Tremendous Welsh Motorsport & Supercar Festival turnout
Pembrey Circuit would like to thank all the exhibitors, motorsport enthusiasts, private car collectors and spectators who made the third running of the Welsh Motorsport & Supercar Festival (Sunday 13 September) such a massive success. Even the rain couldn't dampen the magnificent array of static displays, spectacular track demonstration action and electric atmosphere.
It's impossible to pick a highlight, as there was automotive royalty wherever you looked – from the INEOS Grenadier 4x4 off-road rides, which raised money for the Wales Air Ambulance, to the sensational ‘On The Edge’ Motorcycle Stunt Show and a packed Rally Zone, Supercar Paddock and Pit Garage complex.
There was more than £10 million worth of vehicles in the show-stopping Supercar Marquee, featuring a Mercedes-AMG ONE, Bugatti Chiron, Aston Martin Valhalla, Mercedes SLS AMG, Ferrari 488 Pista, Ferrari F40, Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500, Ford Escort RS Turbo and a Lotus Esprit Turbo.
There were also two cars from the Prodrive Heritage Collection – Colin McRae’s 1996 Rallye Catalunya winning Subaru Impreza 96 WRC and Ari Vatanen’s 1981 World Rally Championship winning Rothmans Ford Escort RS1800 Mk2 – plus the stunning Ford Escort RS Mk1 by Boreham Motorworks.
Filling the infield were incredible displays from the likes of Red Bull, Electric Classic Cars, Litchfield Group, Kia, Ferrari Owners Club Wales, Supercar Car Club Wales, Driven Supercar Club, several fantastic classic car clubs and the world’s fastest wheelbarrow!
The Rally Zone was full of some extraordinary cars – including a display by the Castrol MEM Rally Team, Huw James Rallying’s Fiat 131 Mirafiori Sport, Dylan Davies’ ex-works Škoda Fabia R5 and the Vauxhall Mokka GSE EV that Ioan Lloyd drives in the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup.
There was a very special celebration at Darrian when Geoff Kitney – the 1990 National Asphalt Rally Champion and Pembrey rallying legend – drove a Darrian again for the first time in 36 years.
Some of the memorable track action came courtesy of Rhys Lloyd and Harri Reynolds in the Circuit Toys French GT4 Championship Toyota GR Supra – with the team bringing the car to Pembrey especially for the event from the south of France.
You didn’t have to look far for spectacular action. If it wasn’t Kevin Jones getting sideways in his magnificent Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione, it was Neil Yates and Steve Powell in their British Truck Racing Championship 333 Motorsport team Division 1 MAN TG monsters, or Sean Jones in his often-spinning Gilbern Invader rally car!
Nobody got as sideways, however, as the extraordinarily talented Huw Savill (800bhp Toyota AE86), Oliver ‘Ollie’ Evans (1100bhp Toyota Supra) and Lwi Edwards (800bhp supercharged LSX V8 BMW E36 Coupe), who put on some sensational drifting displays
Spectators of all ages could even lap Pembrey Circuit themselves – thanks to the LMP3 Simulator from the University of Greater Manchester.
Racing motorbikes were very well represented too, with machinery including Troy Bayliss’ 2008 World SBK winning Ducati 1098R, Michael Laverty’s 2014 MotoGP PBM Aprilia and some incredibly rare examples such as the Prototype 2T 500 – one of only a handful of bike frames built by Blue Haze Engineering.
And if rare vehicles are your passion, James Harris brought along his Metro 6R4 – one of the three original prototype machines that used to be displayed in the British Motor Museum. Where else could you see a car like that parked next to a Ford RS200, Audi Quattro A2, a TR7 V8 and the famous Orange Box Mini?!
Add in displays by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), Swansea Transport Museum and the South Wales Autograss League (to name but a few), a food village, live music and a funfair – and there really was something for everyone.
We had a number of privately-owned historic F1 cars lined up to do demonstration runs, but unfortunately technical problems prevented them from being there. Given the wet conditions, it is highly unlikely any of them would have risked going out on track anyway. Having a demonstration run of historic F1 cars is very much our aim for the festival, and we will double our efforts to try to make it happen for next year.
And last but not least – after months of hard work, a big thank you goes to the loyal Pembrey Circuit staff, motorsport clubs, volunteers and sponsors who make this event a continuing success.