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.
