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I've been at Race retro, The International Historic Motorsport Show this week-end. Race Retro, the fourth International Historic Motorsport Show, combines live action events with over 400 exhibition stands, covering 70 years of historic motorsport on both two wheels and four; on road, off road and on track.

A large number of heroes from all branches of the sport came to the Show, welcoming the public in a series of hour-long autograph sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And also opening the show every day.

We have been able to chat with some of the most important motorsport legends. And they still have fantastic memories....

My friend Vic Elford came to the show on sunday. "Quick Vic" was European Rally Champion in 1967. He also won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1968. Vic was rally driver but also a great racer. His curriculum include vistories at the Nürburgring, Targa Florio and the Daytona 24 hours. Vic opened the show on sunday. It was the occasion for him to talk about his book: Reflections on a Golden Era of Motorsport. We also had a great photo shoot with Vic and a Porsche 911 he drove 40 years ago. But this may be another post this week...
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The Dunlop Ruby Rallyfeste weekend, celebrating four decades of rallying in New Zealand has proven to be a greater success than organisers had hoped for, with the event turning out to be a reunion of past and present rally competitors and enthusiasts.

Special guests, and international Rally stars, Rod and Rhys Millen, and the President of the FIA WRC Commission, New Zealander Morrie Chandler were present amongst other dignitaries at the March 23–24 celebration based at the Waikato Event’s Centre.

Starting the weekend off on the Friday evening, there was an indoor Rally Show, and while the public were wowed by a display of 70 classic, historic, and modern rally cars, upstairs Rallyfeste registrants viewed rallying memorabilia from the past four decades at an informal Noggin-N-Natter function.
Continue reading "Dunlop Rallyfeste weekend a huge success"

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The very best drivers, riders, navigators, organisers, companies and journalists of the European historic motorsport world were honoured at last night's annual Historic Motorsport Awards Charity Dinner, held in association with Race Retro (the 4th International Historic Motorsport Show).

All profits from the dinner will be shared between the Motorsport Foundation (to assist in the provision of specialist training and research) and the Joey Dunlop Foundation (which benefits people with a disability, especially children; see www.joeydunlopfoundation.com).

Nominations were invited from throughout the historic motorsport community. The final award winners were chosen by a panel comprising Graham Robson (Chairman), George Beale, Dean Butler, Robert Coucher, Tony Dron, Gunnar Elmgren, Colin Francis, Dave Gittins, Martin Grant-Peterkin, Mike Jackson, Jamie Knight, Flavien Marcais, Marcus Pye, Carol Quiniou, Ian Shapland, Carol Spagg, Mick Walsh, Grahame White, Paul Wignall, Barrie Williams, Simon Woodall and Jason Wright.
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Aucklanders Grant Liston and Ross McCorquodale driving their Avis North Shore Honda Civic R, were the overall winners of the Dunlop Ruby Rally event, held in the Northern Waikato and Maramarua Forest areas on Saturday March 24th.

The rally event had drawn some 60 competitors from both the past and present, and proved to be a great spectacle in keeping with the celebration of rallying weekend theme. Names from the past, like Paul Adams, Mike Marshall and Reg Cook competed alongside stars of today, Mark Tapper and Dylan Turner.

The winning Liston / McCorquodale team have had a long association with the gravel stages in the Maramarua Forest, winning events back in the 1980’s when they drove Ford Escort and Nissan Sunny rally cars, and so it was no surprise to see them running highly in the results.
Continue reading "Liston wins Rallyfeste event - allport fastest on Tarmac"

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Despite wintry conditions there was plenty of action on track at the GPlive test day at Donington Park. Machinery including the cars driven by at least five World Champions, along with a genuine Indianapolis 500 winning car, were all on track for an early pre-season shakedown.

Among the “racers reunited” was former Brabham, Lotus, McLaren and Penske driver, John Watson, who’ll join the all-star line-up for the GPlive celebration of Grand Prix racing at Donington Park on 18-20 May. The Ulsterman, who competed in formula One for over 12 years and scored five Grand Prix victories, was reunited with the McLaren MP4/1 that he last saw when he and Niki Lauda drove it in the 1982 season.

“Is it really twenty five years?” asked Wattie, who is still one of Britain’s most popular and respected Grand Prix drivers. “Dean Lanzante and his team really have done a fantastic job with the car. It looks like it’s still brand-new”. “This test day really gives a feeling of what GPlive will be all about” Watson continued.
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News round-up after event one: Robin Hood Historic Forest Stages

Welcome to the first issue for 2007 of the post-event news and gossip update for the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship.

The Robin Hood Historic Forest Stages over the weekend of 10/11 March was a brilliant start for the championship with 100 entries, 99 starters and the biggest crowds that anyone could remember for the Clipstone region.

News
Don Simmons and Brian Thomas had a troubled rally, but finally got their Escort Mk1 to the finish of Sunday's Trophy Rally. "In the very short section between the finish of stage one and the start of the next stage the temperature crept up as we stopped and started in the queue. We got to the line and she wouldn't pull away, it stalled and she refused to start. Event over." After time to cool down, all was well and the car behaved until the same situation developed on the second run through Clipstone. It took a minute to do 200 yards, but they did finish.
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TheLahti Historic Rally will be held in Lahti in August 2007.

Lahti is located along excellent transportation connections, only an hour away from the city of Helsinki and its airport. Buses go between Helsinki and Lahti almost every half an hour! Distances are no encumbrance when you get to Lahti either, because in Lahti everything is within a walking distance, including the wonderful nature!

Lahti and the traditional stages of the Thousands Lake Rally offer unforgettable experiences to both drivers and spectators.
Continue reading "Lahti historic Rally 2007 dates announced"

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Racing fans who call the GPlive ticket number 0870 4000 889 will recognize a familiar voice at the end of the line. Grand Prix legend Sir Stirling Moss, a Patron of GPlive, will greet callers with information on the event – and remind them to “bring their autograph books” in case they meet him at the weekend!

The GPlive event is a unique celebration of the pinnacle of motor racing action, bringing iconic Grand Prix racing cars of all eras to Donington Park racing circuit, Derby, on the weekend of 18-20 May 2007. More than that, the event is specifically designed to allow race fans unprecedented access to the fastest cars and the greatest stars.

“Meeting the stars and their cars has been our key from the word go” said event originator Richard Morgan. “GPlive is designed to create opportunities for everyone to get close to the cars and the drivers at the heart of this great sport. That starts right with the ticket line. More than anything, that is what GPlive is all about.
Continue reading "For the Low-Down on GPLive... call Sir Stirling Moss!"