Retro Show 2009 Report - Sunday 12th July 2009

View photos from Retro Show 2009 on the 2009 Gallery page.

The Retro Show took place on a bright but blustery July day, with thousands of common classics, obscure oddities and rare retros descending on Santa Pod Raceway for an action-packed day at the track. As the cars and bikes filled the site, it quickly became clear that no other show at Santa Pod can boast quite the variety of the Retro Show! With the earliest vehicles (and owners) dating back to the 1930’s, right through to more modern favourites, there really was something for everyone, and the variety of machines was almost a complete history of the internal combustion engine!

The windy weather quickly helped dry the track from overnight rain, and the glorious sound of retro cars and bikes at full-throttle soon filled the air on the dragstrip.

The Run What Ya Brung competition became a hard-fought battle for the top times, but the following vehicles were victorious:

Class A – Under 2,000cc without Turbo/Nitrous Andy Shervington Toyota Starlet 13.665 seconds @ 100.16mph

Class B – Under 2,000cc with Turbo/Nitrous Juss Punchetti Talbot Sunbeam Lotus 13.5246 seconds @ 110.86mph

Class C – Under 2,000 with Turbo/Nitrous Ian Cox Ford Escort RS2000 11.645 seconds @ 119.95mph

Class D – Over 2,000cc with Turbo/Nitrous A McSweeney Vauxhall Chevette 11.495 seconds @ 120.91 mph

Class E – Motorcycles & Scooters under 200cc Pete Newbold SES Tuned Lambretta GP200 16.321 seconds @ 76.57 mph

Class F – Motorcycles and Scooters over 200cc Mark Ricketts Suzuki GSX 9.735 seconds @ 149.56 mph

Class G – All Minis (50th Anniversary award ) Ian Mason Mini V8 13.918 seconds @ 95.66 mph

Class X – Non Road Legal Perry Stephens MG B GTV8 11.326 seconds @ 120.28 mph

Class Y – Non Retro Robert Field Kawasaki ZX12R 9.513 seconds @ 147.72 mph

It was great to see even the glacially-slow cars and bikes out on the strip, and we hope everyone enjoyed their dragstrip experience, it was certainly great to watch.

Unfortunately, the Run What Ya Brung was brought to a close slightly prematurely by an accident, but we can assure everyone that the driver was unharmed and will be racing again soon.

Off-track, the show & shine competition took over 50 entries, and the show paddock was packed with all manner of superb retro treats. The judges had a terrible time trying to pick the winners, and such a variety of styles and ages of vehicle on display made comparisons extremely tough, but the following were victorious:

Thanks to everyone that took part, you put on a great show!

Best Pre 70’s Bob Pike – 1951 Triumph Renown This slightly modified example of an unusual and striking car was finished with perfect details and flawless finish.

Best 70’s Robert Anzalone – 1971 Fiat 500 A beautifully prepared car restored to glorious showroom condition.

Best 80’s Carl Scotcher – 1984 Ford Capri A fresh and fantastically clean modified Capri that brought the 80’s icon bang up to date.

Best Original H Stewart – 1949 MG TC The oldest car in the competition, but lovingly restored to as-new condition.

Best Modified Dave Gardener – 1963 Ford Cortina An amazing Nissan turbo engine transplant finished off a superbly prepared car in a great 2-tone colour combo.

Best Engine Thor Anson – 1989 VW T25 Crew Cab Another amazing engine transplant, this time a V8 had been squeezed under the smoothed body of this truck which was finished to a high standard throughout.

Best Modern Retro Matt Lloyd – 1996 Rover Mini LE Only 13 years old, but with all the classic style of the 60’s icon. Loads of tasteful modifications and a faultless finish.

Best 2 Wheeler Dave Spreadbory – L1 186Lambretta A wonderful tribute to mod style, with hundreds of superb accessories and great condition bodywork.

Best Mini (50th Anniversary award ) Simon Jephcott – 1979 Austin Mini City This Mini was not one bit shy, with proud yellow paint is perfect condition and loads of chrome and details all over.

Over the other side of the track, the Podzilla monster truck put on a thundering display of might and pulled some huge jumps off the broken backs of some old bangers that will never make to a ripe old age as cherished classics. Instead, they were reduced to twisted scrap by the 5 tonne monster!

If the drag strip was a bit daunting, and the Show & Shine was a little too laid back, there was always the handling track, which opened up for the afternoon at the top end of the pits.

With a whole range of cars entered, from wallowing Japanese estate cars through to screaming Escort drift cars, there was enormous entertainment to be had just from watching the mayhem. But an epic battle developed between last year’s winner in his mini van and the pretender to the throne in a nimble and angry Ginetta. They traded the top times a few times but eventually the unassuming Mini was back on top to defend his title. Congratulations to Chris Whight for his second win in a row, done with stunningly precise driving and about 40 horsepower!

Thanks to everyone who attended the show, we hope you had a great time, and we look forward to inviting you back to an even bigger, even betterer Retro Show in 2010 if Gordon Brown hasn’t banned fun altogether by then.

View photos from Retro Show 2009 on the 2009 Gallery page.