Driver Fergus Walkinshaw is best known for racing around a track, so it is no surprise to hear he will be at this year’s Silverstone Classic.

However, Walkinshaw will not be racing, instead masterminding the restoration of a car using only parts found on eBay.

The young racer led a team of engineers to restore an iconic first-generation Range Rover at last year’s event, guiding the audience through every step of the process, as part of Restoration Live.

Walkinshaw, 25, admitted the easiest aspect of the challenge was finding the parts, and the team put the finishing touches to the 2016 project with five minutes to spare, driving the car from its awning as a final flourish.

The team returns for this year’s event, held from July 28 to 30, and Walkinshaw believes features like Restoration Live is one of the reasons Silverstone Classic holds such a special and unique place in the nation’s hearts.

“It’s brilliant to bring a car back that’s near enough on the brink of wanting to be scrapped,” said Walkinshaw.

“To bring it back to near concourse level and go back out on the road and continue to be hugely enjoyed is wonderful.

“I’ve been to the Silverstone Classic for the last four years, and each year the spectacle just grows and grows.

“There’s more cars here year on year, the racing is fantastic, and if you get bored of the racing, which I don’t think you will, there’s so much else to do.

“Silverstone’s such a great racing track, it’s got loads and loads of heritage and it’s one of the oldest tracks in the country.

“The Silverstone Classic has got something for everybody – if you’re more hardcore and into historic racing, there’s lots of on-track action.

“If you’re more into road cars, there are the club stands and different projects like our restoration.

“There are also funfairs and something for all the family and for everyone to enjoy.”

One highlight of the weekend is the charity Silverstone Classic Celebrity Challenge Trophy Race, which is set to pit about 50 celebrities against each other and racing drivers on the Saturday including six-time Olympic cycling champion Jason Kenny, Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Theo Paphitis and former England test cricket captain Mike Gatting.

Last year, Walkinshaw’s team finished their project with just minutes to spare after fitting the exhaust, before driving the Range Rover off its awning and around to a presentation area, where Walkinshaw and car trader turned television presenter Mike Brewer hosted a question and answer session.

And the car enthusiasts admitted being a part of the world’s biggest classic motor racing festival was something special.

“The atmosphere at Silverstone is just brilliant – the number of fans who come out is just incredible – everyone comes out to support cars they love and drivers they love,” he said.

“Sourcing the parts through eBay for the restoration was no issue whatsoever, it was just the actual building everything that quickly was a bit of a struggle.

“But we managed to get it done in time with about five minutes to spare. Hopefully it runs just as well this year.

“We had to be so meticulous and everything had to be done to a tight time schedule, but once that’s set in place, it ran pretty smoothly.

“We had a couple of unexpected hiccoughs, but managed to get back on track.”

The Silverstone Classic (28-30 July, 2017) provides the best historic motor racing, impressive track parades, infield displays from over 100 car clubs, live music, plus interactive driving activities and dynamic demonstrations over a packed three-day weekend.  For further details: www.silverstoneclassic.com