Your 2008

[chevronb37]

Due to a clash which denied a repeat of my 2007 trip to the RoC, my motor racing year ended a few weeks ago. In 20 years of attending events, this has been the most varied and enjoyable. What did you do and where did you go this year? I suspect I will be seriously envious of the efforts from you chaps. I was, however, fortunate enough to get to the following -

- Autosport International at The NEC in Birmingham.
- Stoneleigh Historic Motorsport Show – Race Retro.
- British F3 / GTs, Oulton Park.
- La Grande Passione, Donington Park.
- FIA GT, Silverstone.
- Monaco Historique.
- British Hillclimb Championship, Loton Park. .
- VSCC – Donington Park.
- Goodwood Festival of Speed.
- Grand Prix testing, Silverstone.
- Cholmondeley Pageant of Power.
- Siverstone Classic.
- Oulton Park Gold Cup.
- DTM, Brands Hatch.
- Belgian Grand Prix, Spa Francorchamps.
- Le Mans Series, Silverstone.
- Goodwood Revival.
- HSCC, Donington.
- British F3 / GTs, Donington.
- Rallcross Superprix - Croft.

[Marc W]

Mine was like this;

Autosport international (including racing in the celebrity kart race as a paying driver!)
Sunseeker Rally Bournmouth
Brands Hatch season Launch event
BTCC + Supports - All rounds
Britcar - Rounds that didn't clash with the BTCC, + the Friday of the 24 hour race meeting
British GT/F3 - Thruxton and Donington
Goodwood FOS - Friday only
DTM - Friday only
F1 testing Silverstone
British GP - Friday only
Ginetta Festival - Mallory Park
BRSCC Meeting - Silverstone
London Motorsport show
Race of Champions

[chevronb37]

Was the London Motorsport Show good? I wasn't sure if it'd work at a circuit - was worried it would just be another race meeting. I'm in Leeds so bit far to travel unfortunately...

[zac510]

What's the Monaco Historique compared to Goodwood Revival? Have you done the Le Mans Classic too?

[Marc W]

chevronb37 said:

Was the London Motorsport Show good? I wasn't sure if it'd work at a circuit - was worried it would just be another race meeting. I'm in Leeds so bit far to travel unfortunately...

What was there was good, but it was very, very small. I wouldn't have wanted to travel a long way to see it.

[Miss Pitstop]

Blimey, this has got the old brain working!

Pretty much all the racing that was on at Castle Combe (& their other events)
Belgium F1 GP
Goodwood Revival
Welsh Rally
Trackday at Spa
Trip to the Nurburging (although didn't get on as it was closed - d'oh!)
Ferrari Challenge at Silverstone
British Superbikes
A couple of Goodwood Breakfast Clubs (do they count!?)
Bristol Classic Car Show (where I found my grandads old car and gave the new owner the original invoice for it!)
A driving holiday around France, Germany, Austria with about 25 other TVRs

I think that's it for now, but I'm sure there's more! I guess watching on TV doesn't count!!

[chevronb37]

zac510 said:

What's the Monaco Historique compared to Goodwood Revival? Have you done the Le Mans Classic too?

I think we'll do Le Mans Classic in 2010. Hopefully persuade Dad to road trip it in whatever cars we have then.

The Monaco event is great - the grids are as strong as Goodwood and the setting is fantastic. The main difference is the racing. For me Goodwood is the world's greatest motor racing spectacle for two reasons -

- To watch a world-class driver in a properly prepared car around there is to reach Nirvana. The way they handle the bumps and the exhilaration of standing on the far side of the circuit is just awesome.
- Overtaking. The best guys really respect each other and moves like Jamie McIntyre's in the Lister in this year's Sussex Trophy are unheard of anywhere else.

To contrast, Monaco has little of the latter. There is some overtaking, but it is so hard and the cars so valuable that it doesn't happen so much. But the joy of watching Martin Stretton or Duncan Dayton on a hot lap is the same. To see Paul Edwards skimming the barriers round the swimming pool every lap in the Penske PC3 was so special. It really seperates the men from the boys. And the sound of 30 DFVs coming from every direction and bouncing off the buildings is remarkable.

I'd recommend it, but the spectacle is quite different. Also worth mentioning is how cheap it is - only 20Euros for Saturday grandstand tickets is great value. The sheer number of amazing road cars you will see over a few days will also surprise and delight!

Out of interest, anyone here been to the Spa 6 Hours? It's that or Italian GP for Continental voyages next year...

[zac510]

Thanks, having been to a few Goodwood Revivals and an absolute convert I can imagine it would be pretty hard to beat. Spa 6hr could be good, lots of Brits in it I understand. Otherwise the oldtimer GP if they're on the north-loop!

[RedexR]

Heres some of mine , including some car shows I did as well

Autosport NEC
Goodwood Tax Free Sunday - awesome first visit to the circuit
Le Mans 24Hr race - took the old motor across to La Sarthe as well
Bracknell Car show - hosted by famous motoring author Graham Robson
National Rally for old Tinas - won best Series one made up
Virginia Water Pistonhead meetup - didn,t realise the Rozzers were invited ?
Elvetham car show - met up with the Petrolhead Nirvana guys and girls - top bunch
Chelsea Cruise August - My God , was it that long ago I last went there ?
Goodwood Revival - Sunday , simply the best for the historic lovers !

oh and also a ride around Rockingham in a 600bhp supercar...a pretty damn good
year all in all

[chevronb37]

zac510 said:

Thanks, having been to a few Goodwood Revivals and an absolute convert I can imagine it would be pretty hard to beat. Spa 6hr could be good, lots of Brits in it I understand. Otherwise the oldtimer GP if they're on the north-loop!

Yeah, to be honest, Goodwood is absolutely the best motor racing spectacle in the world - to my eyes. But Monaco is well worth a visit - it was the achievement of a dream for me to watch fast cars there. A unique experience. The other event I intend to do one day is Pau. It is now under the control of Patrick Peter - he of BPR, LMS and Le Mans Classic fame so should now be superb. Unfortunately it clashes with exams for me this year. Spa 6hrs is the drivers' and teams' favourite. Oldtimer looks great, especially the 3hr thrash for GT cars on the North Circuit. One day, one day...

[Nic Jones]

In no particular order (cos I can't remember the dates).

Autosport NEC - Bought Stuff
Carpet Bagger Road Rally - Retired, electrickery and brakes
South West Audi Endurance Rally - Entered, withdrew entry and marshalled instead
Perry Roe Road Rally - 2nd overall
Somerset Stages Rally - Retired electrical
VK Derbyshire Road Rally - Finished about 11th (maybe)
1000 lanes Road Rally - Retired electrical (spotting a pattern emerging?)
World Series By Renault - Spectated
Barbara Carter Road Rally - 2nd overall
Twilight Road Rally - Retired electrical
Mercian Road Rally - 5th (Were lying 2nd until the last section grrr)
Harvest Road Rally - 1st overall (Our first ever win, made even better by beating the locals on their own turf )
Ilfracombe Road Rally - 2nd overall (Not bad after losing 5 minutes changing a puncture)

It's been a mixed year really, when we finish we generally do well as a crew, but the car has been too unreliable, fingers crossed the problems have been solved now and we should have a bit more luck next year. Still, it was good enough to get us 2nd o.a in the South West Road Rally Championship

[Allyc85]

I did alot of rallying this year

Brean Leisure Park Stages
Somerset Stages
Wyedean Rally
Mewla Rally
Rally GB
Rallye Sunseeker
Rally Day at Castle Combe
Club racing meet at Castle Combe
Britcar in the snow at Silverstone
BSB test day at Thruxton
Renault World Series at Silverstone
National Hill Climb championship at Wiscombe park

[chevronb37]

Allyc85 said:

I did alot of rallying this year

Brean Leisure Park Stages
Somerset Stages
Wyedean Rally
Mewla Rally
Rally GB
Rallye Sunseeker
Rally Day at Castle Combe
Club racing meet at Castle Combe
Britcar in the snow at Silverstone
BSB test day at Thruxton
Renault World Series at Silverstone
National Hill Climb championship at Wiscombe park

What was World Series like? I gave up on it at Donington after waiting for 2 hrs to get in and then being abused by pissed up chavs. It was a shame as I'd seen the series in its inception at Donington supporting the ISRS when Marc Gene was at the peak of his powers. Really nice cars to watch.

[Trackside]

Right, in no particular order:
Britcar (all championship rounds except Spa)
Britcar 24 Hours
Dunlop Great & British at Donington and Rockingham
750MC at Silverstone in August
MSVR meeting at Silverstone in May
Birkett Relay (superb meeting)
Le Mans Series at Silverstone
Silverstone Classic
Rallye Sunseeker
Emerald Stages Rally at Rockingham
Rockingham Stages Rally
Autosport International

Highlights were the Sunseeker (my first time at a gravel rally), Britcar 24 Hours (will be sadly missed next season) and the brilliant Birkett 6 Hour Relay (organised chaos for 6 hours, great fun!).

Will be taking in more 750MC meets next season as I'm covering the MR2 Championship for an MR2 magazine, so I'm looking forward to that. I'll also be going along to as many Britcar and G&B meetings to support friends who race in Britcar Productions and Westfields. And after a year away, I'm off to Le Mans again in June for the 8th time. Woohoo!

[Allyc85]

chevronb37 said:

What was World Series like? I gave up on it at Donington after waiting for 2 hrs to get in and then being abused by pissed up chavs. It was a shame as I'd seen the series in its inception at Donington supporting the ISRS when Marc Gene was at the peak of his powers. Really nice cars to watch.

I did the whole weekend camping from the friday so I dont know how bad it was getting in. Unfortuantly there was alot of chavs there who didnt have a clue whats was going on, swearing every other word and were chucking their cans of steller on the floor. Apart from "them" it was a great weekend with some great racing and boiling hot weather on the sunday

[chevronb37]

Allyc85 said:

chevronb37 said:

What was World Series like? I gave up on it at Donington after waiting for 2 hrs to get in and then being abused by pissed up chavs. It was a shame as I'd seen the series in its inception at Donington supporting the ISRS when Marc Gene was at the peak of his powers. Really nice cars to watch.

I did the whole weekend camping from the friday so I dont know how bad it was getting in. Unfortuantly there was alot of chavs there who didnt have a clue whats was going on, swearing every other word and were chucking their cans of steller on the floor. Apart from "them" it was a great weekend with some great racing and boiling hot weather on the sunday

Real shame that, mate. The LMS was similar at Silverstone this year. Missed the first half hour of the race due to epic queues and nobody was bloody watching! Everyone was poking the Silverstone Ferrari 360M and buying Lewis Hamilton hats. Fair play, it great to see people through the gates, but this is motor racing, not a fair ground or a shopping centre. Nor is it a pub.

What was it at Brooklands? "The right crowd and no crowding?". Rant over :-)