Motorsport specialists join HMI line-up

The latest names to have signed up to Historic Motorsport International (23-26 February, ExCeL London) include leading restoration and recreation specialists Crosthwaite & Gardiner and engine preparation experts Nicholson McLaren Engines.

As well as recreating no fewer than seven pre-war Silver Arrow racers for Audi ­– all micron-perfect ­– Crosthwaite & Gardiner is acknowledged as a leader in the preparation, building and rebuilding of period race engines, gearboxes and other parts.

Nicholson McLaren Engines is a specialist in the preparation of the Ford DFV F1 engine as well as Jaguar V12, Nissan V6 and Porsche flat six racing engines. The company also recently completed a run of ten Matra V12 F1 and endurance racing engines.

They will be joined by other specialist firms including Racelogic; Classic Race Simulators; Porsche specialist Tech 9 Motorsport; Schroth Safety Equipment; Cobra Seats and TTV Racing Components, which manufactures competition clutches.

Classic Race Simulators will be offering guests the unique opportunity of racing a 1960s Grand Prix car around the 1966 Monaco and Monza tracks…  in virtual reality, of course. Jim Hill of Classic Race Simulators said: “Our simulators evoke the spirit of the era while spectators can watch the action on two giant screens.”

“Our stand will show visitors how they can use our video, GPS data, predictive lap timing and user-friendly analysis software to get better lap times and race results,” said Racelogic’s Mike Broadbent. “We will also have our driving simulator and Julian Thomas’s Jaguar Classic Challenge-winning lightweight E-type on the stand.”

Special displays will celebrate 50 years of both Formula Ford and the all-conquering Ford DFV F1 engine and there’s a presentation underlining the breadth of historic machinery that will be taking part in the Silverstone Classic festival in July.

Crosslé will display significant cars from its past, including some of the prettiest sports racing and Formula single-seaters from the Sixties and Seventies, alongside archive material from their days in top-level competition. A Formula Ford 32F, as raced by Nigel Mansell to 27 race wins and a 1977 British Formula Ford Championship will take pride of place on the stand. It will also see the global launch of a new car that has been inspired by iconic designs from the late Sixties and developed for the Classic Racing School in France. It blends period lines with modern convenience to appeal to a whole new world of historic motorsport enthusiasts.

Adding to the interest on Thursday and Friday, the Historic Motorsport Conference Programme – hosted in the show’s Supagard Theatre by motorsport broadcaster Henry Hope-Frost and with expert opinions from leading names in the historic motorsport world – will debate a wide variety of topics including Scrutineering and Eligibility, Driving Standards and Safety and the Promotion and Marketing of Historic Motorsport.

The Supagard Theatre will also feature interviews with many of the high profile personalities attending the show – these include racing legend Jacky Ickx who will officially open the inaugural HMI at 12 noon on Thursday, 23 February.

Historic Motorsport International will run alongside The London Classic Car Show at ExCeL London, on 23-26 February, with access to both shows included in the entry price. Historic Motorsport International will open its doors at 12.00pm on Thursday 23 February, while the London Classic Car Show will burst into life at 3pm that afternoon.