Another Stoneleigh report

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 10:32:29 GMT

This is on the 10/10ths forum Link to Race Retro - Stoneleigh Park - 10 Tenths Motorsport

Stoneleigh Manifestation

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 10:01:42 GMT

Had a nice time there with Neil and Alistair on Friday. We arrived just after 10, left at 4 and didn't quite manage to see everything. I hope the show manages to continue with its present organising team but they will need to maintain interest. Its not cheap, if like me you paid to get in, and judged as a commercial show it was lacking in several regards. First and foremost there was a complete absence of signing, which for a place that's not so easy to find is unforgivable. David A told me that they signed it earlier in the week but on Friday there weren't any. Second the manifestation was great if you were already in the sport and knew people. Half the enjoyment was meeting up and chatting. However, if you just went for the "exhibition" the quality of most of the stands wasn't very good and the nicest ones from last year, like Neil Revingtons Triumph diorama, weren't there. There was some good stuff in the auto jumble if you were prepared to search between the cheap Chinese crap but the stuff was all pretty expensive.

So, the Classical Gas verdict. Super day out if you are already involved in the sport but the organisers need to address some issues to give the great unwashed value for money.

Neil and Alistair talking to Adrian Fuller, resplendent in Al's pink shirt, on the CTCRC stand.

Richard Langeveld used his Chairmans prerogative to display a car for sale on the stand. The club had two cars but like most of the clubs there they need to ask "what are we there for". Selling Cars or attracting members. If is attracting members then its the services the club offers that need to be pushed and you could argue you don't actually need a car on the stand to do that.

Having said that there were some nice cars at Stoneleigh and star of the show had to be James Diffey's Bresica Buggatti, fresh from the VSCC Welsh trial.

The ACTC/MCC stand had a good crowd around it and had Peter Mountains Dellow Mk1 on display, a wonderful car that looks better and better every time I see it. In the background that's a Crossle on the BTRDA stand. My understanding is that in the old days a competitive sporting trials car might have been a few thousand quid. Now you have to pay £22,000 for a Crossle, complete with unbreakable Hewland transmission. Sounds like another BTRDA trials formula that will soon be moaning it doesn't have enough competitors.

Finally we come to the MAC stand. They clearly have taste as they used a picture of Mike Haywards RWD Mk3 Escort to illustrate their Clee Hills Trial. It shows they are liberal thinkers as this is the car that was hardly loved by the MCC when Mike trialed it. Having said that can I say that the MAC stand was probably a good example of how to promote a club. Browsing around it gave you a good understanding of their activities.

Classical Gas: Stoneleigh

Another Stoneleigh report

Stoneleigh Manifestation