COVENTRY is getting revved up for a weekend of high octane action as Motofest 2015 takes over the city centre.
The three-day motoring festival, running from Friday, May 29 to Sunday, May 31, will celebrate the city’s motoring heritage with a series of high-speed racing on the ring road, pop-up motorsport displays, demonstration events, static displays, and fringe events.
Despite being plagued with event cancellations – including the landmark ‘Tunnel Club’ event, performance of the opera ‘Carmen’, and The Stranglers gig due to poor ticket sales – organisers are confident the weekend will still attract petrol-heads and local people.
Three junctions of the city’s ring road will be used as the road is transformed into a 1.5 mile long race circuit – complete with chicanes and crash barriers.
Vehicles from across history will parade and race around for spectators in designated ‘spectator zones’ along the route.
The cars included in the impressive vehicular line-up over the weekend include an all-star array of Jaguar Land Rover cars from the company’s long history, driven by various celebrity and motoring journalist drivers.
Dating back to 1938, the heritage collection will also include Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations team’s latest project – the F-TYPE R AWD Bloodhound SSC Rapid Response Vehicle (RRV) – and the only 1966 XJ13 of its kind in existence.
Once the laps have been completed, the vehicles will park in a special display area to enable the public to get up close and personal.
Fans of the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) will also see Rob Austin, one of the most popular drivers in the championship, in his Audi A4, tackling the twists and turns of the city’s unique new temporary track.
Other highlights during the three day motoring festival include a display from the Falken Tyre UK Drift team; a chance to see the iconic Rover-BRM gas turbine race car take to the same city streets it was road tested on 50 years ago; and a fleet of Le Mans Triumph Spitfires from the 1960s – including an ADU 1B, restored to its full specification with original parts.
Away from the tarmac, Fargo Village in Far Gosford Street will host art exhibitions by leading artist and automotive designer Cesar Pieri and the Sputnik art group.
Motofest Festival Director James Noble said: “It’s going to be an amazing spectacle – a fantastic opportunity to see some world class race cars away from the traditional circuits and get close-up to the action.
More information about Motofest 2015 – including maps of road closures and ring road viewing areas – can be found online at www.coventrymotofest.com
Some of the best bits to look out for on the ring road:
Saturday
9am – 10am – Falken Drift Team
10.30am – 12pm midday – Jaguar parade of heritage vehicles
12pm – 1pm – A short oval circuit created featuring hot rods and stock cars.
1pm – 4.30pm – All the race cars out onto the sprint circuit for test laps
5pm – A parade of all the classic and vintage vehicles – around 400 cars – taking part at Motofest.
Sunday
Mid-morning – Falken Drift Team
11am onwards – A repeat run involving some of the Jaguar heritage vehicles.
12pm – 1pm – A short oval circuit created featuring hot rods and stock cars.
1pm onwards – A whole array of race cars including the British Touring Car Championship cars, Renault Clio Cup cars, Rover BRM Gas Turbine Racer, Triumph Le Mans Spitfires and more Jaguar vehicles, will run laps on the sprint circuit.
5pm – A repeat parade of all the classic and vintage vehicles – around 400 cars – taking part at Motofest.
