FERRARI 458 ITALIA RECEIVES GQ MAGAZINE’S “SUPERCAR OF THE YEAR”

The Ferrari 458 Italia has been declared “Supercar of the Year” by GQ Magazine, the UK’s most important and influential men’s style magazine. The magazine described the newest addition to the Ferrari range as “a motor that elicits the most primal response from all who see it, while moving engineering on to a whole new level”, with the engine in particular being described as a “masterpiece”.

The GQ Magazine award comes on the back of another recent award from BBC Top Gear Magazine which voted the Ferrari 458 Italia not only their “Supercar of the Year” but their overall “Car of the Year”.

The Ferrari 458 Italia was revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September to immediate critical acclaim. Following an extensive international media test drive programme in Maranello, the home of the fabled Prancing Horse, the car has been the subject of enthusiastic reviews, with its handling, roadholding, ride comfort and performance all being subject to the kind of superlatives rarely seen from the world’s leading journalists.

Source: Ferrari

MOTORSPORT BACK AT THE PALACE!

It's been a long time coming, but Crystal Palace will once again play host to a national motorsport event. Motorsport at the Palace, sponsored by the Ancaster Group, have confirmed that a two-day sprint event will be run over the May Bank Holiday weekend (30-31 May 2010), reigniting the spirit of racing at the Park.

Organised by Sevenoaks and District Motor Club (Sevenoaks DMC), with the support of the London Borough of Bromley, the two-day event will allow visitors to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the legendary machines which powered the likes of Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart and Stirling Moss to victory.

Martin Chinnery, Chairman of Sevenoaks DMC, says: "Sevenoaks DMC is extremely pleased to announce the return of motorsport to Crystal Palace. Thanks to a lot of hard work and the support of our title sponsor, the Ancaster Group, we're delighted that fans will once again be able to experience racing at the Palace. The range of cars competing, coupled with additional events and displays, will make this a fantastic event for everyone, whether you're a motorsport fan or just after a fun day out."

Stephen Wood, Managing Director of Ancaster, added: "It's not every day you have the opportunity to become a part of history in the making. This event has South London roots older than our own. To see some truly fantastic pieces of machinery - old and new - will make these two days an event not to be missed."

Celebrating the rich history of motorsport at Crystal Palace, a host of modern and vintage cars will be competing for the accolade of fastest car at the Park. Many of these vehicles raced at the Palace decades ago, and spectators will have a unique opportunity to see these classic machines reacquainted with Britain's oldest purpose-built race track. There will also be a new category for electric and alternative-powered cars, providing visitors with a glimpse of things to come, both on the race track and the road.

Competitors will race along a section of the old track, incorporating Pond Hairpin, the Big Tree Bend part of the Terrace Straight and the infamous North Tower Crescent - in a bid to set the fastest time of the day.

Visitors seeking a break from the action will be able to stroll around the numerous display vehicles and open paddock, watching mechanics at work, chatting to the drivers and generally soaking up the racing atmosphere.

Competitors will each donate a minimum £10 in support of St. Christopher's Hospice and the Royal London Society for the Blind; exhibitors will also contribute, ensuring that Motorsport at the Palace provides a lasting benefit to the community.

Tickets are priced at £10 per day and advance tickets will be available at a discount, from the website at www.motorsportatthepalace.co.uk.

Source: Motorsport at the Palace

'COLIN MCRAE DRIVER OF THE RALLY SHOW' AT CHATSWORTH

McRae Vision, the charity set up in the aftermath of Colin's tragic accident in 2007, will be attending The Kick Energy-sponsored Rally Show at Chatsworth over the weekend of 5/6th June.

Amongst its objectives, the charity supports causes and runs initiatives particularly for the benefit of underprivileged children and the education of young persons involved in motorsport. They have recently presented a cheque for £35,000 to purchase specialist medical equipment for a new paediatric intensive care ambulance for which further funds are being raised by the Yorkhill Children's Foundation.

Rally Show Ltd is delighted to announce that McRae Vision is presenting the 'Colin McRae Driver of the Rally Show' perpetual trophy for the first time this year. It will be presented to the driver and car combination that gives most enjoyment to the spectators at Chatsworth over the weekend. The recipient will be decided by representatives from both Colin McRae Vision and The Rally Show Ltd.

Entries for the popular stage sessions are filling up and, with four months still to go, over 40% of the available places have already been allocated. Amongst cars already entered are two Audi Quattros (the originals of which celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2010), a Nissan 200 S13, the Greenwood Motorsport Vauxhall Chevette HS and Charley Blaney's MG Metro 6R4.

Entries are now open for the competitive events and regulations are available to download from www.therallyshow.org. There will be five events each running over the two days of the show, including the popular "All-Comers" event, an Historic Challenge catering for all four categories of the HRCR and the GT event for sports and GT cars which will be split into three date categories. Last year this event was famously won by Mark Higgins in the Aston Martin Rally GT, beating off the challenge of the German Porsches!

There is also an event for FIA-homologated cars and a new departure this time, the 'Baja Chatsworth' for off-road cars. This will be split into two categories; one for the astonishing XR 150 single-seater buggies and the other caters for the super-powerful traditional high-powered off road cars. An early entry has already been received from the Milner R5 which was built in nearby Matlock and will be driven by Steve Lloyd.

Spectators who purchase their tickets in February, March and April will automatically go into a draw for two rides in a rally car at Chatsworth. The winners in the December one are from Hereford and Ashbourne while those successful in January are both from Chesterfield.

For further details of the Rally Show at Chatsworth, visit the website: www.therallyshow.org.

Source: Catersport

2010 CATALOGUE

The brand new Veloce Publishing 2010 Catalogue is available to download here!

Printed copies coming soon.

TOLEMAN STORY GETS TOP MARKS

Fantastic 5-star review of The Toleman Story – Last Romantics in Formula 1 by Christopher Hilton. Thanks to Auto Express for the review.


Click here for more info about the book.

GRAHAM ROBSON INTERVIEW

The Daily Mirror World Cup Rally 40 – The World’s Toughest Rally in Retrospect
by Graham Robson.
Continuing for six weeks, and covering 16,000 miles from London to Mexico City via some of the most varying, tortuous and difficult terrain on three continents, the 1970 World Cup Rally was a unique high-speed event, attracting many serious works teams such as Ford and British Leyland.
Despite the tremendous amounts of money spent choosing and developing new cars, completing months-long route surveys, and analysing every detail of diets, oxygen provision, and the number of crew members, out of an entry of more than 100 cars, only 23 cars made it to the finish.
It was then, and remains now, the toughest rally of all time. More info.

CAFE RACER CONCRATULATIONS

Some high praise about the Cafe Racer Phenomenon sent to us by Craig Vetter.

"I just received a copy of the Cafe Racer for Christmas. Great book.

I congratulate you."


At the time, Craig was the US distributor for Rickman Brothers (Don & Derek pictured below being welcomed into Craig's Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2007).



The Café Racer Phenomenon by Alastair Walker.
The Café Racer is one of the most enduring styles of motorcycle ever created, capturing the rebellious spirit of the '50s. This is a look back at the glory days of the Café Racer, from Friday night dices on the North Circular, through the street specials craze of the Seventies, to the modern day revival.
More info.