Inter Services Team Championship

Birkett Relay

The culmination of the Club Racing season, this unique event has a concept and a tradition all of its own – a little bit of end of season fun to many but also a challenge to the competitive instincts of many racing drivers and the strategic wiles of a few team managers!

Dating back to 1951, the race was the brainchild of one of the 750 Motor Club’s founder members – Holland “Holly” Birkett. Following his death the event was subsequently renamed in honour of the Club President.

The race is held today on the Silverstone GP circuit and as a result can accommodate up to 70 teams of between 4 and 6 drivers and cars competing in a unique relay race format. Each team has to lap the circuit as many times as they can within the six hours, with only one of their team cars running at any one time. As one comes into the pit lane, the next can be dispatched out onto the circuit. Entry is restricted to sports and saloon cars; this means an eclectic mix of vehicles can be on track, everything from 1960’s MG Midgets to BMW M3’s, hordes of Caterham derivatives and modern sports racing cars such as Radical’s.

The RAF have previously won this event 3 times, the most recent being an enthralling 2017 race, which also saw them being crowned inter-service champions again.

Track Information

Length 3.166 miles
Turns 18
Lap Record 1:30.621 (Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 2017, F1)
 AFRC  Records Inter service Champions
RAF – 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021
Army – 2016, 2019
Birkett Relay Handicap Winners:

RAF – 2021, 2017, 2011, 2007

Circuit Website https://www.silverstone.co.uk/
Location Towcester
Northamptonshire
NN12 8TN