News

© Simon Wright Footman James Coffee & Chrome Impney Estate 2021

Outdoor meetings are GO.

While the major motoring shows in the UK (Autosport International at the NEC and Race Retro at Stoneleigh Park) have been postponed for January and February, outdoor gatherings are now in full swing all over the country. By the time you read this, the first Footman James Coffee and Chrome meeting will already have taken place. Using the Impney Estate at Droitwich, the first meeting is at the beginning of February, and we will have a full report on the meeting in the next issue of Classic and Competition Car. The next meeting is currently scheduled for the 10th April 2022 at Prescott Hill Climb course. Attendance is usually limited to several hundred cars, so you need to pre-register. For more information on these Coffee & Chrome meetings see their web site https://www.footmanjames.co.uk/coffeechrome-meets which gives you the option to sign up for email notification from Footman James on future meetings and to register to attend future meetings. Wheels on Wednesday have their first Winter Wheels meeting scheduled for Sunday 13th February 2022 at their winter, hard standing, meeting location, Sixways Stadium rugby ground car park, Worcester. The Sixways Stadium is located next to the M5 motorway junction 6. The breakfast meetings start at 9:30am. There is a small charge of £4 per car and £3 per motorcycle if payed in advance viathe website or £5 cash per vehicle on the day. For more information or to buy tickets, see their web site at www.wheelsonwednesday.co.uk

© Simon Wright

The good news for Kiwi motor racing fans - starved of world-class historic motor racing action by the New Zealand government’s response to the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic - is that the organising committee of the NZ Formula 5000 Association has confirmed this week that the hitherto cancellation-hit 2021/22 SAS Autoparts MSC NZ Tasman Cup Revival Series will indeed go ahead this season. “One option,” Glenn Richards, organising committee member of the NZ Formula 5000 Association, explains, “was simply to accept that our season and series had been snookered by COVID-19 and that with the HRC still willing and able to have us at its annual Legends of Speed meeting at Hampton Downs at the end of March, we just run at the one meeting this season and accept it as – if you like – a fait accompli. “The other (option) was to actively canvas clubs still willing to put on race meetings and try and come up with at least two more chances to run our cars before the 21/22 season morphs into 22/23.” As it turns out it was the second option which received a unanimous vote from the assembled committee members, two of which had already been in touch with meeting organisers in their particular regions and were able to table serious invitations to the race committee for ‘replacement’ events. The first was back at Christchurch’s Mike Pero Motorsport Park at Ruapuna over the April 9-10 weekend, the second at the now re-named Taupo International Motorsport Park (nee Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park ) at Taupo on May 14-15. There are still ‘I’s-to-dot-and-t’s-to-cross’ for all parties involved, particularly with little firm idea of how NZ will be affected by the Omnicron variant of the COVD-19 Coronavirus over the next 4-6 weeks. However, Richards believes that with all the proper protocols (access limited to those with a Vaccine Pass, signing in, social distancing, mask-wearing, etc, etc) in place, the chances of catching COVID-19 at any motor race meeting are probably no better or worse than they would be if everyone involved with the SAS Autoparts MSC series parked their cars up and stayed at home.

2020/21 SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series

Original Calendar Rnd 1: CANCELLED 12-14 Nov 2021 – The Sound MG Classic, Circuit Manfeild Chris Amon Feilding NZ. Rnd 2: CANCELLED 21-23 Jan 2022 – Taupo Historic Grand Prix - Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park Taupo NZ Rnd 3: CANCELLED 04-06 Feb 2022 - Skope Classic Mike Pero Motorsport Park Ruapuna Christchurch NZ. Revised provisional calendar Rnd 4/Rnd 1: 26-27 Mar 2022 – HRC Legends of Speed Hampton Downs Waikato NZ. . Rnd 2. 8-10 April 2022 – Scaled back Skope Classic meeting - Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Ruapuna, Christchurch, NZ. Rnd 3. 14-15 May 2022 - HRC Classic Taupo - Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park Taupo, NZ.

Grant Martin (Talon MR 1/A left) and Codie Banks (Lola T332 right) lead the SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series away from the rolling start at the final round of the 2020/21 series at Hampton Downs last March

Mini Remastered, Oselli Edition.

David Brown Automotive have delivered their first Mini Remastered Oselli Edition to a customer in Scandinavia. Hand-made to order at the purpose-built facility of David Brown Automotive at Silverstone, Mini Remastered, Oselli Edition is limited to 60 bespoke models, first announced in 2019 to celebrate 60 years since the first Mini rolled off the production line. Each one-of-a-kind car takes 1,400 hours to make, with a drivetrain engineered by Oselli Engineering, the acclaimed British engine tuning specialist, founded in the 1960s. The car starts with 125 hp, with 113 ft-lb of torque. This gives a 0-62 mph acceleration time of 7.8 seconds. Customers from around the World can order the car in either two or four seater configuration. The two seater option features bucket seats with a four-point seatbelt harness and a hand trimmed rear roll cage, in a car intended for the race track. The car can be ordered in either left or right hand drive. Further information at www.davidbrownautomotive.com

End of the line for Lotus Elise, Exige and Evora.

Production has ended for the Lotus Elise, Exige and Evora models and the assembly lines will be dismantled ready for ramping up production of the Lotus Emira. Over the last twenty six years, across the three model lines, 51,738 cars have been built.

Mazda MX5 Supercharger upgrades.

BBR launch two stages of supercharger upgrades for the Mazda MX5/Miata NC. Designed to transform the performance of the popular 1.8 and 2 litre MX-5 NC (mk3) cars built between 2005 and 2015. The Stage One delivers 250 bhp, while the Stage Two produces 300 bhp.. The kits are offered as either a Drive in Drive out service or as a DIY upgrade, with prices starting from £4095 and carry a 12 month warranty. More information at mx5supercharger.co.uk

Vauxhall Corsa No1 in 2021.

The UK’s best selling car in 2021 was the Vauxhall Corsa according to SMMT figures. It takes ovwer as the best selling cars with 40,914 sold in 2021. This included 5,605 electric Corsa-e, making it one of the best selling small electric vehicles in the UK, which was an increase of 97% over 2020.

Volkswagen best selling car brand in UK.

For the first time, Volkswagen have taken top spot in the UK car market. With 147,826 Cars registered in 2021, the brand sold more cars last year than any other manufacturer, taking 8.97% of the market.

Formula 1 fun at the British Motor Museum.

February half term has Formula 1 family activities at the British Motor Museum with the arrival of a BRM chassis IV P15 Type 1 V16. The BRM Type 15 was a Formula 1 racing car in the 1950s for British Racing Motors. The car will go on display at the museum from 17th February to 1st March 2022, coinciding with half term. There is an exclusive members-only preview event on the evening of Wednesday 167th February from 6-7:30 pm, giving members a unique chance to see the car close up and chat to Paul Owen, Director of British Racing Motors Ltd. Four original cars were built of which only two remain today, together with two Mark 2 P30 V16 cars. To mark the 70th anniversary of BRM, three new and authentic models are being built by Hall & Hall. These continuation cars will use original P15 chassis numbers that weren’t allocated at the time. The first car - chassis 1/04 has been commissioned by John Owen, the 82 year old son of BRM’s original owner, and this is the car that will go on display at the museum. For more information on half term activities go to www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/february-halfterm , and for the Members only preview event visit https:// www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/members-onlyp15-brm

Formula Woman announce GT Cup entry.

The Formula Woman competition is nearing its conclusion with the announcement that the two car Formula Woman McLaren 570S GT4 team is confirmed to take part in the 2022 GT Cup Championship. This will be the perfect championship for the soon to be crowned winners to enter into a full season of racing, supported by McLaren Customer Racing. Four New Formula Woman will soon be competing in motorsport this year. Formula Woman has attracted interest from around the World with competitors being assessed and judged on a variety of tasks. Finalists from Canada, USA, Italy, Spain, India, Brazil, Australia, Chile, Jamaica, Kuwait, Netherlands, Mexico and Sweden.