at The BritishInternational Motor Show

F1 broadcast icon Murray Walker and racing legend Sir Stirling Moss top the bill on Motorsport Sunday (3 August) at The British International Motor Show, sponsored by Zurich Connect.  There will be plenty to delight motorsport fans, with live Formula One action, race and rally cars, race simulators and motorsport personalities bringing even more interactive excitement to the ExCeL halls.Motorsport Sunday will feature live coverage of the Hungarian Grand Prix, televised on a 20-square metre screen located in the Heritage Enclosure.  The live screening, sponsored by Philips, will be free-to-view for all Show visitors and introduced in person by the ever-popular voice of motorsport, Murray Walker.  Philips will also be giving showgoers the chance to win a drive in an AT&T Williams Formula One car.Murray Walker, along with Grand Prix racing icon Sir Stirling Moss, will visit ExCeL on Motorsport Sunday to sign copies of their latest publications – the ‘Murray Walker Scrapbook’, and ‘Stirling Moss Scrapbook, 1929-1954’ – in a special area overlooking the Show’s dockside Heritage Enclosure, which features a display of iconic supercars from the past five decades.There’s more to see for motorsport fans across the Show.  Within the Motoring Plus area of the Show, visitors will find Go Motorsport, the first-ever campaign that aims to raise the profile of motorsport by encouraging people to get involved – either as a spectator, participant or volunteer.  That could involve becoming a marshal, enjoying a driving experience at one of the UK’s many circuits, or getting a competition licence and starting to race. 

The organisers of the Go Motorsport programme will showcase a variety of race cars, including a 2008 Williams F1 car, a World Rally Car, a racing Caterham, an Autotest car and a range of karts, together with guest appearances by motorsport personalities throughout the Show.Outside, at the Vauxhall VXRacing Village, there will be the full selection of VXRacing merchandise and interactive exhibits to get visitors’ adrenalin pumping.  These include a Vectra VXRacing Simulator and radio-controlled VXRacing Vectras that can be raced on a purpose-built mini race circuit.A key highlight for endurance racing fans will be the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP LMS race car, fresh from its thrilling battle in last month’s Le Mans 24 Hour race.  As well as a hard-won second-placed finish at the French endurance classic, the 908 has so far this year won every sports car race for which it has been entered – at Barcelona, Monza and Spa.  The 908 will be on display on Peugeot’s stand throughout the Show.Ford will have its own ‘World Rally Championship Area’ on its large Show stand, incorporating a replica of a World Rally Championship (WRC) Focus; a WRC Simulator that puts visitors in the thick of the rally-stage action; a number of special IMAX computers giving access to the WRC website; and a display of the BP Ford World Rally Team’s many trophies.Staying with the rallying theme, on the nearby Suzuki stand visitors can take a close look at the competition vehicles entered in the Swift Sport Cup, a one-make championship specially created to promote new rallying talent.  The cars are based on the Suzuki Swift Sport hot-hatch and compete in many rounds of the British Rally Championship.Touring car fans should make their way to the SEAT stand, where they can see the Leon TDI diesel-powered race car currently competing in the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship.   SEAT BTCC works drivers Jason Plato and Darren Turner will also be paying a visit to the Show, on Press Day.The lucky few members of the public holding tickets for Press Day (22 July) can visit the Renault stand to see Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering, ING Renault F1 Team, unveil an exciting new Renault road car that makes its worldwide debut at ExCeL.Motorsport fans seeking refreshment should visit the A1GP Coffee Bar, where they can learn more about the ‘World Cup of Motorsport’ that brings together drivers from 22 different nations to compete in identical Ferrari-powered, open-wheeled race cars.A host of other exhibitors with motorsport-themed stands will take their place in the Show’s ‘Shop’, including: Santa Pod Raceway (home of European Drag Racing), Alex Reade (motorsport gifts and memorabilia), F1 Model Helmets (retailer of scale model F1 helmets), JK Marketing (motorsport memorabilia and clothing), Race To The Finish (F1 memorabilia), Duke Marketing (motorsport and specialist interest DVDs), and F1 Shop (F1 memorabilia and products).Finally, those visiting the Heritage Enclosure for the F1 coverage will be able to enter a fabulous motorsport-themed competition, offering the chance of a passenger ride in a GT40 Continuation Mk.1 supercar – a precision-crafted, authentic re-creation of the Ferrari-beating, Le Mans-winning Ford GT40s of the 1960s.  This fantastic prize includes two VIP passes for the Silverstone round of the AVON Tyres British GT Championship on 17 August, a passenger ride in the GT40, grid walk and hospitality.  The GT40 car will be on display in the Heritage Enclosure throughout the Show. “The host of interactive motorsport-themed attractions will bring a truly thrilling added dimension to this event, and ensure that all visitors will have more to see and do than at any previous British International Motor Show,” commented Kirsty Perkinson, Marketing Director for the ExCeL event.