Friday 31st March 2023, Bicester Heritage, UK: The Little Car Company, makers of the Bugatti Baby II – a modern version of the iconic Bugatti Baby – has partnered with HERO-ERA to launch the UK Bugatti Baby II Championship, a unique racing series that will see 20 adult and child teams compete in three racing events.
Anyone with the slightest interest in motorsport will have likely pictured themselves doing battle on track and ultimately standing atop a podium celebrating their victory. Now, the UK Bugatti Baby II Championship will offer the rare opportunity to put that passion to the test and sample that elation by placing them behind the wheel of a Bugatti Baby II in a racing environment. With this being a team event, parents and children will also be able to share their passion together, combining their racing skills to create memories that will last a lifetime.
Developed in partnership with Bugatti, the Bugatti Baby II is a 75% scale version of one of the French marque’s most iconic racing vehicles – the Bugatti Type 35. Fully electric, with multiple driving modes, the Bugatti Baby II can be enjoyed by both adults and children. And now, in partnership with expert event organisers HERO-ERA, the UK Bugatti Baby II Championships have launched for that very reason.
The UK Bugatti Baby II Championship will feature three unforgettable events at three of the UK’s most iconic automotive and motor racing locations. The first event will take place in the main hangar at Bicester Heritage during the sold-out Bicester Scramble on Sunday 23rd April. Following this, the Championship will head to Silverstone, the home of British motorsport, for round two on Sunday 28th May.
The Championship will conclude at the home of the Bugatti Owners Club, Prescott Hill Climb, on Sunday 8th July. This final round will feature a hill climb, which will be followed by the final prize giving.
The UK Bugatti Baby II Championship will be the first time that junior Bugattis take to the racetrack competitively for almost 100 years, when in 1926, Ettore Bugatti himself built his son Roland a half-scale Bugatti Type 35. The Little Car Company and HERO-ERA are now giving 20 teams of adults and children the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Ettore Bugatti by entering into this special Championship, sharing the passion for beautifully designed and crafted cars that Ettore and his son enjoyed almost a century ago.
Working together, the teams will compete in a series of skills-based driving events with their combined scores counting towards their overall Championship ranking.
Entrants will not need to own a Bugatti Baby II to compete, these will be provided for each event. And to help competitors tap into their perhaps undiscovered racing abilities, coaching will be provided by 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, and Bugatti Pilote Officiel, Andy Wallace.
Importantly, this is a first come, first served event, so those looking to participate can enter here: https://heroclub.eu/event-5203323. A waiting list will be in operation once all 20 slots have been reserved.
Competitors are more than welcome to visit The Little Car Company at their Bicester HQ to try a car for size, particularly as adult drivers will need to be 6ft 2 or under to fit comfortably in a Bugatti Baby II. Junior drivers will also need to be aged between 10-14 to be eligible to compete.
There is a £4,950 entry fee per team, which includes entry to all three racing events, catering at each event, and entry to the Bicester Scramble for the first race. Racers will only need to bring a helmet and gloves, along with appropriate clothing and footwear. Race suits are encouraged but not mandatory, while HANS devices are not required.
Ben Hedley, CEO of The Little Car Company, said: “We’re frequently asked by clients, journalists and those that have sat in one of our cars: ‘When will you launch a race series for these little cars?’. Well now is that time, as we’ve partnered with HERO-ERA to create a new kind of electric motorsport: a three-stage, adult and child championship at the UK’s most iconic racing and automotive locations.
“At Bicester Heritage, Silverstone and Prescott Hill, we will be giving 20 teams a truly unforgettable experience of getting behind the wheel of our Bugatti Baby II in a competitive environment. For kids who have dreamt themselves as Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen, and their parents who may have grown up idolising Ayrton Senna or Nigel Mansell, our event will give them the opportunity to emulate their racing heroes across three days of racing.”
The Little Car Company hand builds the Bugatti Baby II at its Bicester factory, and the fully electrified reincarnation of the Type 35 Bugatti has been developed in collaboration with the iconic French marque, with the Baby II’s solid silver Bugatti Macaron a symbol of its authenticity.
HERO-ERA work with their members and patrons to host some of the automotive industry’s most authentic and engaging historic motoring events.
