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Saturday, 12 January 2008 |
Autosport
International, Europe’s largest motorsport show, opened to
the public today with some of the industry’s biggest names attending,
including Red Bull Racing drivers David Coulthard and Mark Webber as
well as Honda Racing F1’s Jenson Button.
Crowds at the Autosport International Show
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Featuring
all three Formula One drivers, the Autosport Stage proved a focal
point for fans eager to catch a glimpse of their heroes and included
appearances from World Rally Champion Marcus Grönholm and DTM racer and
McLaren test driver Gary Paffett.
“This
is my first big interview of the year and is each year,”
said Button on his Autosport Stage appearance. “I like the fact that
they open up the interview to the floor too. Fans come up with some
great
stuff, it’s good fun! I’ve been coming to the show since I was 11 years
old as my dad used to have a stand here and although
it’s a bit harder now that I’m in F1, I still love looking around.”
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Jenson Button at the Autosport Stage today
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“I
made sure I got the chance to walk about the show today,”
added Webber. “The Colin McRae tribute was a definite must and it’s
great to see all areas of motorsport represented in one place.
It’s good to see plenty of people enjoying the industry too. I might be
an F1 racing driver but I really enjoy looking at the junior series
and how things are developing for them.”
Young
karters were pleasantly surprised when Webber made an unscheduled
appearance at the BRDC Stars of Tomorrow 2007 Championship Awards at
the Karting Stage, handing out trophies and advice to budding drivers
and their
families. The younger winners also enjoyed a visit from Roary the
Racing Car®’s Big Chris who gave out the MSA Cadet class trophies.
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Mark Webber signing autographs
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Big Chris made a series of appearances throughout the show, none proving more
popular than at the Roary the Racing Car® stand with pre-schoolers attending the area in throngs to meet the cartoon character.
“This
is our first year here but the stand has proved really
popular,” said Greg Lynn, Executive Producer of the animated show.
“From the very start of the project, we wanted to be associated with
the racing industry and made sure the cars featured in the cartoon were
as authentic looking as possible. That’s why the Autosport
International Show is the perfect place for us to exhibit at.”
The
Official HKS Drag Series Trophies were also given out today with awards
handed out in three classes; Pro, Street and Front-Wheel-Drive at the
Santa Pod Raceway stand. Comprising of four rounds based in Santa Pod,
the
year-old series features Japanese cars and engines.
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Plenty of entertainment for children
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Autosport International concludes tomorrow Sunday 13 January
2008. Adult tickets start at £28.00 per day with children’s tickets costing £18.50. Tickets are available on the day.
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News 
