With the British Motor Museum now closed due to COVID-19, the Museum has had to make the difficult decision to postpone or cancel some of its upcoming shows. The intention of the Museum is, where possible, to postpone rather than cancel shows, whilst consistently adhering to government advice. Shows set to take place later in June and July will be reviewed in the coming weeks.

The Gaydon Land Rover Show which was scheduled to take place on 9 - 10 May, has already been moved to 1 - 2 August. The UK Slot Car Festival was unfortunately cancelled by the organiser and will return for its 11th year in 2021. The Jaguar Breakfast Meet in May has been cancelled but is currently scheduled to return to the Museum in July. The Banbury Run has been postponed from 31 May to 16 August and the Classic & Vintage Commercial Show has been postponed from 13 - 14 June to 8 - 9 August.

Tickets for cancelled events will be refunded and processed over the next few weeks. For postponed events, all sold tickets will be valid for the new dates. For ticket FAQs visit the website at https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/news/coronavirus-update-for-visitors
Tom Caren, Show Manager at the British Motor Museum stated “It is disappointing to have to change the dates of so many of our shows but in these unprecedented circumstances we are prioritising everyone’s welfare and looking to run the shows where possible. The British Motor Museum would like to thank everyone for their support and send everyone our best wishes. We look forward to delivering our first class shows when we can safely do so.”
Whilst the Museum is temporarily closed the team will be sending out regular posts on their social media channels and will also put their creativity to use in finding new ways to fuel their visitors’ imaginations for when the Museum reopens.

To find out more about the British Motor Museum please visit the website at
www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk

During the Covid-19 pandemic we will continue to publish the website and endeavour to update events that we are aware have been cancelled.

We encourage organisers of events to inform us that an event is cancelled or postponed, however due to the large amount of events cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we ask you to check with the event before travel.

For all accommodation providers, cafes and pubs, we would also ask you to check with them direct on current opening* times (*if applicable).

We would like to thank everyone for their support and understand during these times. Stay Safe!

Aprilia Racing Team Gresini and Zoccarato Industrial Coatings have shaken hands once again as the latter confirms its commitment to the Italian team as technical sponsors.

From over 60 years a leading institution inindustrial coating, Zoccarato Industrial Coatings stays connected to the MotoGP project while keeping the visibility on the mudguards of the Aprilia RS-GP machines #41 and #29, as well as on the pit-box panels and team trucks.
ALESSIO ZOCCARATO, CEO of Zoccarato Industrial Coatings
"It is a pleasure for Zoccarato to renew its partnership with team Gresini also for 2020. Last year’s wonderful experience drew to a close with great success, while demonstrating the excellent level of professionalism and availability of the whole team, both towards us and our guests. We’re confident that with the continuing development and the arrival of the new RS-GP machine, which Aprilia fields in 2020, team Gresini will be able to achieve great results. Therefore, we have faith ina near future full of great opportunities and partnerships together".

FAUSTO GRESINI – Team Manager
“As you know, this year’s MotoGP project is really an important one. Aprilia Racing and Team Gresini have made a great effort to get to the start of this season with a completely new bike, andobviously we have great faith in this project. This is the same faith that Zoccarato has put in us, so I’m really happy to confirm their presence on our side in this great adventure.”

Suzuki is bringing a number of Barry Sheene’s race bikes to this year’s Barry Sheene Classic at Oliver’s Mount – which takes place on 25-26 July – in what is set to be the largest collection of Sheene bikes ever assembled.

Returning as title sponsor of the event, Suzuki will bring along the 1976 and 1977 world championship-winning XR14s, the 1984 XR45 – the last GP bike Sheene raced in anger – and a 652cc XR23A which was raced in the Trans Atlantic series. All four bikes were recently restored to their former glory thanks to Suzuki’s Vintage Parts Programme and former Grand Prix technicians Nigel Everett and Martyn Ogborne.

Suzuki will also display a 1978 XR22 and a rare RT67: the 125cc machine Sheene raced to second place in the 125 World Championship in 1971, after buying it from Stuart Graham the year before, while Team Classic Suzuki will show off a number of other bikes raced by the twice world champion, many of which will be ridden on parade laps.

The Team Classic Suzuki RG500 raced at the Classic TT will also be featured, as well as the F1 Classic TT-winner and Katana endurance racer.

Away from race bikes, Suzuki’s classic fleet will be on display to promote the firm’s Vintage Parts Programme, which includes a 1985 GSX-R750F, 1990 GSX-R1100L, a 2001 TL1000S built from brand new parts in 2014, a 1992 RGV250, a 2000 GSF600 Bandit, and a DR Big from 1990.

At the modern end of the spectrum the Japanese marque will have its demo fleet on hand for visitors to take for test rides, including the GSX-R1000R superbike – which features a comprehensive suite of electronics including a 10-mode traction control system, a quickshifter and auto-blipper, and launch control – and the new V-Strom 1050XT, the DR Big-inspired adventure machine designed to cross continents that features cruise control, hill hold, and lean-angle sensitive ABS plus a 7% power hike over the previous generation.

Suzuki GB aftersales marketing coordinator, Tim Davies, commented, “The annual Sheene festival at Oliver’s Mount is always a good event, but this year it feels like it’s going to be a real celebration of arguably this nation’s greatest ever racer. I don’t think there’s ever been a greater assembly of bikes raced by Barry in one place, and it’s going to be great to not only see so many on display, but so many paraded around a circuit that he enjoyed racing at. I, personally, am really looking forward to it.”

Mick Grant, Oliver’s Mount racing director and multiple TT winner, said, “To see the greatest gathering of Sheene bikes ever assembled will be spectacular. I’ve got so many great memories racing with Barry around the ‘Mount’, it will feel like stepping back in time again. I’m looking forward to getting back in my leathers and riding some of Barry’s bikes.”

The 2020 Barry Sheene Classic takes place at Oliver’s Mount on 25-26 July. For more event information click here.

The Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA) has called upon the new Chancellor Rishi Sunak to not only deliver on the Conservative election manifesto pledge of investing £2 billion to repair potholes but to also provide a mechanism for the long-term, assured investment in road maintenance. Mr Sunak, is due to present his budget on 11th March.

Mike Harper, RSTA Chief Executive said: “It costs on average £52m2 to repair a pothole against the mere £2.50m2 to surface dress and maintain a road. A provision of real levels of long-term assured investment would enable highway authorities to implement planned programmes of road maintenance. This would ensure the good condition or road surfaces and prevent defects and potholes from forming in the first place. Preventative maintenance would be a far more cost effective approach that expensive patch-and-mend.”

In addition to delivering the Conservative election manifesto pothole pledge, Harper called upon the Chancellor to commit to an injection of £1.5 billion a year to address the local road £9.7 billion maintenance backlog by investing just 2p a litre from the existing fuel duty, provide a funding settlement that enables planned five-year maintenance programmes and address the funding disparity between the strategic road network and the local road network. The strategic road network maintenance receives 53 times more funding per mile than local roads. Yet the vast majority of journeys are undertaken on the local road network.

Harper said: “The local road network is the UK’s greatest infrastructure asset and is worth some £400 billion. With every road journey starting and ending on a local road, a well-maintained local road network is essential to the national social well-being and economic prosperity. Furthermore, post-Brexit, and as part of levelling-up’ the regions, the government wants to prove that Britain is ready and open for business. The provision of a well-maintained local road network is fundamental to achieving that objective.”