Race Retro 2009 (Historic Motorsport Show) - 13-15 Mar 09

Posted: January 29, 2009 10:43 AM - 6701 Hits

OLD LEGENDS MEET NEW HEROES AT RACE RETRO

Posted: January 29, 2009 10:43 AM

Two-wheeled racers spanning over 50 years will be roaring into Race Retro, the international historic motorsport show, when it accelerates into Stoneleigh Park from 13th to 15th March. The three-day show will combine the legacy of manufacturers such as Triumph and Norton, with special appearances from the racers who continue to chase championship titles on the circuits today.

A core feature will be a tribute to 50 years of the Triumph Bonneville and racing Triumphs, with an amazing display including the spectacular "Texas Cee-Gar" streamliner, as well as other racing Bonnevilles and racing Triumph models.

Live action will come from the Pre-'65 Motorcycle Trial Demonstration, which returns to Race Retro by popular demand. With action from both solos and sidecars, the course has been created by riders Mick Grant, seven times winner of the Isle of Man TT and Macau Grand Prix winner and trial champion Neil Gaunt.

Mick and Neil will be joined by other celebrity riders, including Steve Parrish and Guy Martin. Steve became a professional motorcycle racer in 1976 at the age of 22, joining Barry Sheene in the Suzuki GP team. In 1978 and 1979, he clinched the British Motor Cycle Championships, joining Yamaha in 1980 before trying his hand at truck racing in the 1980s.

Guy Martin currently races in the world-renowned British Superbike Championship on Honda's legendary Fireblade, a bike tuned to make over 200bhp and travel in excess of 200mph. He also competes - setting record lap times and winning - other races, including the Isle of Man TT, the North West 200, and the Ulster and Macau Grands Prix.

Other motorcycles on display include the Joe Potts Garage Collection, featuring the 1962 500cc JP7 Potts Manx, the final and ultimate development of a Norton by Joe Potts of Bellshill. The bike was built for Bob McIntyre and was first introduced midway through the 1961 season. The JP7 engine was highly developed and had many special features, including Potts high-lift cams, a special crankshaft assembly, a modified drive-side main bearing, and a ported cylinder head. The JP7 Manx Norton was first raced in 1961. One of its notable results with Bob Mac included victory in the 500cc class of the Leinster 200 at Dunboyne and setting a new lap record at 94.74mph.

The JP7 will be joined by the 1958 250cc JP5 Potts Manx, the 1951 150cc Bruce Special and the 1958 250cc DOHC Bruce Velocette, as well as the 1957 Joe Potts Desmo, the 1951 JP 'Universal' Car and anm array of rare pictures, posters and drawings detailing the collection's history.

H&H returns as Race Retro's auction partner with an impressive collection of racing bikes, including Carl Fogarty's 1990 Honda RC30, which won the F1 TT, the Senior TT and several rounds of the 1990 F1 World Championship, and is estimated to fetch a price of between £32,000 and £36,000. This is joined by the 1984 EMC 250 used by Australian rider Graeme McGregor to win the IoM Junior TT Race in 1984, setting a new race and lap record at 111.06mph - 11.4 seconds faster than Con Law's record set the previous year!

Other lots available include the ex-Chris Palmer Honda RS125, which won the 2004 TT and Ulster GP, the ex-Joey Dunlop 1990 Honda RS250, raced in the 1990 and 1991 seasons, and the ex-Stephen Cull Yamaha FZR600, winner of the Ulster GP winner and many other races. Continuing the Irish winning theme is the ex-Robert Dunlop Yamaha Spondon, the F2 Irish Championship winner used for Robert's first North West 200 win and the ex-Gary Cowan Yamaha TZ350, lap record holder at the Ulster GP and winner of many other races.

The show will also feature the Retro Racer and Cafe Racer Concours, with 20 finalists at the show, each hoping to win one of the categories which include Best Race bike (judged on three time spans), Best British, European and Japanese, as well as Best Café Racer.

The Retro Racer categories will be supported by the Road Racing Legends Charity, offering advice on the race bike categories, providing an experienced judging panel, and generously donating the trophies, rosettes and product packs to the awards list. The Café Racer category is supported by Ace Café London and founder Mark Wilsmore will be joined by former road racing legend Mick Grant (winner of seven IoM TT races) and current star road racing rider Guy Martin, to award the prizes at the show.

Entry forms can be downloaded from the Race Retro website at http://www.raceretro.com, or obtained by emailing Race Retro Co-ordinator David Alderson on david@livepromotions.co.uk. The successful finalists will each receive two free show entry passes per bike displayed, as well as having their bike on show for the duration of the event.

And if all that is not enough, the organisers have reduced adult ticket prices to just £20 for Friday and £15 for Saturday and Sunday when booking in advance and now offer free parking. Children's tickets on Friday are £5, but are then free all weekend. The show is open from 9.30am each day and closes at 5.30pm on Friday and Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday. To book tickets and for the latest updates, please visit

RACE RETRO STARTS 2009 IN POLE POSITION

Posted: January 12, 2009 9:24 AM

Race Retro, the international historic motorsport show, has started 2009 in pole position, with a new promoter, the return of H&H Auctions and some stunning cars secured for when it races into Stoneleigh Park from the 13th to 15th March.

The three-day show will pay tribute to all forms of motorsport, from the historic to the high-speed; from the rare to the retro. Visitors will see live racing, famous drivers and celebrity guests, as well as displays of racing cars and motorcycles, motorsport memorabilia and indoor bike trials.

The chosen marque for 2009 is the stunning Aston Martin, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of its 1959 World Sports Car Championship win. There will be a static display of the DBR1 and the amazing DBR9 LMGT1 representing the class wins at Le Mans 2008, as well as the V8GT Rally car, which will be in action on the Live Rally Stage with Rauno Aaltonen at the wheel.

There will also be a special tribute to the Mini, celebrating 50 years of success on the world motorsport stage, with six significant classic ex-works Minis on display alongside others from the Mini Cooper Register and other invited guests. Aaltonen will also drive his ex-works Monte Carlo Rally Mini Cooper S on the Live Rally Stage.

Another feature will be a tribute to the late Pat Moss-Carlsson, with a static display including the ex-works 1960 Healey 3000 which she drove to outright victory in Liege-Rome-Liege Rally and an ex-works Alpine A110 which she drove on the Monte Carlo Rally later in her career.

Other celebrity drivers confirmed so far include Paddy Hopkirk and Russell Brookes, who will be driving his championship-winning Andrews Heat for Hire sponsored cars on the Live Rally Stage, including the Opel Manta 400, Lotus Sunbeam, and Ford Sierra Cosworth.

Slowly Sideways GB is back, with over 20 genuine ex-works Group B rally cars tearing it up on the Live Rally Stage. These will include the Audi quattro S1, Ford RS200, MG Metro 6R4, Lancia 037 Rallye, Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, Renault R5 Maxi Turbo, Porsche RSR and an Opel Manta 400, as well as an impressive array of Ford Escorts. The organisers are also hoping to have the Ferrari 308 GTB Rallye in action alongside the impressive marques previously mentioned. The outdoor live action line-up will be completed with a demonstration from the popular Historic Kart Racing.

A first for Race Retro is the chance for visitors to get a taste for exhilaration themselves, as they have the opportunity to ride in a Caterham within Stoneleigh Park. For just £10, visitors will be taken around the circuit by a professional racing driver, as well as receiving a memento of their ride.

For those who prefer two-wheeled racers, there will be a tribute to 50 years of the Triumph Bonneville and racing Triumphs with an amazing display, including the spectacular "Texas Cee-Gar" streamliner, as well as other racing Bonnevilles and racing Triumph models.

The motorcycle live action will take place indoors, as the Pre-'65 Motorcycle Trial Demonstration returns to Race Retro. Including action from solos and sidecars, the course has been created by riders Mick Grant (seven-times winner of the Isle of Man TT and the Macau Grand Prix) and trials champion Neil Gaunt.

Mick and Neil will be joined by other celebrity riders, including Steve Parrish and Guy Martin. Steve became a professional motor cycle racer in 1976 at the age of 22, joining Barry Sheene in the Suzuki GP team. In 1978 and 1979 he clinched the British Motor Cycle Championships, joining Yamaha in 1980, before turning to truck racing in the 1980s.

Guy Martin currently races in the world-renowned British Superbike Championship on Honda's legendary Fireblade, a bike tuned to make over 200bhp and travel in excess of 200mph. He also competes - setting record lap times and winning - in other races, including the Isle of Man TT, the North West 200, and the Ulster and Macau Grands Prix.

The Ken Fox Troupe will be back performing on the Vintage Wall of Death and the Ace Café Racer Concours returns, along with trade stands offering spares, parts, tools, memorabilia, clothing and everything else you need for your motorsport collection.

If all this inspires you to invest in a competition car of your own, visit the H&H Classic and Historic Motorsport Auction, with entries including a 1954 Arnolt Bristol Bolide which is rumoured to have raced with the SCCA in the Oklahoma area during the 1960s, as well as the opportunity to conduct private car sales and test drives.

And if all that is not enough, the organisers have reduced adult ticket prices to just £20 for Friday and £15 for Saturday and Sunday when booking in advance and now offer free parking. Children's tickets on Friday are £5, but are then free all weekend. The show is open from 9.30am each day and closes at 5.30pm on Friday and Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday. To book tickets and for the latest updates, please visit

Topics: Race Retro 

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