2026 in Historic Racing
Part 2/2 – Reducing performance and costs
They seem frozen in time, don’t be fooled by appearances… Historic cars are progressing almost as fast as modern ones: five seconds gained in ten years for a Shelby Cobra at the Paul Ricard circuit! This spectacular improvement comes with soaring costs that urgently need to be curbed. The good news is that solutions exist. Implementing them will be one of the major challenges of 2026.
The technical commissioners have a huge task ahead of them: one day to check all the cars.
In just a few years, the profile of the historic racing driver has radically changed. Back in the 2000s, they came to have fun and share their passion. Today, they come to have fun and win. This shift in motivation has transformed the discipline.
In historic racing, as in modern racing, only a minority of cars have the potential to win: a McLaren or a Red Bull in Formula 1; a Shelby Cobra or a Jaguar E-Type in Sixties’ Endurance. The comparison ends there, because unlike F1 drivers, historic racers choose their own cars. The surge in Cobras and E-Types in recent years hasn’t gone unnoticed. Meanwhile, competitors motivated simply by the desire to run their small-displacement cars have mostly disappeared.
The Jaguar E-Type and Shelby Cobra 289 rule the roost… What does the future hold for small-engined cars?
An arms race
With contenders for victory now using the same models, the difference lies elsewhere: in the extreme professionalization of preparers, who have entered an arms race to satisfy their clients. Cars have become more reliable than they once were, but also far more powerful. Engine builders manage to extract 400 hp from a Jaguar E-Type’s six-cylinder—around 30% more than in period—while still respecting the specifications described in the Historic Technical Passport (HTP). But modern materials, tires, fuels, and oils don’t explain everything. While Federation Internationale de l’Automobile’s Appendix K remains the unquestionable foundation of all historic technical and sporting regulations, it may not have kept pace with practices observed in the paddocks: use of anti-roll bars and adjustable dampers, clutches outside specifications, brake cooling ducts with “boa” hoses, and more.
Some of these optimizations improve reliability and safety, such as the alternator disguised as a dynamo (the famous “dynator”) that enhances headlight performance. But others boost performance, causing premature wear of parts and shortening the interval between overhauls. Costs are skyrocketing, and some owners are starting to wonder whether it’s reasonable to invest so much money in a hobby. Are preparers sawing off the branch they’re sitting on?
This dynamo-shaped alternator, known as a ‘dynator’, is widely used in historic racing.
Solutions for 2026
All major organisers (Peter Auto, Motor Racing Legends, Masters Historic Racing, Goodwood) want to curb these excesses… But how can they regulate what they can’t fully control? Even with an army of technical scrutineers, inspecting every car is impossible (Le Mans Classic alone has over 600 entries).
Alternatives to traditional technical checks do exist, such as requiring a standardised electronic ignition to limit maximum engine revs. Cutting 1,000 rpm could double the lifespan of some engines, as well as gearboxes and differentials.
One thing is certain: organisers and the FIA won’t succeed in reducing car performance and operating costs without joining forces to adapt and unify future regulations. Will they manage to agree on these issues in 2026?
Each organiser is responsible for their own longitudinal follow-up.