THE 3rd INTERNATIONAL HISTORIC MOTORSPORT SHOWat Stoneleigh Park, near Coventry,on 24-25-26 February 2006.
When the International Historic Motorsport Show at Stoneleigh Park opens its doors to the public next week, on 24-26 February, visitors will be met by an outstanding collection of motorsport heroes, world-famous competition cars and bikes, and plenty of live action. The latest news on the Show's main attractions includes:
MOTORSPORT HEROES
Each day will see a major figure from world motorsport officially opening the Show at 10am.
On Friday, David Richards CBE, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Prodrive Group, winner of six World Rally titles, five touring car championships, and second position in the F1 World Championship with BAR Honda, will open the Show. Richards himself was an accomplished rally co-driver, who won the FIA World Rally Championship in 1981 with Ari Vatanen.
On Saturday, motorcycle superhero Giacomo Agostini will officially open the Show. Agostini holds the honour of having won more Grand Prix motorcycle races than any other rider. By the time he retired, Agostini had won 122 Grands Prix, 12 Isle of Man TTs, 18 Italian Championships and 15 World Championships.
Sunday will see Vic Elford and Jackie Oliver open the Show. Elford was both a race and rally driver for Porsche in the early days of the 911, sensationally winning the1968 Monte Carlo Rally. His skills as a race driver also brought victories ranging from the Daytona 24 Hours to the Targa Florio and the Nurburgring 1000Km.Jackie Oliver climbed the single-seat ladder to an F1 career which included driving for Colin Chapman in Team Lotus, as well as for BRM. In 1969, teamed with Jacky Ickx, Oliver scored an outright victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours in a Ford GT40. In 1978, he started the Arrows Formula 1 team.
THE GREAT MARATHON RALLIES
The latest display to be announced is a significant feature on the 'big five' endurance rallies, from the1968 London-Sydney to the 18,000-mile Vuelta a la America del Sud of 1978. Andrew Cowan, who took part in all five rallies and won three of them, will be at the Show, while other competitors from these great endurance events coming to the Show include Mike Broad, Willy Cave, Brian Culcheth, Paul Easter, Tony Fall, Roy Fidler, Paddy Hopkirk, Alec Poole and Rosemary Smith. The Show will also welcome team managers from that era: Peter Browning, Bill Price and Stuart Turner.
Cars on display on The Great Marathons feature in Hall 1 include SMO227G, the Austin 1800 (or 'Land Crab' as it became known in rallying) thought to be the only car in the world to have finished both the 1968 London-Sydney and the 1970 World Cup Rallies; Andrew Cowan's Triumph 2.5Pi from the World Cup Rally; and a Hillman Hunter to the exact specification of the 1968 London-Sydney-winning car.
BONHAMS AUCTION
Star cars in the Bonhams auction taking place at the Show include the ex-Pierre Alexandre Popoff 1992-94 Italian GT Championship Ferrari F40 Competizione/GT, estimated at £170,000 - £220,000; the 1928 Bentley 6 1/2-litre Sports Two-Seater, estimated at £200,000 - £250,000; and the 1988 Kremer Porsche 962C which came ninth at the 1988 Le Mans24 Hours, this last estimated to sell at £170,000 - £200,000.
But these are just some of the attractions; for the full story, see historicmotorsportshow.com.
The Show opens at 9.30am each day. Advance tickets cost£15 for one day or £28 for two days, with accompanied children under 16 free. On-the-day prices are £18 for one day or £30 for two days. Call the Ticket Hotline on 08450 70 68 70, or book online at .historicmotorsportshow.com (using the Tickets Page).
