Willhire 24 Hour

The race was sponsored by Willhire Vehicles Rentals (now Anglian Willhire, part of Northgate), a local car rental company, after its owner Roger Williams was approached to sponsor a motor racing event at the circuit. Williams talked about sponsoring a 6- or 24-hour event, initially as a joke, but the offer was accepted and the United Kingdom's first 24-hour race was founded.[3] The race was first held in 1980.[3] The 1989 event was 25 hours long to mark the 25th anniversary of the Willhire company.[4] The final event was held in 1994.[5]

The Willhire 24 Hour was won by a number of drivers who went on to have success in other forms of racing. In 1986, the winning car was co-driven by then BBC Radio 1 disc jockey Mike Smith and Lionel Abbott,[6] who became the first two-driver team to win the race. The full list of winners is given below.[3][7] Other notable drivers who competed in the past other than those listed below include Martin Brundle,[8] Steve Soper, John Cleland,[9] Kieth O'dor, Tiff Needell, James Thompson and Gerry Marshall. Stirling Moss was part of a class-winning team at the race in 1980, driving a Volkswagen Scirocco.[10]

Endurance 2CV racing at Snetterton, 2009

Snetterton's experience in hosting a 24-hour race was proven to be beneficial when subsequently, the track became a host of some British Touring Car Championship night races from 1999, and Willhire-sponsored endurance races in 2002, 2003 and 2004,[7] but full 24-hour racing did not return until 2003, when the 2CV 24 Hour Race moved to Snetterton.[5][11] However, national 24 hour endurance racing would not return until the introduction of the Silverstone Britcar 24-Hour in 2005, taking place at Silverstone Circuit. The 2005 Britcar event is sometimes referred to as the Britcar Willhire 24 Hour Race.[12]