It was first time lucky for Brands
Hatch’s amazing inaugural American Speedfest event in 2013, but this year had
the only thing the first event lacked – blazing sunshine.
Last year's American Speedfest at Brands
Hatch was the surprise hit of 2013. Combining V8 power on track, a whole raft
of clubs and cars showing and shining off track, plus the crowds that a venue
like Brands Hatch just outside the M25 can attract, it was a rip-roaring
success. The only feature missing from that event was June sunshine, and this
year the organisers even remembered to book that.
The
American SpeedFest II trade village is following the theme of ‘bigger and
better’ with double the traders already confirmed for the second running of the
event. The American SpeedFest II is held at Kent’s Brands Hatch circuit on
Sunday 8 June.
Rattling down the motorway towards Brands
on June 8th with the windows down and shades on it was already promising to be
a tremendous day. Arriving – late – just in time to see two dozen classic and
historic V8s line up on the grid ready for a rolling start confirmed it. The
race card was packed, with Whelen Euro Racecar NASCAR-alikes heading the bill,
plus the Craftsman-style Pickups. Both of these provided thrilling side-by-side
racing all day long, with the Euro Racecars getting very up close and personal
with each other. It's a good job they treat their thin fibreglass bodywork as a
consumable item.
The stars of the show for many, though,
were the two series brought along by Bernie Chodosh – Bernie's V8s and Bernie's
Big Bangers. Bernie's V8s were the dream classics, Mustangs and Camaros along
with all sorts of other fascinating machinery like a De Tomaso Pantera, MGB V8,
a Cobra, a Sunbeam Tiger, all joined by one common theme – they're V8 powered.
Bernie's Big Bangers were along similar lines, but even more of an outlaw class
and, for me, stole the show. Seeing a Greenwood-style wide-body Corvette, a
howling Shelby Mustang and Baby Bertha, the V8-powered factory
Vauxhall Firenza, all giving it absolutely
bloody hell down Paddock Hill, inches apart and fighting for the same line
through Druids is the sort of image that stays with you, and still makes the
hairs on the back of my neck stand up weeks down the line. The Can-Am cars were
in a whole other league, making the most beautiful but unholy, unsilenced row
and lapping the rest of the field like their throttle cables had snapped. These
mid-engined monsters made Formula 1 look like Moggy Minors at the time, and
probably still do.
View
from Paddock Hill Bend Grandstand
During the afternoon, Mick Tester took his
Nationwide-series Dodge out for some demo laps, accompanied by Don Scott's
Petty-replica winged warrior. Mick was struggling for grip but Don was
struggling for sanity, and wasn't hanging about at all! Mick also mentioned
that the Dodge may be sold to the continent at some point soon. Shame.
Around the outfield were cars and club
stands a-go-go, and this year, the Mustang Owners Club were providing the main
focus with a fantastic timeline, one model from every year of manufacture (near
enough) along the main drag with other models from that year lined up behind!
It was a superb spread, so well done to whoever organised that. Elsewhere there
were dragster displays from Santa Pod – and an on-track demo from the Timewarp
Mustang early on – plus the ever popular displays of movie cars that had
everyone's cameras out.
When the afternoon bill started up, it was
definitely the weather for plenty of water and a slathering of sun lotion, then
soaking up all the racing action. And the action came thick and fast, the Euro
Racecars in particular spending more time under yellow flags and behind the
safety car (which was a Dodge Ram SRT-10!) than under power due to exuberant
overtaking manoeuvres.
The
FIA-sanctioned Superstars series is a fascinating Italian touring car
championship for approved machinery such as the Audi RS4, BMW E39 M5 and E60
550i, Cadillac CTS-V, Chrysler C300 SRT8, Jaguar S-type R, Maserati
Quattroporte and the Mercedes C63 AMG.
Come the end of the day's racing, the track
was cleared and the MOCGB took to the circuit for an anniversary parade lap.
After two circuits, they were joined by hundreds of American cars of all makes
and models for the lairiest display of machinery this side of the Atlantic. Of
course, some participants managed to paint some big black elevens on the
hallowed ground.
Driving home, sunburned, worn out but
extremely happy, I concluded that Brands Hatch had achieved something I never
thought they would be able to: they'd managed to top the first event, and make
it even better. And the best news of all? American Speedfest III will be coming
in 2015, on the first weekend in June again. The only advice I'd have for them
is to perhaps sack the Quaife Intermarque silhouette things and bring in
something more American. And make sure the sunshine comes back. Other than that
– nothing. For a superb day's racing at a reasonable price, it's hard to beat,
so stay tuned to www.speedfest.co.uk and wait for next year!
