Even though MotoFest Coventry 2020 has been postponed, there is a new way to keep close to MotoFest, even in this time of social distancing. The MotoFest team have been working hard from their new home offices, to bring together the brand new – Club MotoFest.

Club MotoFest will bring club members a monthly newsletter with previews of MotoFest activities and events before the public find out. Along with amazing benefits including being invited to four exclusive membership only events per year and discounts from their sponsors, partners and exhibitors.

Edition one of Club MotoFest News is published this Saturday giving information and exclusive membership only discounts from MotoFest exhibitors including Pro-GreenMX, Old Hall Performance and Life-Line Fire, Power Maxed, Rugby Shot Blasting and Spec Prep.

Club MotoFest member are invited to the first exclusive members event; a live webinar with the MotoFest team, some of the Coventry Concours celebrity judges, and the Association of Heritage Engineers. After watching the results of Coventry Concours this Sunday (7th June) at 5.30pm on MotoFest Coventry social media, head over for the live zoom webinar. Members will receive the log in code in the first edition of Club MotoFest News this Saturday.

MotoFest Coventry and the Association of Heritage Engineers have created a fantastic new opportunity for all those hoping to enter their vehicles into car shows and concours competitions up and down the UK this spring and summer. Like many of these events, MotoFest Coventry has unfortunately had to postpone the event until 4^th, 5^th and 6^th June 2021.

The 2020 event was going to host our first concours event in partnership with the Association of Heritage Engineers, within the stunning Coventry Cathedral ruins. Our teams have been working extremely hard during these testing times, to bring to you the virtual Coventry Concours. We have taken a much loved concours style event and are delivering it to you on the digital platform of Facebook.

We have an array of celebrity judges including Allan Winn, Amanda Stretton, Angela Hucke, Drew Pritchard, Ralph Hosier and Neil Campbell with more judges to be added in due course. Look out for profiles on each of our judges on the dedicated Facebook event page (link below).

Over the next four weeks, the competition will have four dedicated rounds dependent upon the age of your vehicle.

Round 1 – Vehicles produced in the 40s and 50s (Pre-war vehicles will be accepted in this category) – Saturday 9^th May to Saturday 16^th May

Round 2 – Vehicles produced in the 60s and 70s – Saturday 16^th May to Saturday 23^rd May

Round 3 – Vehicles produced in the 80s and 90s – Saturday 23^rd May to Saturday 30^th May

Round 4 – Vehicles produced in the 00s and 10s – Saturday 30^th May to Saturday 6^th June

The criteria for all entries can be found here

Each entry will submit an array of unedited photographs of an original or restored vehicle, which should have a link to the city of Coventry. This link can be strong or tenuous with the most creative and interesting tenuous link, from all entries submitted, will receive a prize.

The winner of each round, decided by the judges, will receive a Golden Ticket guaranteeing their vehicle a place at the inaugural Coventry Concours event hosted at MotoFest Coventry 2021.

Coventry Concours event page – www.facebook.com/events/863620364138342/

MotoFest Coventry Social Media – @CovMotoFest

MotoFest Coventry Website – www.coventrymotofest.com

Association of Heritage Engineers Social Media – @AOHEreng

Association of Heritage Engineers Website – www.associationofheritageengineers.co.uk

James Noble, Festival Director, said: “Against the current backdrop of extraordinary events, the MotoFest Coventry board has been constantly evaluating the viability of this year’s festival.

Following recent Government advice on mass gatherings and large-scale public events during the Coronavirus crisis, we have taken the sensible and appropriate decision to suspend MotoFest Coventry for this year.

Please be assured, the weight of consideration, both practical and moral, has been substantial and we do not arrive at this decision lightly.

MotoFest Coventry has grown substantially in recent years, with 2019’s attendance of 229,232 helping to firmly establish its place in the UK’s top ten most attended events.

As a result, MotoFest Coventry makes a huge economic and cultural contribution to the city of Coventry, another factor that has made our decision a difficult one to reach. 

However, in the current climate the health and safety of those attending and those who work on and support a large-scale event such as MotoFest Coventry is paramount, so this is the responsible course of action to take.

MotoFest Coventry 2020 was intended to be our largest event to date. An evening track programme, demonstrations of wheel to wheel motorsport, a new drift car arena, Concourse D’Elegance show and a new Festival of British Engineering, set to be among the highlights of the festival.

We were also due to stage a hugely expanded music offering, which included a new dance music event featuring globally renowned DJs, artists and dance acts.

These new elements and much more will return next year as part of our exciting line-up. We now intend to regroup and turn our attention to 2021 – Coventry UK City of Culture year – on 4, 5 and 6 June with an event bigger and better than ever before. 

Until then, please take care of yourself and those around you.”

For any media enquiries, interview or photo requests please contact Mark McLachlan on 07831 308133, or e-mail mark.mclachlan@waachosen.co.uk 

MotoFest unveils wheel to wheel motorsport and evening track programme for 2020

MotoFest Coventry is to demo wheel to wheel motorsports on an evening circuit programme for the first time ever at this year’s festival.

The main GT Radial sprint circuit will host a full track programme on Saturday night with the highlight of the evening set to be a dynamic display of wheel to wheel motorsport from teams involved in the VW Fun Cup UK series.

Giti Tire is the official tyre partner for the VW Fun Cup series, which sees a grid of 30 identical, race designed, single seater cars with a super-strong space frame chassis based on the Volkswagen Beetle, compete in an eight-round endurance championship.

Top drivers from the VW Fun Cup UK championship will line up on the grid at MotoFest Coventry on Saturday 6 June, for a spectacular showcase of endurance motorsport.

MotoFest crowds will be treated to a demonstration display of overtaking, wheel to wheel excitement and the continuous lapping of the circuit from the race teams, just as you would see in one of the series official championship rounds.

Along with the VW Fun Cup cars, a MotoFest Coventry crowd favourite, the racing trucks, will also feature as part of the evening’s entertainment.

Off the track, the MotoFest Coventry party will also continue on into the evening with music stages, a new food village experience, open air film show and pop up bars all planned as part of the evening festivities.

James Noble, Coventry MotoFest Coventry Festival Director, said: “Each year at MotoFest Coventry we always look to raise the bar with what festival fans can see on the circuit and this year is no exception.

“An evening programme will allow us to extend the MotoFest action on the main GT Radial circuit and what a way to do it with our first ever display of wheel to wheel motorsports.

“We must give thanks to Giti Tire, our sprint circuit sponsor, for their support in creating the evening track programme. With our first ever MotoFest Coventry evening event, it’s going to be a thrilling finale to the first day of action at the festival.

“This is one of many exciting new additions we have in 2020 and we look forward to making further announcements in the coming weeks.”

GT Radial, which is distributed exclusively in the UK by Micheldever Tyre Services, is part of Giti Tire, one of the largest tyre companies in the world in terms of both volume and revenue.

With a brand portfolio including Giti, GT Radial and Runway, the company offers a complete product range for Europe including passenger car, SUV, van, light truck, heavy truck and bus.

Brian McDermott, Country Manager UK for Giti Tire, said: “We’re delighted to extend our sponsorship of the sprint circuit and get back to Coventry, last year was amazing on every level. The crowds were fantastic, they really got into the spirit of the event and were very interactive with all the charity challenges we set up which ultimately raised over £1,000.

“This year we’re kicking it up another level with the thrill of wheel-to-wheel motorsport. Anyone who has witnessed a VW Fun Cup round will know just how close and exciting it truly is, this is motorsport at it’s very best and an experience that will live long in the memory of spectators.

“Keep an ear out for forthcoming competitions and you could be closer to the action than you dared imagine.”

MotoFest Coventry is a two-day festival dedicated to the city’s motoring heritage, taking place on Saturday 6 June and Sunday 7 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.