London Calling

Recession be damned. If ever evidence that the motor racing industry is hale and hearty was needed, the provision of a second national exhibition dedicated to the sport is surely it.

Tucked into the slipstream of Birmingham’s January NEC extravaganza is the Earls Court Motor Racing Show, which runs from February 6-9. Backed by Motor Sport’s weekly sister Motoring News, the Earls Court venture marks the return of such an exhibition to the capital after a couple of years’ absence.

In addition to the familiar static racing car displays, there will be several ‘theme areas’, including a rally service halt and Champion’s operational F1 pit lane, complete with Williams FW14, tools, telemetry equipment, engines and so on.

Many of the sport’s leading personalities will be making guest appearances, and visitors will have the chance to compete head to head against some of them on one of the Motoring News Virtual Reality racing simulators. Live interviews with celebrities will be conducted on stage by Brands Hatch commentator Brian Jones.

Fitness devotees (and/or masochists) can take part in the RaceFit challenge, a fearsome series of tests designed to hone would-be racers into peak physical condition. Those who fare best at the show will be eligible for further suffering; RaceFit is offering full fitness courses as prizes.

Falling, as it does, just a few weeks before the motor racing season gets under way, several significant launches are planned for Earls Court, among them the Motoring News/Grand Prix Racewear Cadet Kart Scholarship and another brand new initiative geared towards furthering the careers of promising young Britons.

The plethora of static exhibits will encompass all areas of the sport, from Formula One to banger racing, from drag racing to rallycross. Other stands have been taken by car clubs, after market tuners and a multitude of book, video and accessory vendors. February 6 is reserved for trade and the press. Thereafter, public admission will be £5 per head adult, £2.50 per head children. RAC MSA and FISA competition licence holders will be admitted free so long as they either book in advance or bring a paying friend on the day.