Category: Events and Shows

1. WATCH… amazing live shows!‏

   Posted on 9:28am Friday 5th Sep 2014

   Motorcycle Live arrives at The NEC, Birmingham on 22nd November 2014 for a nine-day biking spectacular. In addition to four halls crammed with all the latest models, parts and apparel, visitors can experience a variety of amazing live shows. No matter which way you turn at Motorcycle Live, there’s something incredible to watch, all for FREE.

   The Crank’d live action stunt show returns for a second year and promises to be even bigger and better with its mind-blowing blend of petrol and pedal-powered two-wheeled talent. Some of the UK’s top stars from motorcycle trials, Mini Bike FMX and BMX will come together in the battle of the cranks over a specially-constructed indoor playground of dirt ramps, jump boxes, high jumps and flatbed sections. Crank’d is FREE to watch and takes place three times a day Monday to Friday and four times a day on Saturdays and Sundays.         

   Also returning for a second year is the Behind Bars cinema experience, with a brand-new behind-the-scenes documentary film charting the highs and lows of life as a motorcycle racer. This incredibly insightful film follows some of the UK’s top names in racing through the 2014 season and will leave you in utter awe of their endeavours. Behind Bars is FREE to watch with showings four times a day Monday to Thursday and five times a day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.        

    

   Last but definitely not least, the Blackhorse Stage in the British Eurosport Entertainment Zone will be home to its regular hosts, the ever-popular Steve Parrish and James Whitham. The lunchtime Fast Bikes Question of Bikes quiz and the four-times daily ‘Inside Tracks’ with James Whitham will feature a whole host of guest riders from British and World Superbikes, MotoGP, Speedway and road racing. Favourite games such as Dunlop Man of Steel, the British Eurosport Memory Game and Oxford Products Dress/Undress will all feature with some great prizes up for grabs.        

   Motorcycle Live takes place at The NEC, Birmingham from 22-30 November 2014. Advance tickets are just £17 per adult, £11 for Seniors and £7 for children aged 11-16* (kids ten and under accompanied by a paying adult go free). There is also a £20 advance ticket, which includes entry to the show and a three-pack of Oxford Comfy neck warmers worth £15.

    

   www.motorcyclelive.co.uk

2. Henry Surtees Challenge Seeks Ambitious Young Drivers to Compete for Career Enhancing Prizes

   Posted on 9:10am Friday 5th Sep 2014

   Preparation is well underway for the fast approaching ‘Henry Surtees Challenge’, to be held on Wednesday 8th October 2014, at Buckmore Park in Kent.  

   The Challenge, now in its fourth year, has become an essential fixture on the racing calendar for motorsport talent aged 15 or over. The Henry Surtees Foundation invites kart and car racers going up the motorsport ladder, to compete for a spectacular range of prizes that will accelerate their careers and aid them in their race programme preparation for 2015. 

   This special annual event, organised by former F1 World Champion, John Surtees OBE, who set up the Foundation in memory of his son, will award the top three drivers with a prestigious Henry ‘H’ trophy. Drivers will battle it out, using the superb Club100 Birel karts, for the chance to win the best prizes ever offered at a kart meeting! Prizes for fastest lap, the most unlucky driver and a heavyweight prize for 80kg or above will also be awarded.

   2014 prizes confirmed to date include:

   Test and Race Opportunities

   ·        Test day in the Ginetta G40 GRDC to one driver aged 16 or over, donated by Ginetta

   ·        FIA Formula 4 Ford test: half day seat fitting and acclimatisation test in the UK, followed by one full day, with Falcon Motorsport, at their Spanish test, with the new composite-chassis car that will be on display at the event, donated by  Falcon Motorsport

   ·        BRDC Formula 4 test, donated by Hillspeed

   ·        Formula Renault 2.0 two day  test with Manor Competition at a Spanish circuit, donated by  Renault UK and Manor Competition

   ·        Tour of Carlin racing facility, seat fitting, simulator testing session with race engineer, Formula 3 Dallara Volkswagen test, donated by Carlin Motorsport

    

   Race Support Equipment and Services

   ·        A full kit of Puma race clothing - one suit, three pairs of gloves, two pairs of racing boots, one pair of running shoes and one pair of lifestyle  shoes for the winner (in addition to their chosen prize), donated by Puma SE

   ·        Two sets of gloves and underwear, one pair of racing shoes, one pair of running shoes and one pair lifestyle shoes for second place (in addition to their chosen prize), donated by  Puma SE

   ·        One set of gloves and underwear, one pair of racing shoes, one pair of running shoes and one pair of lifestyle shoes for third place (in addition to their chosen prize), donated by  Puma SE

   ·        Tour of the Red Bull Racing facility, simulator session and  evaluation by a race engineer, donated by Christian Horner

   ·        An Arai GP-6S helmet in white finish, donated by Arai

   ·        Full website package and online branding, plus a three month social media package, donated by 5G Creative

   ·        A pair of custom-fit driver communication earpieces suitable for all racing formulas up to F1, supplied with a year’s support to ensure the wearer is fully equipped to hear vital communications for a full season of racing. A pair of custom-fit filtered noise plugs - to protect hearing. A complete hearing health check consisting of an ear examination using a video otoscope (see inside your own ears) and a comprehensive hearing test.  Advice and information on protecting your hearing to assist with a motorsport career,  donated by specialist in Formula 1 equipment,  Hearing Electronics Limited

   ·        A two hour training session at iZone Driver Performance, donated by Andy Priaulx

   ·        A supply of Teng Tools to the value of £1,000, donated by Teng Tools

    

   Coverage of the 2014 Henry Surtees Challenge in Motor Sport magazine will include a profile of the winning driver.

   Some prizes will be on offer to MSA licence holders only, and will be allocated at the discretion of the event organisers

   Entries are strictly limited, so enter now to avoid disappointment. Entry costs £500 and is open to drivers in their 15th year or above, typically competing in single-seater formulas, touring, sportscar classes, karting and motorcycling, who hold an MSA National B licence or above, or are a member of Club 100 Premier and Clubman Spirit members, or a Buckmore Park Elite driver.

   Fuel will be supplied courtesy of Shell. The Arai UK service vehicle will be on-site; offering a free helmet cleaning and service to all drivers with Arai helmets.

   John Surtees OBE comments: “The motorsport community has again provided us with these superb prizes, I’m only too well aware of the difficulties facing young drivers in putting their programmes together for the following season, at this time of year. The value and quality of the prizes that we have on offer are unique for a motor sport event. Look forward to seeing you on the 8th October.”

    

   www.henrysurteesfoundation.com

3. Full Throttle and Famous Faces at Leighton Hall

   Posted on 7:52am Wednesday 3rd Sep 2014

   On the 28th of September,  Leighton Hall races back to the spirit of 1969 as hundreds of classic and modern motorbikes race up the drive in an exciting Bike Sprint.

   The hall has a history of motor racing sprints, however this is the first time in 45 years that Leighton has been fortunate enough to host such an exhilarating event.

   The track stretches for 220 metres with a thrilling 50 - 60 degree bend 50 metres from the start-line, adding extra excitement, as it is not just a straight line sprint. Racing is open to all classes from vintage to modern machines and 3 wheelers (with no cc limit), so all enthusiasts can push their bikes to full throttle. For serious competitors, the times at this event will count towards the North West Sprint Championship.

   The action doesn’t stop there though. With commentaries throughout the day, a fantastic collection of trade stands, an autojumble and motorcycle club displays, this show gives visitors a chance to get up close to bikes from every era, including entry into the race paddock. Enthusiastic exhibitors will be talking about their passions, and sharing stories of the golden age of motoring. And they’ll be in good company, as very special guest John McGuinness will be there. Used to reaching speeds of up to 200mph around the TT race track, Leighton Hall’s driveway shouldn’t be too taxing for this superstar of motorsport.

   Run in association with Sherrard Classic Vehicle Events and Blackline Sprinting, this thrilling family day out came to fruition after organiser, Ian Sherrard visited Leighton Hall last year. “After attending their classic car event in July, it seemed Leighton Hall was the perfect venue for a motorcycle sprint. It’s going to be wonderful to see (and hear) over 100 motorbikes racing through their beautiful parkland. As many of our bikes are true classics, Leighton steeped in history and heritage seems the perfect backdrop”.

   Admission price includes entry to Leighton’s picturesque grounds, gardens and tea rooms (there is a small additional charge of £3 for house tours). Practise and public entry starts from 9:30 and racing starts at 1pm. Onsite catering is available to complement Leighton’s tea rooms. Although (due to health and safety) dogs aren’t allowed, there are lots of outdoor activities for younger visitors to enjoy. Children can let off steam racing around the Caterpillar Maze, Woodland Walk and Tree Face Trail as well as playing in Leighton’s dens and sandpit.

   So if the purring of engines sets your pulse racing and the sight of beautifully waxed bikes reaching top speeds catches your eye, Leighton Hall on the 28thof September is the place to be.

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   The Leighton Hall Motorcycle Sprint will take place at Leighton Hall, Carnforth on 28th Sept 2014 9:30am – 4pm. Admission is £7.50 for adults and £3.50 for children. Free Parking. Admission price includes entry to grounds, gardens and tea rooms. There is a small additional charge of £3.00 for house tours.

   For all enquiries and entry forms, please contact Ian Sherrard on 07836 331324 (daytime) or 01772 323654 (evenings 6pm - 8pm) or visit the webpage at www.leightonhallsprint.co.uk

4. August bank holiday weekend A game of two halves

   Posted on 8:02am Saturday 30th Aug 2014

   Plus Cholmondeley Castle & Hoghton Tower

   Well an interesting and challenging weekend over the August Bank holiday for clubs and enthusiasts, traders and autojumblers, organisers and visitors alike. Sunday was a benign day all over the UK with literally dozens of traders, hundreds of classic cars and bikes and thousands of visitors at our Capesthorne Hall event in the north west and at Blenheim Palace in the south.
   
   At around 8am at Capesthorne Hall the organisers were busy building up the four day “Rewind” music festival for this coming weekend and as I was banging in a £2.50 section sign with a hammer my dad probably bought for about three shillings before the last war, hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of plant and machinery was thundering through the site just past my left ear. I must say it did make me question how much I have managed to achieve over the last 30 years but thinking about it further I doubt that any of the visitors to “rewind” will currently be having quite as good a time as the classic car and bike enthusiasts who attended Capesthorne last Sunday. Horses for courses and all that and they didn’t even ask to borrow the hammer…
   
   August bank holiday can be quite a difficult time for show organisers to get new things off the ground given that there is so much on in the calendar and everyone sticks to tried and tested events. It has taken five years of hard work and perseverance but this year we feel that Blenheim has finally become firmly established as the no 1 choice of event for many traders, enthusiasts and public over the bank holiday weekend. The turn out on Sunday was simply brilliant with all manner of classics from the Rolls Royce EC and Oxford Motor club etc but Monday was the really interesting day. Thanks to the met office & BBC weather everyone knew that Monday was going to be a wall of water from one end of the UK to the other and lo it came to pass.

   However thanks to the hard work of Les Clayton in the arena and an impressive turn out of vehicles from the TVR car club we had an unexpectedly good show at Blenheim and managed to keep the event going until 2.30pm. Much the same story at Thoresby where we were 80% down on trade and visitors, and 100% down on ice cream vendors and bouncy castle providers! The next time a jumbler says to me “we always support you at Thoresby no matter what the weather” you might just see me raise an eyebrow or two. However the clubs and enthusiasts did come along with perhaps a total of two or three hundred cars and two motorbikes (count them) in total on site, all huddled together for warmth. Again Richard Lee and his team in the arena deserve a mention in dispatches for keeping the arena going until 2pm long after even I wanted to go home. In mitigation I did have a heavy cold but being a man I just soldiered on to the bitter end without hardly ever mentioning it at all.
   
   So that’s the bank holiday shows over for another year and time to move on to our biggest one day event of the summer at Cholmondeley Castle this coming Sunday, 31st August. We have over 980 classic cars booked in to attend with around 40 owners clubs and we can accommodate classic cars that turn up on the day in our overspill classic car park. The bike section is always full to bursting with some impressive machinery and we always have an excellent trade and autojumble turn going right around the show field, well worth a visit in it’s own right. Set up for traders is 2pm to 7pm on Saturday and from 7am on Sunday morning. The following weekend we are at Hoghton Tower near Preston for our last all outdoor event of the year. Over the years we have had very good events at Hoghton in September and one or two very bad ones as well so fingers crossed but as always the weather decides.

   

5. TAKE A PUNT AND UNCOVER THE BARGAINS AT 21st NETLEY AUTOJUMBLE

   Posted on 3:58pm Thursday 21st Aug 2014

   THE odds will be stacked in favour of the bargain hunters next month as thousands head toward the New Forest to rummage through the deals at one of the UK’s biggest bike autojumbles.

   The 21st Carole Nash Eurojumble takes place at Netley Marsh, near Southampton, on September 5-6 and visitors could well hit the jackpot as they go in search of the parts, pieces, tools and accessories they need for their classic motorcycle projects.

   The south coast location of the show, combined with its size, means that enthusiasts turn out in their droves from across the UK and the rest of Europe.

   While the main focus is on British machines of yesteryear, a range of makes, models and eras are represented.

   Nick Mowbray, exhibition manager, said: “The selection and range of traders at the Carole Nash Eurojumble grows year after year and 2014 is going to be no different.

   “There are some incredible bargains to be on all manner of motorcycle items… it’s the ideal destination to pick up a bucket load of biking bits, all in one place.”

   Along with the opportunity to stock up on supplies, Garage Clearout Saturday means that non-regular traders have the chance to fill up their car or van with bike related jumble items and arrive on the morning of September 6 for a one-day plot.

   Nick added: “With the Garage Clearout pass, not only can you save money on new items but you can turn all your old bits into cash!”

   Autojumble plots are joined at the event by a selection of UK motorcycle clubs displaying a range of stunning machines.

   Entry to the autojumble is open from 9am on both days with an adult one-day ticket costing just £6.50 when bought in advance from classicbikeshows.com – a saving of £1 on the gate price.