April 2011, at the Donington Historic Festival, in a new race series called the JD Classics Challenge.

What a treat. Icons like the TWR XJ-S, BMW 528, Alfa GTV6, Ford Sierra XR4i, and the beast of them all; the ultra-lairy Ford Capri. It'll be great to see these period-correct-spec fire-breathers back where they belong and I think it's safe to say that we'll see plenty of sideways action. Here are a couple of pics to whet the appetite while we wait. And remember - rubbin's racin'!

On the grid here we've got the brutish Rover SD1, technically-turbo Mitsubishi Starion,
and a couple of bully-boy BMW 635CSIs. Drool-worthy racing potential