THE CURTAIN FALLS ON AUTOSPORT INTERNATIONAL 2012

Having opened the motorsport season in style, Autosport International fell quiet on 15 January 2012 following a spectacular weekend for racing fans at the Birmingham NEC.

The event on Sunday welcomed a number of new guests to the interview line-up, with international sports car racer Anthony Davidson, veteran broadcaster Steve Rider and new BBC F1 commentator Ben Edwards taking to the stage to give fans an insight to one of the world’s most glamorous sports. Saturday favourites Force India F1 driver Paul Di Resta and F1 commentator David Coulthard also returned to sign autographs for the hordes of racing fans.

The sport’s past was celebrated with a hall dedicated to the rich history of motor racing. Group C Racing thrilled Le Mans fans with a Peugeot 905 and Porsche 956, both winners of the prestigious event in the 1990s. The Historic Sports Car Club contributed a range of Formula 3 cars spanning the discipline’s 60-year existence, including Takuma Sato’s 2001 British Formula Three Championship winning Dallara-Mugen-Honda.

Four days of hard work by Polybush and Glyndwr University Performance Car Technology students concluded as they race prepared a Golf MK2, ready to enter the 2012 Production GTI Championship. This preparation allowed the public a chance to see motorsport engineering products in action as the students raced against the clock, managing to complete the car by today’s 16:00 deadline.

Santa Pod displayed one of its fastest pieces of machinery; a dragster which costs an enormous £800 per second to run. The show also included the first public exhibition of the Bloodhound SSC, designed to break the land speed record with an estimated top speed of 1,000mph. Equipped with an incredible three engines, the SSC is fed rocket fuel and is expected to reach maximum speed in only 42 seconds.

With the Live Action Arena, The Performance Car Show: Powered by PistonHeads.com and the Autosport Stage also returning, the show provided the public with a unique opportunity to see their favourite cars and stars under one roof.

“Autosport International 2012 has been our most exhilarating event yet,” commented Show Director Ian France. “Outstanding exhibits have been complemented by fantastic live action and insightful interviews from some of the biggest personalities in the sport. We now turn our attentions to making next year’s show even more impressive.” 

Motorsport fans should reserve 10-13 January 2013 in their diaries for Autosport International 2013.