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GT RADIAL RAISES £1,000 FOR LOCAL CHARITIES AT POWER MAXED MOTOFEST COVENTRY 2019

GT Radial, the main sprint circuit sponsor at Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry 2019, and the visiting public, have raised a fantastic £1,000 for the Lord Mayor of Coventry’s chosen annual charities.

A football shooting challenge for the kids, a raffle to win high-end car cleaning products and an F1 simulator all helped achieve the total, which will be split between Age UK Coventry and Warwickshire and The Mercia MS Therapy Centre.

As an added bonus the fastest laps in the F1 simulator in the morning and afternoon slots across both Saturday and Sunday got to choose a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Those achieving the winning times were offered the opportunity to be driven around the track in a VW Fun Cup car or one of the highlights of the weekend, a 1,100 BHP racing truck driven by 10 times British and European Truck Racing Champion, Stuart Oliver.

Brian McDermott, General Manager UK for Giti Tire, manufacturer of GT Radial tyres, said: “Our heartfelt thanks to the people of Coventry and all visitors for helping us raise such a fantastic amount for local causes. To support the UK’s largest urban motorsports festival was already a privilege, but the warmth and friendliness of everyone made this an unforgettable experience. Thank you.”

Lord Mayor Cllr Linda Bigham said: “Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry was such a great family event for our city, with so many people having fun and celebrating our city’s motoring heritage.

“It really brought the city together, and, as usual, Coventry people gave generously and I am so grateful they joined GT Radial in raising such a fantastic amount for my chosen charities.

“The money will really make a difference to a lot of people and I’d like to thank everyone involved.”

The Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry event enjoyed its best ever year in 2019, with a record 229,292 visitors attending across the two days of the festival weekend.

James Noble, Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry Festival Director, said: “We are very grateful to Giti Tire for their generous gesture in donating the proceeds of their MotoFest stand activities to the Lord Mayor’s charities.

“As the new sponsor of the GT Radial sprint circuit, Giti Tire has wholeheartedly embraced the MotoFest event and the city and their donation to the Lord Mayor’s charity fund is further testament to this approach.

“Giti Tire and the GT Radial brand were also responsible for some of the highlights of the weekend’s track action with the racing trucks and VW Fun Cup cars and we give thanks to them for helping to make 2019 another incredible event.”

Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry is a two-day festival dedicated to the city’s motoring heritage, taking place on the first weekend of June.

As the largest free urban motorsport festival in the UK, it brings live motorsport, including official championship rounds of various race series, classic and performance vehicles, and the cutting edge of automotive innovation right into the heart of the UK’s Motor City, free for everyone to enjoy across the weekend. For more details visit www.coventrymotofest.com.

Organisers at Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry have been left overjoyed after smashing all previous attendance records with 229,292 visitors recorded at this year’s festival.

In an incredible gauge of the event’s rising popularity, Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry recorded its first ever six figure attendance on the first day, as around 140,000 visitors enjoyed the sights and sounds of the UK’s largest urban motoring festival.

The first day crowd numbers at this year’s event were on a par with visitor numbers across both days in 2018, with the massive increase of attendees helping to provide a huge boost to the city’s economy.

James Noble, Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry Festival Director, said: “This year’s MotoFest is by far our most successful ever and we are completely overwhelmed by what we have achieved with the number of visitors attending the festival.

“It’s incredible to have smashed our previous record for visitor numbers by such a large amount and it now puts us alongside Goodwood Festival of Speed, as the biggest attended motoring festival in the UK.

“The two and four wheeled action we had on the GT Radial Sprint Circuit and the Fueltopia Skydome Action Arena again wowed the crowds, with the viewing galleries heaving with spectators enjoying competitive motorsports and the dynamic displays throughout the day.

“We also celebrated Citroen’s centenary with the biggest anniversary celebrations outside of France, part of what was an incredible all-round celebration of our collective automotive heritage. It’s been an amazing event and we look forward to doing it all again next year.” 

Trish Willetts, Coventry BID Director, said “We are so pleased for James and the MotoFest team. Each year they enhance the event working with our BID businesses to benefit the city centre and we are proud to partner with the team.  

“Driving footfall around all of the corners of the city centre this year has been particularly beneficial to our businesses. Spend is up and brand awareness of the city has been enhanced nationally proving that MotoFest is a key unique selling point for the city.”

Those attending saw a dazzling array of two and four wheeled action as British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) cars, competition and performance cars, heritage sports cars and bikes, ex-Moto GP bikes, supercars, racing trucks, a motorsports legend and champion French drift racer all took to the GT Radial Sprint circuit.   

For the second consecutive year, competitive motorsport featured at MotoFest with official championship rounds of the BARC Connaught National Speed Championship, the Fueltopia Formula G ‘Champion of Champions’ event and the Autotest National Championship qualifiers taking place across the weekend.

As part of the dynamic displays, motorsports legend and two-time British Touring Car (BTCC) Champion Jason Plato, drove his Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing front-wheel drive Vauxhall Astra around the GT Radial sprint circuit. 

Following on from Jason Plato, Sunday saw the Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra BTCC hotseat taken up by 22 year-old Ricky Collard, the son of Plato’ current BTCC team mate Rob Collard.

Adam Weaver, Managing Director of Automotive Brands and SteelSeal Ltd and Team Principal for Power Maxed Racing, said: “It’s incredible to be a part of something so special. I couldn’t be more pleased that so many others feel the same way, as demonstrated by their attendance.

“We expected it to beat last year but only by a little, so to go past it and then in turn exceed 200,000 is really quite staggering. In fact we were so surprised, we all had the numbers checked and checked again, just to make sure! 

“It’s a fitting reward for James, Darren and all their wonderful team at MotoFest that put so much effort in, throughout the year. They make the event what it is, not for financial gain either, all for the love of vehicles and the city of Coventry.”

Further championship drivers to take to the circuit included French drift race ace and five-time French Drift Championship winner, Benjamin Boubles, who put his GT Radial sponsored BMW E93 M3 competition car through its drifting paces.

Visitors were also treated to a two and four wheeled spectacular that signalled the beginning of each day’s action.

On Saturday, close to a thousand bikers descended onto the city as part of a ride-in from historic Coombe Abbey hotel into MotoFest for a parade lap around the circuit.

On Sunday the curtain raiser to the day’s action was provided by a thousand Citroens, with a dazzling array of vehicles from across the ages parading around the city and then onto the circuit as part of Citroen’s centenary celebrations.

Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry is a two-day festival dedicated to the city’s motoring heritage, taking place on the first weekend of June.

As the largest free urban motorsport festival in the UK, it brings live motorsport, including official championship rounds of various race series, classic and performance vehicles, and the cutting edge of automotive innovation right into the heart of the UK’s Motor City, free for everyone to enjoy across the weekend. For more details visit www.coventrymotofest.com.

Supercars to return to Motofest Coventry as part of a turbo power packed performance line-up

The supercars are set to return to Motofest Coventry as part of a turbo charged line-up of sports and performance machinery at this year’s event.

The Supercar Driver club (SCD) – the UK’s leading club for supercar drivers – will make their second consecutive appearance at Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry with 100 members and their cars, double the amount of last year, set to appear across the festival weekend.

SCD members cars including Lamborghinis, Ferraris, McLarens and Porsches to name but a few, will be on display in a new dedicated supercar paddock which will sit alongside the new Performance and Tuning village – located at the main Greyfriars Green hub.

The cars will also take to the circuit each day for a special supercar parade lap display, in what promises to be one of the most spectacular sights of the festival weekend.

Another high octane fuelled highlight of the weekend will see the Team FASTR Bentley Continental GT3R, which competes in the 2019 GT3 class in the UK Time Attack Championship, make its first ever appearance at MotoFest.

With last year’s Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry sprint competition winner and current lap record holder Ollie Clark and RogerClark Motorsport involved with maintaining the car and providing event support, the GT3R is expected to prove quite a spectacle on the GT Radial sprint circuit.

Taking the wheel will be regular driver Luke Clayton and will feature as a guest entry in the BARC Connaught National Speed Championship.

Further performance and sports car highlights for the MotoFest weekend include GT Radial’s VW Fun Cup cars running as guest entries in the sprint competition and Benjamin Boubles putting his GT Radial sponsored BMW E93 M3 competition car through its drifting paces on the main circuit. 

There will also be various Group B Rally cars and heritage sports and competition cars performing dynamic displays each day.

James Noble, Motofest Coventry Festival Director, said: “We are excited to welcome the return of the supercars to MotoFest. They proved a real crowd pleaser last year and I am sure they will wow visitors to the event again this year.

“It’s also fantastic to have such a strong line-up of performance and sports cars at MotoFest and the Team FASTR Bentley Continental GT3R is another spectacular addition to this year’s event.

“These incredible performance cars are all part of our new Performance and Tuning village, a petrolheads paradise which we expect to attract plenty of visitors across the weekend.” 

Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry is a two-day festival, taking place on 1 and 2 June, dedicated to the city’s motoring heritage.

As the largest free urban motorsport festival in the UK, it brings live motorsport, including official championship rounds of various race series, classic and performance vehicles, and the cutting edge of automotive innovation right into the heart of the UK’s Motor City, free for everyone to enjoy across the weekend. For more details visit: www.coventrymotofest.com.

For more information on Team FASTR visit: www.befastr.com     

For more information on SCD visit:

https://www.supercar-driver.com/, https://www.facebook.com/supercarDRIVER , https://twitter.com/aSUPERCARDRIVER https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSUPERCARDRIVER , https://www.instagram.com/supercar_driver/ 

British Touring car legend Plato to drive at Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry

Touring car legend Jason Plato is to drive at this year’s Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry and in doing so become the latest British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) driver to take on the unique ring road circuit.

The two-time British Touring Car (BTCC) Champion and record holder for the most BTCC race wins, will put his Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing front-wheel drive Vauxhall Astra through its paces on the GT Radial sprint circuit on 1 June – the first day of the festival weekend.

During an incredible career Plato has recorded 96 wins, 227 podiums and has finished in the championship top three on 12 different occasions and on Saturday will take part in his first ever Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry event.

Following on from Plato’s appearance, Sunday will see the Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra BTCC hotseat vacated by a legend and occupied by the next generation, as 22 year-old  Ricky Collard takes the wheel. 

Ricky – the son of Plato’s current Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing team-mate Rob Collard – is already a well-established racer in his own right, finishing runner up in the 2016 Formula 3 Championship and stepping in as substitute driver for his father in last year’s BTCC series.

James Noble, Power Maxed Motofest Coventry Festival Director, said: “It’s an honour to have a true motorsport legend taking part at Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry and having Jason Plato on track is going to be one of the highlights of the weekend.

“His incredible achievements in the BTCC series make him synonymous with that championship and it will be great to see him take his current BTCC drive, the Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing front-wheel drive Vauxhall Astra around the GT Radial sprint circuit.

“We look forward to welcoming a true legend to MotoFest, as we get set for another incredible festival weekend.”

The appearance of the Power Maxed BTTC cars has become a regular highlight at MotoFest and in previous years has seen Great British Bake-Off judge and celebrity chef Paul Hollywood drive one of the Power Maxed Racing team’s cars around the circuit. 

Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry is a two-day festival, taking place on 1 and 2 June, dedicated to the city’s motoring heritage.

As the largest free urban motorsport festival in the UK, it brings live motorsport, including official championship rounds of various race series, classic and performance vehicles, and the cutting edge of automotive innovation right into the heart of the UK’s Motor City, free for everyone to enjoy across the weekend. For more details visit www.coventrymotofest.com.

It will be two wheels leading the charge at this year’s Power Maxed Motofest Coventry with a ride in from the historic Coombe Abbey Hotel – Brinklow Road, Coventry – onto the main sprint circuit, where a parade lap for all the bikes taking part will take place.

Organisers are looking to exceed last year’s ride out numbers, with plans to have between 500 and 1,000 bikes involved – there is no need to register, just turn up on the day – fin what is expected to be a spectacular start to the 2019 festival.

There will also be demonstration displays from an array of competition and sports bikes on the unique city centre sprint circuit.

Among the highlights of the ex-race bikes running on circuit are the former Forward Team Racing CRT Moto GP bikes from the 2013 championship, ridden respectively by Colin Edwards and Claudio Corsi, during that season.

A representation of race bikes from Team Classic Suzuki incluiding Kevin Schwantz’s  RGV500 and one of Micheal Dunlop’s TT winning bikes.

The three iconic race bikes will be ridden in demonstration laps on the Coventry ring road circuit by Nathan Colombi, who regularly rides the machines at events all around the world.

All three bikes form part of the impressive Team Classic Suzuki collection of 70s, 80s and 90s Suzuki Grand Prix race bikes owned by Northamptonshire businessman Steve Wheatman, with the collection providing one of the foremost attractions on the international classic motorcycle scene.   

There will also be a large number of classic and vintage bikes running on the circuit, including a special set of bikes with a ‘Built in Coventry theme , all pre-war and including a 1919 Triumph model H set to to take the GT Radial sprint circuit a 100 years after it was built in the city 

The Triumph model H was made at the Triumph works on Priory street. During the Great War of 1914/18 approx 20,000 of these bikes were supplied to the armed forces , many were used by the despatch riders who gave them the name of “ Trusty Triumphs “.

The bike running at MotoFest is still used on VMCC events and completed the Coventry to Brighton run a few years ago.

Darren Langeveld, Coventry MotoFest Race Director, said: “The bikes at MotoFest just get bigger, better and louder every year and for this year’s event we have an incredible line-up of two wheeled action.

“We have a real good mix for this year with plenty of ex-race and competition bikes, classic and vintage machinery and the ride in, at which we anticipate having near to a thousand bikes involved in what is set to be a spectacular start to the whole event.

“With dedicated bike village also returning for this year with an array of bikes on display, Its all revving up to be another incredible event. We look forward to going full throttle across the festival weekend.”

Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry is a two-day festival dedicated to the city’s motoring heritage.

As the largest free urban motorsport festival in the UK, it brings live motorsport, including official championship rounds of various race series, classic and performance vehicles, and the cutting edge of automotive innovation right into the heart of the UK’s Motor City, free for everyone to enjoy across the weekend. For more details visit www.coventrymotofest.com.

A classic car enthusiast whose family owned 60 year old MG sports car is helping to drive fundraising efforts for the Alzheimer’s Society is set to make a poignant trip to this year’s Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry.

Birmingham based James Davis will drive his 1959 MG A Series Twin Cam to MotoFest Coventry, as part of a road trip to raise funds for and awareness of the Alzheimer’s Society.

It’s a cause close to his heart as it forms an integral part of a car ownership story that spans five decades of his family’s life.

James’s father Robert Davis first bought the MG in 1963 and went on to own it for 53 years before it was sold in Canada two years ago to fund Robert’s long-term Alzheimer’s care.

With over 50 years of happy family memories associated with the car, James sought to track it down and after browsing ‘classic cars’ on eBay, he discovered it had been reimported back into the UK. 

After arranging to meet the dealer, James bought the car back and with it came the idea to use the MG as a fundraising vehicle to tackle the disease that had taken his father and the car away from him in the first place.

James, who lives in Edgbaston and works for Cox Automotive as a Customer Strategy and Insight Director for Commercial Vehicles, said: “When I first bought the car back I felt a mix of emotions. I wanted to tell Dad the good news, I wanted to ask him questions about the work I planned to do.

“However sadly by then his Alzheimer’s had rely taken hold to the point where he did not recognise me anymore. That’s when the legacy idea came to me. I decided that when I am no longer able to drive the car, it will be auctioned off and every penny donated to the Alzheimer’s Society. 

“Until then I want to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s and use the MG to help raise funds to find a cure for this cruel disease. The car has already been to various shows and MotoFest Coventry will be the next stop on our fundraising journey. 

“It’s really exciting to be attending such a hugely attended event and I hope those visiting MotoFest Coventry enjoy the car as much as my family and I do.”

Alzheimer’s Society Community Fundraiser for Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry and Warwickshire, Ryan Stanley, welcomed James’s decision to help raise money for the charity. 

Ryan said: ““We are incredibly grateful to James as he intends to leave his family owned, 60 year old MG sports car as a gift in his Will to Alzheimer’s Society. This generous gift will help Alzheimer’s Society go on to continue supporting people with dementia and their carers and loved ones through our dedicated services and continue to raise awareness of this cruel disease.”

“There are around 70,000 people living with dementia in the West Midlands, and around 4,000 people with dementia in Coventry. Dementia is now the UK’s biggest killer, with someone developing the disease every three minutes.

“Dementia devastates lives, but dementia won’t win. Until the day we find a cure we will be here for anyone affected by dementia, wherever they are, whatever they’re going through. We need more people like James to join us now and unite against dementia. Unite now at alzheimers.org.uk.”

The car itself has a fascinating history. First registered on the 2^nd October 1959, it was initially owned by a 27 year old Italian commercial artist called Renato Fratini.

While owning the car he produced his most famous work, including film posters for Carry on Films, From Russia With Love, Barbarella and Waterloo. He also courted and married his girlfriend Gina Fratini, who went on to become a society dress designer with clients including Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Diana. 

As well as the MG, another treasured family favourite celebrating its 60^th birthday with a road trip to MotoFest is North East Scotland based Mike Wakelin’s, 1959 Humber Hawk.

With only 73,000 still on the clock, the Humber Hawk will embark on its longest ever journey as Mike drives the car from Turiff, in Aberdeenshire, to his first ever MotoFest event.

From even further afield, Norwegian Jaguar car enthusiast Geir Folke Olsen will again set out on an epic 1,200 km road trip from Norway to Coventry, to complete a hat-trick of appearances at the festival. 

Geir will make the journey from his home in Lesja, in the Oppland County region of Norway, to Coventry in his 1962 ivory coloured Jaguar E-type, which he will run on the MotoFest circuit. For this year Geir will have a special guest passenger joining him on his circuit run, whose identity will be revealed before the MotoFest weekend.

James Noble, Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry Festival Director said: “We are very pleased to have dedicated classic car enthusiasts such as James, Mike and Geir at MotoFest, as they epitomise what the event is all about.

“They represent fantastic automotive and human stories that illustrate our love affair with cars. With James Davis’s MG, it’s also about utilising that story to raise awareness and funds for an incredibly worthwhile cause such as the Alzheimer’s Society, which we are delighted to support at this year’s event.

“With Coventry BID’s backing we again look forward to an incredible ‘show within a show’ that will showcase classic cars and bikes that celebrate over 100 years and more of automotive heritage.” 

More than 1000 cars and bikes are set to feature at this year’s event on June 1 and 2. Various classic vehicle enthusiasts, car and bike clubs across the UK are due to attend to play their part in making Motofest Coventry 2019 the best classic car and bike show the city has seen since the event started six years ago.

Power Maxed MotoFest Coventry is a two-day festival dedicated to the city’s motoring heritage.

As the largest free urban motorsport festival in the UK, it brings live motorsport, including official championship rounds of various race series, classic and performance vehicles, and the cutting edge of automotive innovation right into the heart of the UK’s Motor City, free for everyone to enjoy across the weekend. For more details visit www.coventrymotofest.com.

Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity, working tirelessly to challenge perceptions, fund research and improve and provide care and support. Too many are facing dementia alone without adequate support. We urgently need to find a cure, improve care and offer help and understanding for people affected.