OXFORDSHIRE racer Arthur Smith-Fitchett has been selected to take part in the Historic Saloon Support Race at the British Grand Prix.

He will be fielding an ex-works 1960 Sunbeam Rapier in a field of 1950s and 1960s saloon cars of the type that took part in the British Saloon Car Championship from 1958 to 1965 as a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the championship.

He said: "My car was specifically built by the Rootes Competitions Department in mid-1960 to take part in races for Rootes Inc. in both the USA and Mexico and the first of these was the Saloon Car Support Race for the 1960 US Grand Prix, at Riverside in California.

"In that race it finished third overall behind two works 3.8-litre Jaguar Mk2s and first in class, driven by Britain's most successful post-war rally driver, Peter Harper.

"Accordingly, its rather apt that 48 years later we will be carrying out the same role again, albeit in the UK."

The race is taking place immediately after the Grand Prix, on Sunday, July 6, to close the weekend's events and there will be a large 48-car starting grid, the licensed limit for the Grand Prix circuit.

He added: "Expected cars will range from 875cc Hillman Imps up to a lone 7.0-litre Ford Galaxie, taking in the ubiquitous Lotus Cortinas, Mini Coopers and Alfa Romeo Giulias that came to dominate saloon car championships around the world in the early 1960s, so it should be an excellent race."