Category: Events and Shows

1. It’s hammer time at the Footman James Classic Motor Show

   Posted on 12:01am Wednesday 25th Jan 2012

   Silverstone Auctions has teamed up with the organisers of the Footman James Classic Motor Show, the UK’s biggest motoring exhibition, to hold a prestige car auction at this year’s event at Birmingham’s NEC on Saturday 17th November.

   It’s the first auction of its type in the show’s history and promises to be one of the highlights for classic car lovers when it takes place as part of the three-day extravaganza from 16th to 18th November.

   The season ending Footman James Classic Motor Show and the neighbouring Classic Motorbike Show has become a ‘must-attend’ event for anyone harbouring a passion for cars and bikes, attracting around 50,000 owners and enthusiasts.

   There’s over 1,400 amazing vehicles on display, from modest family saloons and through to head-turning supercars. There’s also hundreds of trade stands, shows and automotive services to enjoy as well as the Wheeler Dealer live stage and restoration theatre.

   Show Manager Andy Rouse said: “We are extremely excited at the prospect of the UK's biggest and most popular classic motoring show now also hosting a quality auction. We have been hugely impressed with the energy and enthusiasm of the team at Silverstone Auctions and their commitment to and vision for this feature going forward.

   “I view this as an extremely important development in both the growth and the 'standing' of the show, both at home in the UK and internationally and that it provides a new and exciting alternative in the annual auction calendar. We are confident that a sale at the UK's flagship show will attract a high volume of quality entries and enthused buyers.”

   The decision by Silverstone Auctions is furtherevidence of its positioning as the Midlands leading specialist car auction house.

   Nick Whale, managing director, Silverstone Auctions, said: “This is really exciting news and is definitely one of our calendar highlights for 2012. We will obviously be focusing on classic cars, befitting the surroundings, but I’m sure they’ll also be some competition cars and more modern supercars under the hammer, as well as a wide variety of motorbikes and  automobilia.

   “However, this year also sees Silverstone Auctions host a further four sales, three of them at our spiritual home of Silverstone, so we’re definitely going to be kept busy.”

   The other Silverstone Auctions for 2012 include The Race Retro and Classic Car Sale at Stoneleigh Park on the 25th February. Meanwhile, the Silverstone based auctions held in the circuit’s ultra-modern ‘Wing’ building are the Spring Sale on 16th May, The Silverstone Classic Sale on 21st July and the Autumn Auction on 19th September.

   For further information about Silverstone Auctions visit www.silverstoneauctions.com

2. The 12th Classic Japanese Motorcycle Show & Jumble

   Posted on 12:01am Friday 20th Jan 2012

   After 2 years away the Japanese Bike Show is back at Donington!

   The exhibition hall will be packed with trade and autojumble stands along with club displays and a concours area for private entries over 2 days. We have trophies and prize money available for completion winners along with expert commentary throughout the day. You can expect to see classic, modern classic and custom bikes on display representing all the major manufacturers such as Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha. As usual parking is free and there will be hot food and drinks available in the exhibition hall.

   Dozens of trade and autojumble stalls form the leading suppliers in the Japanese market will be selling spares, new parts, accessories and services.

   There will be displays from all the major clubs both local and national including VJMC, Kawasaki Z1 OC, Yamaha Classic Club, Vulcan Riders Association, The LC Club, Yamaha FS1E OC and many more.

   There is a separate concours section for private entries where the public will be able to see an array of cherished machines on display which will be judged over the two days.

   Bikes will be judged in the following categories with prizes available to winners and runner ups; Best Honda, Best Yamaha, Best Suzuki, Best Kawasaki, Best Custom Bike, Best Racing Bike, Best Club Display and Bike of the Show.

   Donington Park is situated right at the heart of England, just minutes from M1 junction 23a and MOTO Donington Park Motorway Services and Travelodge, or junction 24 southbound.

   We have an outdoor compound dedicated to bike parking which is within the show its self however only pre booked machines will be able to display in the exhibition hall.

   
   Saturday & Sunday 4th/5th February 2012 @ Exhibition Hall, Donington Park, Derbs, DE74 2RP

   Admission: £10.00 Adults, £5.00 Child (7-14yrs), under 7's free, free parking

   www.classicshows.org

3. RIDING LEGENDS ROAR INTO MANCHESTER MOTORCYCLE SHOW

   Posted on 12:01am Friday 13th Jan 2012

   Riding legends will be roaring into the Manchester Motorcycle Show, held at Manchester Central Convention Complex on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th January 2012. Former British Superbike Champion turned MotoGP TV commentator Steve Parrish, TT racers Guy Martin and Michael Dunlop and the fastest female TT racer Jenny Tinmouth will all be in attendance.

   Steve Parrish brings over 30 years of motorcycling experience to Manchester. He is guaranteed to keep the crowd entertained with his superb sense of humour as he tells a tale or two. If you have a question, then ask away as Steve will be on hand to provide the answer as well as signing autographs throughout the weekend.

   One of the hottest bikes on display will be TT racer Guy Martin’s 500bhp turbo café racer, brought to the show by none other than the man himself. Guy, who will be at the show on Saturday to talk about the bike and sign autographs, has built the bike from a 1991 GSX-R1100 but not much of the original bike remains as it now has a 1380cc big bore engine and fuel injection.

   Jenny Tinmouth represents the female population in the world of motorbikes by being the fastest woman to ever go around the Isle of Man TT course as well as competing in the 2011 British Superbike Championship and British Supersport Championship.  Chester-born Jenny can tell you what it’s like to be a female racer in a predominately male environment.

   On the Hunts Motorcycle Honda stand throughout the weekend will be Guy’s racing opponent and Double TT winner Michael Dunlop.

   Adult ticket prices are £10 when booking in advance, £15 on the day. Children under 15 years enter for free when accompanied by a paying adult. The show is open from 10am each day and closes at 5pm. To book tickets and for the latest updates, visit www.manchestermotorcycleshow.com

4. Africa or Perù?

   Posted on 12:01am Friday 13th Jan 2012

   Alain Duclos reaches the 15th place in stage 12th. Peru is the 27th country crossed by the Dakar, and tests the skills of the riders with its difficulties.

   NASCA –It was expected that the Dakar difficulties were growing with its stages, as it was shown today with its 12th special between Arequipa and Nasca, known by its lines only visible from the sky.

   It was the second part of the marathon stage, with a 245 kilometers special stage, which contained all possible kind of grounds. It started in the beach, followed by road tracks, canyon and the terrible dunes of Tacana, with a sand so softened that was almost a sacrifice for the engines.

   The lands looked like Mauritania, a strong point of the Dakar in Africa, with lots of “camel grass”. It was a special where Alain Duclos had lots of fun on his Aprilia, and proved it with the 15th position of the day. Alain thought lots of the friction of the engine and took extremely care of it. He is one of the few riders that have not changed the engine yet, which demonstrates the liability of the v-twin engine of the Aprilia.

   As the overall position is no longer a matter since stage seven, the French-Malian rider keeps rolling to acquire more experience and test the bike performance.

   Alain Duclos: “I think this was the most beautiful stage of all Dakar. There were so many different kind of ground in only 250 kilometers! It seemed like if we were in Mauritania. I felt well and my Aprilia worked perfectly. I took care of the engine in the dunes; they were very soft, so soft that I needed to get out of them in 1st gear with the engine giving all of its power!”

5. Dakar 2012, Aprilia Team looks for the top

   Posted on 12:01am Friday 30th Dec 2011

   Everything is ready for Dakar 2012. After the two days of scrutineerings, all is set for the big start in January 1st. Team Aprilia will be represented by the Chilean rider Francisco “Chaleco” López and the French-Malian Alain Duclos.

   MAR DEL PLATA – The bureaucracy preceding the race is finally over and everything is set for the big show of the Dakar Argentina-Chile-Peru, which will start tomorrow with the first of fourteen stages. Team Aprilia will relive the adventure with last year´s amazing performance of Francisco “Chaleco” López, who has finished third and fourth in the last two editions.

   “Chaleco” has totally recovered from the accident in Tunisia´s Rally and find himself motivated to face this new adventure. The Chilean rider will be accompanied by his “bodyguard” Alain Duclos, who will participate in the Dakar with Aprilia for the second time after his outstanding performance as last year´s fastest private rider!

   The duo will take the new version of the Aprilia RXV 4.5 into the South American deserts specially prepared by Aprilia Racing that made this new bike faster and lighter. Many other technical changes were applied to adapt the bike for rally raid use, most of all concerning reliability, a very important matter in order to complete the 8391 kilometers of the race that will cross Argentina, Chile and Peru, where riders will reach the finish line in Lima next January 15th.

   There will be also two other Aprilia RXV in the race, supported by the structure of Team Giofil: the French rider of thirty seven years old Arnaud Besnier that jumps into this extreme challenge, and also Edouard Boulanger, Dakar Challenge´s winner who will make his dream come true. The French rider living in Italy earned the free registration fees to participate in the Dakar after his great performance as private rider in Pharaons Rally 2011.

   Tomorrow the Dakar 2012 will have its official start ceremony in Plaza Colón in Mar del Plata, in front of the Casino Municipal, where all competitors will greet the start and the first competitive stage will be a 57 km timed section with 763 of road connection to arrive to the first bivouac located in Santa Rosa de La Pampa.

   APRILIA RACING RIDERS

   FRANCISCO “CHALECO” LOPEZ

   Francisco López was born September 15th, 1975 in Curicó, the southern center region of Chile. At the age of four, he starts riding a motorcycle, motivated by his father, Renato Lopez, a very brave motocross rider. López not only inherits the talent from his father, but also the nickname “Chaleco”, which means “sweater”, coming from the fact that his dad raced with a sweater knitted by his mother Ana María.

   He started in rally raid in Por las Pampas in 2005, where he obtained a stage victory, showing its strength in this discipline. In 2007, he was crowned World Champion in 450 cc class with Honda. This result took him straight to take the place of an official KTM rider in 2007.

   “Chaleco” became an official rider of Team Giofil Aprilia Racing in Pharaons Rally 2009 and took the Aprilia bike made in Noale, Italy, to the third place in Dakar 2010. That same year, López won the Rally of Tunisia and took the second place overall and first in 450cc class in the Rally of Egypt, finishing second in the world ranking.

   The unfortunate end of Dakar 2011 is still in mind. López was on the third place overall, but some miles before the finish line of the last stage the rear suspension broke down and he could only reach the fourth place after two stage victories. Then, in Tunisia´s Rally last April, the Chilean was well placed overall when an accident cost him a long period of inactivity and time to recover from it.

   Now, Chaleco is ready to race again, motivated to the highest point after his return to the races in Pharaons 2011 last October, his last test before the Dakar 2012 Argentina-Chile-Peru.

   ALAIN DUCLOS

   Alain Duclos was born on June 25th, 1971 in Bamako, Mali, from a French father and Malian mother. At the beginning of the 80´s, and as part of a very passionate family, he discovered the two wheel universe but he was still too young, so he decided to dedicate himself to BMX.

   In 1982, the Dakar´s passage through Korghoro light the fire inside of him and he promised himself that he was going to participate on it once.

   He practiced Enduro for years until he finally took part of the race in 2000, in the Dakar Paris-Dakar-Cairo. Duclos has always been improving results, he took the 14th place in 2005 and 7th in 2006, where he was the fastest private rider.

   Also 6th in 2010, before starting with Team Aprilia, he alternated great stage results and technical problems during the last Dakar, where he was an outstanding support for the 4th position of Francisco López. Duclos arrives to the hardest race in the world highly motivated to take his new Aprilia RXV 4.5 to the top.