The Santa Pod Raceway in Bedfordshire is set to host the Classic Ford Show this weekend (May 26th and 27th) in what will be an event to tickle the fancy of lovers of this iconic marque.
All things Ford are to be celebrated at the annual event, with the show running from 12:00 until 22:00 BST on Saturday and from 08:00 until 17:00 on Sunday. Public entry tickets are set to cost from £18 on the day, while camping tickets for the full weekend are just £10 per person on the gate.
Santa Pod Raceway was opened in 1966 and was Europe's first permanent drag racing venue. As such, anyone heading along to this weekend's event is set to be treated to some fantastic Ford drag racing, with the Old Skool Ford Drag Challenge a particular highlight for attendees.
Road-legal Ford models will be pitted against each other in a series of drag races, while a unique handicapping system will mean that the most powerful car will not always take the chequered flag. Instead, the victor will be decided by the skill of the driver and their lightning reactions.
Other attractions on the day are set to include the Drift Taxis and the Classic Ford Drag Car Demos.
Drift Taxis will allow members of the public to take an adrenalin-charged tour of the raceway's Live Action Arena in a classic Ford vehicle, in which they will get to experience drifting techniques in what is a high octane and exciting ride.
Meanwhile, the Classic Ford Drag Demos are returning to the roster of events for 2012 after a few years away from the action. This attraction will see demonstrations of smoking starts and blistering speeds from an array of classic Ford dragsters, with the event taking place throughout each day.
Simon Woolley of Classic Ford magazine noted this week that there will be more than 1,500 vehicles on show this weekend, with visitors being treated to an array of attractions.
In addition, he urged Ford enthusiasts to stock up on essentials for the classic cars, commenting: "Why not grab yourself a bargain in the Retail Village? New and used classic Ford spares, body panels, tuning parts, services and more. You name it, the chances are you'll find it."
Mr Woolley added that visitors should make their way to the Santa Pod Raceway this weekend for a celebration of "all things blue oval", with a whole host of clubs, events and attractions to keep people entertained.
Hundreds of motoring clubs and organisations will be in attendance to offer their services to show-goers or simply to entertain with stunning displays of their vehicles.
Visitors will be treated to exhibits from UK Modified Ford, Blue Oval Enthusiasts Club, Fordsport, Independent Capri Enthusiasts, Ford Mondeo Owners Club, Nuts 4 Ford, fordfreaks.co.uk, Medway Monkeys, Aldridge Trimming, Chester Sportscar, Floflex, Evans Cooling, Meguiar's and many, many more.
The raceway itself has grown substantially over the last 40 years, with the sport of drag racing having gained considerable popularity across the UK during this time.
It holds the world record for the fastest ever quarter-mile drag race performance of 3.58 seconds and a top speed of 386.26 mph, which was set by Sammy Miller in 1984 in his dragster Vanishing Point.
Santa Pod Raceway is also home to the British National Drag Racing Championships, while it also hosts the first and last legs of the annual FIA/FIM/UEM European Drag Racing Championship.
The Classic Ford Show 2012 is being sponsored by SFS Performance, Meguiar's, Adrian Flux Insurance and Burton. It promises to be an event to remember for Ford enthusiasts.
Speak to the classic car insurance team at Performance Direct for an expert, professional service and a choice of cover from the UK’s leading specialist insurance underwriters.
Posted by Michael Yates
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