Ormskirk MotorFest - how hard can it be judging a concours?

SIMON Cowell has it easy on The X Factor. At least he gets some easy dud entrants to kick out of the proceedings on his annual – and inevitable – pop juggernaut as it thunders towards the Christmas number one.

I reckon I got assigned a far trickier task at this year's Ormskirk MotorFest. One that involved making some even tougher choices, even if it didn’t involve breaking the dreams of any teenage girls desperate to be the next Pixie Lott.

At this year's event I got given the task of judging the classic cars entered into the event’s new Concours D’Elegance – a sort of automotive Crufts for people who pamper and polish their pride and joy rather than using it for late night jaunts to the nearest 24-hour supermarket for some scones and a bottle of washing up liquid.

I’m sure I wasn’t the only showgoer who spotted the irony – someone who owns a slightly shabby MGB and this year entered the MotorFest in a Range Rover that still needs a bit of bodywork attention was being asked to judge cars on their tidiness.

Happily, my co-judge was motorsport historian (and MotorFest commentator) Neville Hay. You’d like Neville – not only has he got a wicked sense of humour and is never short of an anecdote, but he’s probably forgotten more about old cars than I’ve learned. Yet the task was still unenviable. If every car in a field is in wonderful condition and has been doted on by its owner for years on end, how on earth do you go about picking a winner?

We both agreed a mission statement - in the same way a Crufts prizewinner that doesn’t get to go out digging holes and chasing sticks isn’t really on, we wanted to avoid the show queens that get trailered to events and give the prize to a nice car owned by someone who enjoys it in the real world.

Even then, we ended up picking nits to separate the truly brilliant cars from the merely great ones, docking points off for the sort of scuffs most motorists don’t give a stuff about. In the end a single point split the winner from the car that came second – it really was that close.

It really ought to have been a bit like a primary school sports day where everybody won a prize, but in the end we gave it to Graham Postlethwaite’s virtually immaculate Rover P5B Coupé. Even in a contest packed with prizeworthy motors it was a deserving winner.

The cheque should land on my doormat by Friday. Only joking…

Read more about the Ormskirk MotorFest in this week's issue of Classic Car Weekly - published 9 September 2015.

It's your last chance to enter this year's Ormskirk MotorFest

THE organisers of this year's Ormskirk MotorFest have hit their target of bringing 350 classic cars and bikes to West Lancashire next month - but that means you'll have to hurry if you want to enter your pride and joy.

Aintree Circuit Club said it had reached its goal for the 30 August event, and will be closing entries tomorrow (25 July). It's free to take part, although entering the event's new Concours D'Elegance contest is £10 per vehicle.

Club chairman Mike Ashcroft said:"We will shortly be closing for Entries as we have now reached 350 vehicles, which is our target for this year.

"Late entries from racing type machinery may be accepted and also for the Concours d’Elegance, which you can enter online too."

Previous entries at the MotorFest, which has taken place in Ormskirk town centre since 2011, have included a BRM P261 Formula One car, a Ferrari Enzo originally owned by Rod Stewart, and the McLaren MP4-12C. The event includes displays in the town centre and Coronation Park, plus parades on the town's one-way system.

If you want to enter go to the event website and fill in the online form with your vehicle details.

David Cameron has given great street racing events the green light

IMAGINE the sight of a Jaguar D-type doing battle with a Ferrari 250 TR, or perhaps a pair of Caterhams ducking and diving as they fight for the perfect line through a tight corner.

It’s an entertaining enough prospect to make you book a ticket for Brands Hatch or Silverstone, but what about watching some proper, full-throttle action on, say, Ormskirk’s one-way system? Well, thanks to the concerted efforts of some racing buffs and a largely unexpected move by the Prime Minister, it’s not as far-fetched as you might think.

Last Friday, seemingly out of nowhere, David Cameron announced he was going to give local authorities the green light to close off public roads for motorsport events. In other words, the powers-that-be are free to close off your nearest high street, suspend the normal speed limits for an afternoon, and stage races – or time trials or sprints, for that matter – for your entertainment.

Personally, I think it’s a corking idea. Having long been involved with West Lancashire’s efforts to re-enact the street racing glamour of Monaco, the Ormskirk MotorFest, I’ve asked for years why the road closures can’t be used for something a bit more dramatic than parades of old cars and motorbikes. The local authorities liked the idea.

The event organisers seemed up for it. The petrolhead public – who were already sold on the idea of seeing a 1978 Saudia-Williams F1 car tootling past the parish church – were all in favour. Yet, thanks to an obscure clause in a bit of legislation passed more than 25 years ago, shutting off a road and using it for racing was very much against the law.

That’s why a display of sports cars in Ormskirk town centre last Saturday to promote this year’s MotorFest couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. By sheer coincidence, the team behind one of the few shows in the country which actually puts racing cars on real roads were showing off cars to the town’s shoppers, the day after the Prime Minister effectively gave them permission to up the stakes.

Mike Ashcroft, chairman of event organisers Aintree Circuit Club, told me: "The announcement is excellent news, because that aspect of the law has been the single biggest stumbling block for events like the MotorFest, which is now attracting more than 30,000 people into Ormskirk every year.

"The event brings so much money into the town centre, and hopefully this change will give other local councils the confidence to host their own events in other parts of the country. I think there could definitely be an Ormskirk MotorFest with a more competitive element in the future, as long as there the people in place to organise it."

By all means don’t hold your breath; there won’t be any flat-out, fully-fledged racing battles on Ormskirk’s one-way system at this year’s event, but it’s great to know Ormskirk – or a street near you – could play host to some Monaco-esque motorsport magic in years to come. I’m really looking forward to it.

Classic cars give sneak preview of Ormskirk MotorFest

ORMSKIRK'S shoppers were treated to the striking sight of more than a dozen sports cars taking over the town's market yesterday as part of efforts to promote a celebration of motorsport next month.

Aintree Circuit Club brought the cars and motorbikes to the centre of the historic market town not only to promote National Motorsport Week but also to promote this year's Ormskirk MotorFest, which takes place on 24 August and has already attracted more than 300 entrants.

Mike Ashcroft, the club's chairman, said: "Not only have we got hundreds of entrants, but we've also got a substantial car club presence this year, so West Lancashire Borough Council has very kindly allocated us the field to the rear of Coronation Park to give space to these clubs, some of which are bringing between 10 and 15 vehicles each.

"There are a lot of new things happening at this year's event, including changes to the parades from little batches of vehicles to larger parades which go around the town centre more times than in previous years.

The cars on show included a 1992 Ferrari 348, a 1973 Triumph Stag and a 1970 Ford Mustang, which aimed to give shoppers at the town's market a taste of the machines which will be on show at next month's event.

To find out more go to the Ormskirk MotorFest website.

2013 Ormskirk MotorFest proves a spectacular petrolhead success

WHAT do a Le Mans-winning Bentley, some thundering stock racers and a brigade of cute old bubble cars have in common?

 If, like me, you were one of the thousands of petrolheads to pay a visit to Ormskirk last weekend then you’ll already know the answer, because all three – and about 300 other cars and bikes besides – were the stars of a free-for-all motorsport spectacular which managed to get the town’s one-way system echoing to a spot of V8 thunder.

This year’s Ormskirk MotorFest, thanks partly to a welcome helping of scorching sunshine, has managed what I was suspecting to be impossible; attracting even more visitors to Ormskirk than the previous two.

With my slightly sick-sounding MG having only limped to the show’s static displays this year (it’s in need of a bit of classic car TLC) I gave going out in the parade a miss this year, but that meant I could really revel in looking around some of the stunning machinery on show. Sure, there was the very Bentley which stormed to victory at Le Mans a decade ago taking pride of place by the clock tower, but it only took a little extra digging to discover some equally eyeball-grabbing cars with some fantastic stories behind them – take, for instance, the 1948 Allard which just happens to be the exact same car the company showed off at the London Motor Show in Earls Court 65 years ago.

A car that’s now cherished by a car lover in Holmeswood, which brings me to the heart of what I love about the Ormskirk MotorFest – that almost all of the cars and bikes are from Sefton, West Lancashire, and the immediate surrounding area. Ormskirk on the August Bank Holiday Sunday has, a result, become an opportunity for thousands of you to find just how much passion there is for motoring in this part of the world.

It was a treat to see the flotilla of 1950s bubble cars being followed up the hill towards the parish church by a succession of Jags, Astons and Bentleys, but it was even more of a joy to see the crowds which had turned out to see them. When Wilf Blundell’s old stock car racer fired into life, the atmosphere tingled with excitement.

In an age where I’ve seen people happily pulling in excess of £50 out of their pockets to pay for a car show ticket, there’s something wonderfully egalitarian about thousands of people packing into Ormskirk, free of charge, to see some beautiful cars strutting their stuff on the town’s streets.

I’ll redouble my efforts to get the MG mended for next year’s event!

Ormskirk MotorFest ready to rev up for 2013 event

Some of the world’s most exciting cars and motorbikes will be taking to the streets at a full-throttle spectacular in West Lancashire this weekend.

A total of 300 vehicles have been entered into this year’s Ormskirk MotorFest, with some of the big draws including the Bentley Speed Eight which won Le Mans a decade ago. The day-long event, which encompasses static displays in Ormskirk’s Coronation Park and town centre and parades on the one-way system, takes place this Sunday (August 25).

Alongside the event's traditional draws, including displays in both the town centre and Coronation Park, will be an autosolo event, which revs into action at 11.30am in the car park of the town's Park Pool facility.

Then, of course, there's the series of spectacular street parades, with scores of stunning cars and bikes showing off what they can do on the town's one-way system, including one of the biggest moving displays of bubble cars anywhere in the country.

With so much on offer and admission being completely free of charge, it should prove to be an unmissable event for motoring enthusiasts from across the North West.

 For more information visit the event’s Facebook page or go to www.ormskirkmotorfest.com

Le Mans Bentley racer confirmed for Ormskirk MotorFest

A 217MPH Bentley which raced to victory at Le Mans has just been confirmed as one of the stars of this month's Ormskirk MotorFest.

Aintree Circuit Club, which organises the annual motorsport-themed spectacular, said today the Bentley Speed 8 GT racing car, which competed in the 24 hour race in 2003, will take part in this year's event in the West Lancashire market town on August 25.

Mike Ashcroft, the club's chairman, told Life On Cars: "We are absolutely delighted that Bentley Motors have agreed to bring their priceless Le Mans winning Speed 8 racing car to MotorFest. This car won the world's most famous race in 2003 and is maintained in full running order at Bentley's motorsport HQ at the Crewe factory.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to see this fantastic engineering masterpiece in the flesh! The car will be on display throughout the event in the Moor Street race paddock."

In previous years the event has played host to the likes of the Ferrari Enzo and the McLaren MP4-12C, as well as allowing thousands of petrolheads to see Grand Prix cars taking to the town's one way system.

The Ormskirk MotorFest takes place in and around Ormskirk town centre from 11am on Sunday, August 25. To find out more visit the official website.

Get set for a year of great motoring events in 2013

A SUMMER of motoring fun is just a few months away, if the list of exciting events across the north west and further afield is anything to go by.

Fans of classic cars and bikes will be spoilt for choice when a host of events get underway, with draws including the Ormskirk MotorFest - now in its third year - on August 25, the Lydiate Classic Car Show on July 7, and the Bank Hall show in Bretherton on July 28 among others.

It's also hoped that the Woodvale Rally, a longstanding favourite with car and bike fans, will return to its traditional home at RAF Woodvale for 2013, after concerns about asbestos at the site prompted a change of venue to Victoria Park last year. The show's organisers are still awaiting confirmation, but the event is provisionally set for the weekend of August 3 and 4 so keep an eye on their website at www.woodvalerally.com for any further announcements.

A little further afield there's the return of the North West Indoor Classic Car Show, after the inaugural event proved to be one of last year's surprise hits. This year's show takes place at EventCity in Manchester - a stone's throw from The Trafford Centre - so make sure you've got the weekend of April 6 and 7 in your diary.

A couple of other big draws to make a note of are the Classic Car Spectacular, due to take place over the first weekend of June at Tatton Park in Cheshire, the Classic, Vintage and Sports Car Show at the same venue on August 17 and 18, the Cholmondeley Pageant of Power between June 14 and 16, the Gold Cup at the Oulton Park race circuit over the August Bank Holiday. There's also word that CarFest - a motoring event organised by Radio 2 DJ and Ferrari nut Chris Evans - will get the green light for a 2013 event, so while there's no official dates yet don't bet against it being hosted at some point in August or September.

There's also - if you're prepared to hop in the car and venture even further - all manner of national events being held at Goodwood, the NEC, Beaulieu, Silverstone and Santa Pod to name just a few, but even if you can't it looks set to be a vintage year for automotive outings.

If you're organising a motoring event or show why not share it with Life On Cars? Get in touch with David Simister, our motoring correspondent, by sending an email to david.simister@hotmail.co.uk or leave a comment below.

Councillors say they won't put the brakes on Ormskirk MotorFest in 2013

ANOTHER Ormskirk MotorFest is set to be revved up for next summer, even if Labour snatch control of the borough council at the next local elections.

Both the Tory-controlled local authority and the opposition Labour group have said they are keen for the motorsport-themed event to continue next year, even though both sides say they are keen to increase the amount of private sponsorship in order to reduce the burden on West Lancashire taxpayers to fund the show.

A spokesperson for West Lancashire Borough Council said: “The 2012 Ormskirk MotorFest was a huge success, attracting 15,000 visitors to see magnificent displays of motor vehicles. West Lancashire Borough Council was very pleased to see this success built on the achievements of the inaugural MotorFest in 2011.

"In principle, the Council would like to see the Ormskirk MotorFest take place in 2013. However, if some sponsorship could be secured than this would enable the Council to help ensure it can go ahead in the future. We will be looking into potential funding arrangements and also having discussions with Aintree Circuit Club, who organise the MotorFest, about how best we can work together to run the event in the future. We would certainly welcome any parties interested in sponsoring all or part of the event to contact us at this early stage."

Life On Cars asked the council's Labour group - who were 29 votes away from winning control of West Lancashire at the local elections in May - whether they would support a 2013 Ormskirk MotorFest, given their decision to call in funding for this year's event and suggestions from Ormskirk Conservative councillor Adrian Owens that had Labour been in control the event would not have taken place.

Cllr Owens said: "Firstly, at the beginning of the year they tried to strangle the MotorFest at birth by arguing that much of the council money underwriting the event should be withdrawn.

"There would have been no MotorFest if we had followed Labour’s line."

The Labour group responded by saying that it is keen to see the event being held in 2013, but said it was keen to see the private sector offer up more sponsorship and reiterated support for a ‘West Lancashire Show', which could be instigated using funds previously earmarked for the MotorFest.

Councillor John Fillis, leader of the council's Labour group, said: “Labour has always supported Ormskirk's MotorFest and will continue to do so, but we see a bigger role being played by the private sector in the form of sponsorship. At present the Tories are increasing the funding by 75% annually for the one day event, if this continues as the event grows then by 2014 they will be spending over £50,000, while cutting back on vital service for local people by 30%.

"Many local retail businesses that I have spoken to are willing to support the show due to the amount of custom the festival drew. This we believe could be reflected on a bigger scale if only the council were to be more ambitious and take the initiative."

Would you like to see a 2013 Ormskirk MotorFest take place? Share your thoughts by sending an email to david.simister@hotmail.co.uk or leave a comment below...

Ormskirk MotorFest 2012 - the day in pictures

THOUSANDS of petrolheads have packed into Ormskirk to make the market town’s second MotorFest event a spectacular success.

The event, organised jointly by Aintree Circuit Club and West Lancashire Borough Council, saw scores of classic cars and bikes, including Grand Prix racers and Group B rally cars, take to the town’s one way system for the climax of a day of motorsport-themed action, in what has been one of the town’s busiest trading days.

Councillor Paul Greenall, the mayor of West Lancashire, told Life On Cars: “It’s been really good, and fortunately the weather held off. There have been lots of very good cars here, and they’ve brought thousands of people into Ormskirk.

“There’s been a lot of interest in both our charities, and for Ormskirk the number of people speaks for itself. I hope there’s another event next year, because this one’s been a big success.”

Among the highlights for visitors was the chance to watch rally star Becky Kirvan put her motorsport-prepared Ford Fiesta through its paces, the parade of supercars, including the McLaren MP4-12C, and a poignant motorcycle parade held in memory of Southport superbike racer Ben Gautrey, who was killed at a race in Cadwell Park last year.

Although the threat of bad weather had loomed over the event, with participants being treated to downpours early on, sunshine during the parades later on helped to attract as many 15,000 visitors into the town centre to see the displays near the clock tower and in Coronation Park, as well as a series of parades around the town’s one way system.

Neville Hay, event commentator, said:  “I thought it went very well, especially given the limited amount of time you have to work with, the amount you have to do and the sheer number of cars involved. It’s not something that happens every day, but I think it went extremely well.

“Last year’s event went very well, but this year’s show has gone even better. I really hope it happens again next year.”

Life On Cars took these pictures at the event:

Keep an eye on Life On Cars for a video from the event, and read more in next Wednesday’s edition of The Champion newspaper (August 29 edition).

Ormskirk MotorFest 2012 preparations move up a gear

PREPARATIONS are well under way for a motorsport spectacular later this month - and you're invited to join the action.

With less than three weeks to go before the Ormskirk MotorFest rolls into town in Sunday, August 26, the borough council and organisers Aintree Circuit Club are making final calls for volunteers to act as marshals and for owners of racing machines from the 1950s and 1960s to bring their vehicles to the event.

Councillor Martin Forshaw, the council's portfolio holder for planning and development, said: “We are all getting very excited about this year’s Ormskirk MotorFest. Make sure you put the event’s date in your diary and don’t miss a thoroughly enjoyable event.”

Last year's MotorFest helped Ormskirk enjoy its busiest ever trading day, with more than 10,000 visitors packing into the town centre, and this year the council, Aintree Circuit Club and main sponsors The Belfry Group are determined the event will be even bigger.

Among those who have already offered to help are members of residents' group New Way Tenants and Residents Association, who told Life On Cars that they would be volunteering as marshals to the positive impact the car and bike spectacular has on Ormskirk.

Group member Jane Thompson said: “The MotorFest is an excellent day out and I am in full support.

"This is an excellent event which puts Ormskirk on the map. Members of NWTRA are volunteering to help promote Ormskirk market town."

Organisers Aintree Circuit Club have also launched their new Friends of Ormskirk MotorFest scheme this week, which for a membership cost of £5 gets visitors a collector's badge, a specially-produced event brochure - and the chance to get a ride in one of the event's more exotic entrants around the streets of Ormskirk.

Signed up to appear are supercars and competition motorcycles, including one ridden by the late Joey Dunlop, a former world motorcycling champion. There will also be MG racing and rally cars, Metro 6R4, Group B rally cars and racing motorcycles, and the Santa Pod Raceway Top Fuel Dragster. Some of the vehicles will take part in parade laps around the town, and static displays will be on Moor Street, Aughton Street and Coronation Park.

If you have a competition car you'd like to enter, would like to volunteer as a marshal or would simply like more information about the event, visit the official Ormskirk MotorFest website at www.ormskirkmotorfest.com