More motorsport rarities from the world of racing and rallying along with a list of legendary names have been to the line-up for this year’s Race Retro, at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, from 21-23 February.

As part of the show’s tribute to McLaren, three cars from the RofGo Collection will join the M23 already on display; the 1996 McLaren F1 GTR ‘Short Tail’ chassis no. 15R, which was built for GTC Motorsport to contest the 1996 BPR Global GT Series and the Le Mans 24 Hour race, the 1972 M16B-2 Can-Am, one of the all time great Indy cars, and the 1970 M8D chassis no. M8D/4, understood to be an M8E prototype rebuilt to M8D specifications and raced to victory by series winner Denny Hulme.

Group B and C rally cars including Rauno Aaltonen’s Mini Cooper, the Rothmans Audi Quattro, the Brookes Sapphire and ex-Auriol Ford Sierra Cosworths, the ex-McRae Lotus Cortina and the ex-Alister McRae Hyundai F2 Coupe will roar into action on the purpose built Live Rally Stage on Saturday and Sunday.

Also expect to see a raft of Metro 6R4s as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations as well as famous faces at the wheel including long time Race Retro supporter Russell Brookes, in the Sunbeam Talbot and Opel Manta, and John Price in the Renault 5 Maxi Turbo. The cars will be in the Parc Ferme area in Hall 4 before heading to the rally apron and onto the start line.

This will also be the starting point for two live events - The Retro Challenge that will head from the exhibition to Southampton and the Winter Challenge with around 20 drivers heading off on a five-day rally to Monte Carlo. Scrutineering for both events will take place in the Parc Ferme area and as soon as the flag is waved, both events head into the first tests, which will take place on the Live Rally Stage for Race Retro visitors to enjoy.

Meanwhile back in the halls on the live Interview Stage, hosted by motorsport presenter Gemma Scott, there is a line-up of racing and rally legends throughout the three days. Saturday sees the appearance of racing icon Sir Stirling Moss who will not only be answering Gemma’s questions but also visitor questions in an open mic session.

Sir Stirling will be joined by motoring TV presenter and campaigner Quentin Willson, who will be talking about the revival of Lister Cars as well as his own classic collection, and triple British Rally Champion and Hollywood stunt driver Mark Higgins.

There will also be plenty of Race Retro favourites including ex-Top Gear presenters Tony Mason and Steve Berry, multi-championship winner Barry Lee, Touring Car’s Win Percy, Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis, and infamous racing legend Barrie ‘Whizzo’ Williams.

Rally driver Peter Clarke and co-driver Phil Boland will make their Race Retro debuts. Peter won 1978 British Group 1 rally championship in a RS2000 that will be on display at the show as well as driving the Escort Mk1 with Tony Mason that crashed out of the 1971 RAC Rally resulting in Mason sitting on the roof of the Escort in the lake.

As well as co-driving with Peter, Phil Boland was also the co driver for the late Henri Toivonen in 1979 when Henri drove for the PCA/Total Oil motorsport Team.

Driver Terry Hunter, one of the original drivers of Triumph Spitfire ADU7B in the 1960s will also appear alongside Tony Southgate, a famous British engineer, race car designer, and President of the International Guild of Specialist Engineers.

With hundreds of traders offering everything you need for the coming season – be it driver or armchair enthusiast – from racing suits to motorsport memorabilia, Race Retro is the perfect start to the motorsport season.

Adult tickets for Race Retro, sponsored by Peter James Insurance and Stewart Miller Insurance, start at £20 in advance with children’s tickets at £5 for Friday and Saturday and free on Sunday. Car parking is free. The show is open from 9.30am each day and closes at 5.30pm on Friday and Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday.
To book tickets and for the latest updates, visit www.raceretro.com

Road safety charity the IAM is offering tips from Britain’s top advanced driver, Peter Rodger. Following severe weather warnings of storms and floods over the coming days, the IAM is advising on how to keep safe in the storms.

IAM chief examiner Peter Rodger said: “A suddenly very wet road surface increases the chances of slipping when braking or steering, which is a problem not just for motorists, but cyclists and motorcyclists too.”

“When driving in wet conditions remember that stopping distances will increase, and visibility will be reduced. Drop your speed and give yourself more time to slow down.”

In cases of severe flooding, you should reconsider making the journey at all. If it is unavoidable, and you have to drive through deep water, the IAM recommends drivers take the following precautions:
•Drive on the highest section of the road and don't set off if a vehicle is approaching you
•Leave time and space to avoid swamping other cars and pedestrians
•Drive slowly and keep going once you have started – make sure you have a clear run. In a manual car, keep the revs high by "slipping the clutch" (which means the clutch is not fully engaged) all the time you are in the water
•If you can’t see where you are going to come out of the water, such as when approaching flooding on a bend, think twice about starting to drive into it
•In deep water never take your foot off the accelerator, as this could allow water to travel up the exhaust pipe
•Once you're out of the water, dry the brakes before you need them. The best way is to lightly apply the brake as you drive along for a few seconds, after checking nothing is following you too closely.

In the wind
•Strong winds can also unsettle your car and even change your direction of travel. Grip your steering wheel firmly and also be ready for the effects of the wind on other road users, particularly motorcyclists and flat-sided vehicles like lorries.
•Plan your journey – is there a route with less exposure to the weather and less risk of fallen trees? Choose a sheltered route if you have the option.
•Strong winds are not constant, they are usually gusty so ensure you hold the steering wheel firmly.
•Overtaking high sided vehicles or driving past buildings can result in a sudden gust from the side as you clear.
•Give cyclists, motorcyclists, lorries and buses more room than usual. They get blown around by side winds easily. Even pedestrians can be blown about.
•Watch trees and bushes on the roadside - their branches can show you how strong the wind is. Look well ahead, that way you don’t need to take your eye off the road and you can see any windy patches before you get to them.
•Go slow enough to cope with the gusts. Wind can get under a car and reduce its handling and braking significantly.
•Keep an eye on what is happening to other vehicles – where they are affected will give you a pre warning.
•Go slowly enough to cope with the tree that has fallen right across the road, just round the bend where you can’t see it.
•Be careful of debris, try and have space beside you in case you need to dodge it.

In the rain
•Before you set off, set your heater controls – rain can makes the windows mist up in seconds. You don’t want to be fiddling with controls when you should be concentrating on the road.
•See and be seen. Put your lights on – as a rule of thumb, whenever you need to use your wipers you should also turn your dipped headlights on, and before overtaking put your wipers on their fastest setting.
•Keep your eyes on the road ahead and plan your driving so that you can brake, accelerate and steer smoothly – harsh manoeuvres will unbalance the car.
•Slow down. In the rain stopping distance is at least doubled. Giving yourself more space also helps to avoid spray, especially when following a large vehicle.
•If you have cruise control, avoid using it on wet roads – you need to pay more attention to the road surface conditions and alter your speed gently.

We have just returned from the Malvern Autojumble, our first event of 2015, where we had all inside 75 stalls full plus a dozen outside and an excellent crowd on a beautiful winter day.

What a difference a year makes as last year this event was hit badly by the snow, lets hope that this is a sign of a good summer to come.

The next event on the Malvern calendar is for classic cars and Minis on Sunday 13th April where we will have the Avon and Wye Halls full of clubs, private entries and traders. We have space in the Wye Halls and under the large marquee between the halls for about 150 pre booked classic cars, with clubs limited to a display of 6 cars per club. We will have commentary from Les Clayton plus concours judging from our resident concours expert Brian Braid.

In December 2012 at Donington the weather was against us but last month between Christmas and New Year we had a glorious day when both the public and trade and exhibitors turned out in decent numbers. We will be returning to this popular East Midlands venue on Sunday 9th March when we are welcoming bookings from club stands and private individuals both inside the halls and outside on hardstanding. We have space for just six classic car clubs each able to display 6 cars inside the halls and space for a further 100 individual and club entries outside on the hardstanding.

Our summer season starts in earnest on early May Bank holiday at Arley Hall and Thoresby Park and we look forward to seeing you at some point during the summer.

www.classicshows.org

From road bikes to scramblers and scooters, Anglia Car Auctions’ first Classic Motorbike sale, held on Saturday 1st March, has already attracted a diverse range of entries and is looking to mirror the success of its classic car auctions at its Kings Lynn base.

A 1968 Greeves Wessex 250 scrambler project (estimate: £1200-£1500) is ideal for getting off road and enjoying classic trials. Needing some work to make it competitive once again it offers a great way into classic motorcycle sport.

Also offering old-school British oomph is a barn-find 1957 BSA Golden Flash (offered with no reserve). Complete and needing re-commissioning rather than restoring it needs little to be back on the road and beating a path to the Ace or Jack’s Hill Café.

Also ripe for re-commissioning is a Velocette LE. Mainly complete and solid, this rare find should make a rewarding project and is a bargain with an estimate of £300-400.

Slowing things down and needing re-commissioning is a 1955 Douglas Vespa (offered without reserve), which is in reasonable condition but needs refreshing to relive its glory days, while in good order is a 1975 Ducati Regolarita (estimate: £1800-2200).

And for anyone wanting to live out their ‘70s learner enduro fantasies, a Honda XL125 S in good original condition is a tempter. It’s estimated at £700 - 900. Needing more work but with much of the hard graft already done, there’s a 1980 Honda 250 café racer project (estimated: £300 - 400).

Overseeing the motorbikes on offer is auction house manager Guy Snelling, a keen enthusiast with an eclectic collection currently in his garage. Despite owning predominantly British bikes, Guy is hoping to get a diverse range of two-wheeled classics in all states of repair.

Guy said: “Anglia Car Auctions has a great reputation for having a diverse range of marques on offer in its car sale, securing fantastic prices on some rare and unusual project cars. This is exactly what we hope to emulate with the classic bike sale – so we are looking for project bikes in need of restoration, starter classics, concours, etc. All makes, models and conditions will be considered.”

To enter a motorcycle into the classic sale, please call 01553 771881 or email at [email protected]. For more information on Anglia Car Auctions and a full list of lots in the inaugural Classic Motorbike Sale as well as advice on buying or selling, visit www.angliacarauctions.co.uk

TT-winner Michael Dunlop joins forces with BMW Motorrad UK for a BMW Motorrad Motorsport supported road racing team.

Michael Dunlop, seven-times TT winner, will be racing BMW motorcycles for the 2014 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy as well as other international road races.

The 24-year-old, from Northern Ireland, is joining forces with BMW Motorrad UK and Hawk Racing, who also operate the Buildbase BMW Motorrad BSB team, with the support of BMW Motorrad Motorsport for an assault on the 2014 road-racing programme.

The joint effort – BMW / Hawk Racing – has the support of BMW Motorrad Motorsport via the global sports programme, as the team seeks to emulate the great BMW victory of Georg Meier in the Isle of Man Senior TT exactly 75 years ago.

The team will be running both a Superstock BMW in Dunlop Racing livery and a Superbike BMW S 1000 RR in BMW Motorsport livery. Dunlop will compete on the roads for 2014 with the highlight being the prestigious Tourist Trophy races on the Isle of Man.

Michael Dunlop said: “I’m really pleased to have signed for such a strong and competitive team. The BMW S 1000 RR certainly has the speed for the TT and, with my experience, the support from BMW Motorrad Motorsport and Hawk Racing, I know we have a race-winning package. I really thought about sitting out this year, but I have found a team that I am really comfortable with and the support from BMW Motorrad Motorsport will make us a force to be reckoned with this year.”

2014 is the 75th anniversary of Georg Meier’s historic win at the Senior TT in 1939, where BMW secured their first TT win. Georg became the first ever foreign winner of the Senior TT race; with team mate Jock West finishing second, on their Boxer-powered 500cc RS 255 Kompressors.

The BMW / Hawk Racing team will be jointly managed by BMW Motorrad UK and Stuart Hicken, fresh from the Buildbase BMW Motorrad team’s best ever performance in the 2013 British Superbike Championship. Building on their strong relationship and experience with BMW, the team has secured BMW Motorrad Motorsport support for the 2014 road racing programme.

Stuart Hicken, BMW / Hawk Racing Team Principal, said: “We are extremely pleased to have assembled such an experienced racing team. We have been working on it for a while and I genuinely believe that with Michael, the technical expertise from BMW Motorrad Motorsport and the BMW S 1000 RR, we have secured all the elements we need to be at the sharp end, challenging for a great result at the TT.”

Lee Nicholls, BMW Motorrad Marketing Manager, said: “We are so pleased to have secured Michael Dunlop to ride for BMW / Hawk Racing. His record speaks for itself and we are confident that, on a BMW S 1000 RR, he can dominate on the roads this season. Creating a team that will focus all its efforts on Michael will present BMW with a realistic chance of replicating our famous victory 75 years ago at the TT.”

To keep up to date with the latest news from the team, follow @BMWMotorradTT on Twitter.