History

The prospect of competition has lured some of the famous stars of the past into competing with IHRO, ex world champions have come back to prove why they were the best, then having proved to themselves and their fans that they were not ‘past it’, have decided to continue with an historic racing future, or retire gracefully again, confident in their abilities. However it is the vast majority of ordinary classic racers which have kept IHRO alive and allowed it to prosper, even in the face of strong opposition from a short lived Classic World Championship series.

From the outset, IHRO has always placed a large emphasis on the social side of their events, with social gatherings and bar-b-queues playing a major part in recreating the ‘Continental Circus’ atmosphere of the past, yes the racing is serious, but the IHRO ‘family’ also knows how to enjoy itself and there is a wonderful camaraderie which ensures that if anyone has a problem, his fellow competitors will assist as much as they can, a far cry from the cut-throat regime of modern racing.

The increasing commercialisation and TV scheduling that has come into all forms of sport over the past few years has meant that IHRO has been reduced to a smaller number of meetings, but has chosen to concentrate on the Historic circuits and venues for its recent racing, but still with a sprinkling of Grand Prix events.

With a rider base of over 100 active competitors spread throughout Europe, IHRO is flourishing and with a policy of providing good meetings at accessible venues looks set to continue providing the sights and sounds of yesteryear for modern race audiences.