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Motorshow 2000 Show Report Friday 27th October STARS AND THEIR CARS AT THE MOTOR SHOW
(l-r)Alain Menu, Anthony Reid and Richard Rydell who finished First, second and third placings in the 2000 British Touring Car Championships with one of their Ford Team Mondeo's at the autosport day of the British International Motor Show, NEC Birmingham. (Photo Martyn Hayhow) The first day of the Motor Sports bonanza at the International Motor Show proved a huge hit with tens of thousands of fans who descended on Birmingham's NEC to catch a glimpse of the stars and their cars. Among the motor racing fraternity at the Show was OrangeArrows' Formula One star Pedro de la Rosa, ITV's F1 pundit Tony Jardine and newly-appointed US Le Mans series driver Oliver Gavin from Northamptonshire. Ford's British Touring Car champion Alain Menu joined his Ford Team Mondeo colleagues, Anthony Reid and Rickard Rydell and will be appearing again today. Vauxhall's British Touring Car Championship driver Jason Plato and British Rally Championship runner-up Mark Higgins are also making a reappearance today on the Vauxhall stand, as is British Rally Champion Marko Ipatti, with Mitsubishi. Britain's latest Formula One star, Jenson Button, is expected to attract huge crowds when he lines up for today's grid at the Motor Show. Al Clarke, head of communications for show organisers, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said: "Today the stars of the motor sports world came to the NEC and the crowds have been flocking to the stands to meet their heroes. "At midday I walked around the halls and was astonished by the number of people interested in one of Britain's biggest exports, motor sport. "Tomorrow is the last chance to meet the heroes of motor sport and have a word with the legends of circuit racing, rallying and Formula One." Sam Warnock of Birmingham Marketing Partnership said he expected further large crowds to arrive at the show today and urged visitors to come early. He said: "We have been very aware of the large numbers of people that are in Birmingham city centre and I think part of that is down to people at the Motor Show taking the time to see the city as well. "People are coming down from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast and Newcastle in an initiative we've been running with British Airways, and we expect many more of them over this final weekend." Mr Warnock advised people to come early and make as much of their visit as they could. "Get their as early as you can to make a day of it and afterwards come into the city centre to enjoy the many restaurants, clubs and pubs Birmingham has to offer. Jardine Opens Doors For Global Garage
Tony Jardine, Television F1 pundit with his Ginetta Series racing car at his sponsers stand at the autosport day of the British International Motor Show, NEC Birmingham. (Photo Martyn Hayhow) Television F1 pundit Tony Jardine, one of the stars of the first
MotorSports day at this year's International Motor Show, has described
the event as a "shot in the arm" for the motor industry. "I spent a
long time queuing to get in today and it's probably one of the best
final Friday's I've seen at the Motor Show," said Jardine, who on the
stand of the sponsors of his Ginetta Series racing car, Global Garage
Doors. "There are some great exhibits out there and I've seen loads
of personalities like Pedro de la Rosa and the stars of touring cars
and rallying. "The place really seems to be buzzing and it's the shot
in the arm I think the industry needs with all the problems it has had,
particularly over pricing," he added. Jenson Button, who is due at the
Motor Show tomorrow, will very soon give Britain something to shout
about as well, Jardine predicted. "With the pace he's been setting at
only 20 I think Jensen is certainly a future world champion. "I watched
almost all of his practice sessions in Belgium this year and he was
phenomenal. Spa is probably the most difficult high-speed tracks on
the F1 circuit. "Like most of Britain I would really like to see him
beat Juan Pablo Montoya who's driving in the Williams this season."
But Jardine backed Ferrari to do the double in the drivers' championship
next season, after Michael Schumacher's win this year. "The sport's
just had one of the best season's we've seen and Ferrari have got to
be a bloody good bet to get back-to-back titles. They've broken the
jinx and that's always the hardest part. "But McLaren are a very tough
team and seasoned campaigners. They did a great job this season so they
will know what they have to do." He tipped Williams and Benetton to
be pushing for podium places, predicting a season of drama. "Since 1996
every season's been on the boil right to the finish and I think we can
be sure to see drama, action, crashes, fall-outs and the soap opera
that makes F1 so exciting."
Volvo’s S60 T5 is the dirtiest car at the International Motor Show in Birmingham....but it is drawing big crowds on MotorSport day. For the Marlow-based company’s new sports saloon smashed no less than 18 British land speed records, including the 24 hour record for the highest speed average, just before the Show opened. It was immediately transported to Birmingham - covered in mud and flies. The project was a joint production involving Volvo, Prodrive, Car magazine, Channel 4’s Driven and Channel 4’s website www.4car.co.uk, with drivers including British Touring Car Champion Alain Menu, Anthony Reid, Rickard Rydell, and John Cleland. During the 24-hour record breaker the S60 T5 averaged 135.10 mph compared with the previous record set in 1983 of 115.35 mph. Some of the other records broken included the 5000 kilometres from a standing start, 50 miles from a standing start - at an impressive average speed of 148.59 mph - and the flying five kilometres, set by Anthony Reid, at 152.02 mph. The car was run for two hours between the drivers involved, with each pitstop including a refuel and a tyre change. The Volvo S60 driven for the tests was a standard model, except for safety-orientated modifications needed including a full roll-over cage, race petrol tanks to allow rapid refuelling and an exterior ignition cut-out switch. The records were timed and observed by the RAC and MSA at the high-speed track at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire. The event was reported on by Channel 4’s www.4car.co.uk, which featured six webcast cameras on its site, together with regular reports. "We are very proud the new S60 T5 has broken so many performance records," said Gerry Keaney, managing director, Volvo car UK Ltd. "This extreme test is a fine testament to Volvo’s T5 heritage and leaves absolutely no doubt as to the S60’s capabilities in everyday use," he added. Midlander signed for U.S. racing team
Speedlab five-time GTO Champions in sports car racing in the USA introduced British driver Oliver Gavin to the crowds at the British International Motor Show, NEC Birmingham as a new signing to the team , who will take part in the American 2001 Le Mans series. (Photo Martyn Hayhow) A Briton is to be the new driver for American sports car racing team Saleen/Allen Speedlab, it was announced at the International Motor Show in Birmingham today. Oliver Gavin, 28, from Northants is to join the five-time GTO Championship-winning team, based at Laguna Beach in California, for the 2001 American Le Mans Series (ALMS). The former Formula One test driver and British Formula 3 champion has had a successful and chequered career, driving across many formulas. In 1991 he received the McLaren Autosport "Young Driver of the Year" award from the late F1 legend, Ayrton Senna after winning 11 out of 12 races and the national Formula First championship in that year. Speaking today before the announcement, he said: "Last season I managed to secure a drive with John Field Intersport racing on a race by race basis in the Grand Am series. "John gave me a great opportunity to show what his car could do and towards the end of the season we really started to get to grips with it and we ended up having a second place at Watkins Glen." It was around this time that the 28-year-old was first approached by Saleen. The one-year contract was finalised last night, according to Gavin. He said: "This is only my first year of full racing in the States so it's been a little bit of a learning curve. "It grew from very small beginnings at the start of the year to this fantastic opportunity with Saleen. "The ALMS is a great opportunity for me to grow as a sports car driver and to do some of the great historic races like the Le Mans and Daytona 24 hours." Saleen/Allen chief Steve Saleen said: "We were really impressed with Oliver's speed and when we checked out his credentials and interviewed Olly, we knew we had the perfect complement to our current drivers." Gavin, who is due to fly over to Laguna in two weeks to begin testing his new car, admitted he will see less of his family who still live at Yardley Hastings, Northamptonshire. "I've just had a little girl, and obviously I won't see her quite as much as I want but hopefully they will be able to come over to see me." And the former F1 tester for Maclaren and Benetton said his future was with sportscars. "I think that sportscars is where I need to focus now as the opportunities for me to get into in F1 have really disappeared. "The immediate future is with Saleen and that's all I'm focusing on at the moment. I think I would like to stay with Saleen and see what success we can get in the next two, possibly three years. " I enjoy driving the cars and I can make a living from it and that is at the end of the day what I want to do because I'm not much good at anything else," he added. F1 star praises "fantastic" British fans
Making his appearance at the British International Motor Show, NEC Birmingham for a Grand prix with a difference was Pedro de la Rosa, F1 driver for the Orange Arrow team. Pedro took part in a scalextric race with Samantha and Scott Morrell from Stafford, which not suprisingly Pedro won. ((Photo Martyn Hayhow) Full size JPG Spanish Formula 1 star Pedro de la Rosa described British motor
racing fans as "fantastic" when he visited the International Motor Show
in Birmingham today. In front a huge crowd desperate for his autograph,
the Orange Arrows driver said British fans were "passionate about any
motor racing", something he believes Spain is lacking. "They are incredible
fans," he said. "I have tested at Silverstone a lot in a Formula 1 car
but also in Formula 3 and what surprises me about British fans is that
they like all other Formula's and that's the greatest thing about British
motor racing." He added: "That I don't think we have like in Spain."
De la Rosa, whose best Grand Prix finish came in Australia in 1999 with
a sixth place, has been in the top ten this season a number of times
but still believes the team has underachieved. "Personally it's been
a good season for me because although we won only two points I have
been regularly in the top ten, top 12, which has been very good," he
said. "The problem we had in 1999 was that the car was very slow so
we could only fight against Minardi and that's not a lot. So the people
don't know how good or how bad we are. But this year, because the car
was so much more competitive, people have been able to compare or judge
me against other drivers and that has been very positive. "As a team
I think we achieved less than we could have because in team ways the
car was not reliable enough, especially in the first half of the season.
"It was competitive but not reliable enough. We threw too many points
away," he added. If you wish to contact us either : PHONE 0121 444
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