If you are one of Ireland’s growing band of classic car enthusiasts there is only one place to be this weekend and that’s Classic Car Live at Mondello Park on Sunday.
This unique show brings together the best of Ireland’s classic cars, classic car clubs, and vintage race cars for a day of off-track and on-track entertainment.
The show will once again benefit from the backing of Ireland’s only classic car magazine Irish Vintage Scene.
Having launched its first classic car show in 2008, Mondello Park proved to be the ideal venue with its unique features providing the most innovative and exciting classic car event staged in Ireland. The show is a mixture of the traditional classic car display and trade stand event, which is the staple of the classic car scene up and down the country. In addition it is an active event which includes high speed track sessions, parade laps, and classic and vintage race car demonstrations.
The centrepiece of Classic Car Live for 2009 will be a celebration of 50 ears of the Mini, and more than 200 of these iconic cars are expected to fill a single section of the Mondello Park paddock. The diminutive British vehicle will also feature heavily on circuit with a high-speed session for the tuned versions, a more sedate parade lap for the less competitively-minded driver, and a demonstration race by the fully race-prepared examples. Also celebrating an anniversary at the show will be the Ford Capri, which reaches 40 this year.
Alongside the Minis there will be two more high-speed track day style sessions in the morning and a total of six parade lap sessions. The race action will once again be provided by the drivers and cars of the Historic Racing Car Association. The HRCA cars will be split into a class for the more modern 60s and 70s vehicles and one for the Pre ’55 machines. In all more than 1000 cars are expected, including vehicles from the IVVCC - the umbrella organisation for classic car motoring in Ireland which will attend the event as a club for the first time.
The majority of Classic Car Live will be housed within the paddock area inside the track and all pre-booked cars will be accommodated there. Entries are still being taken and drivers can turn up to display their cars on the day, but with the event proving so popular it will not be possible to accommodate all late entries within the main show area and additional display areas have been allocated on the outside of the track.
Admission to the event is €10 for adults with u-16s admitted free. Family tickets are also available and all admission prices include free grandstand access, free access to Mondello Park’s motorsport museum, and a complimentary event programme. For further information on Classic Car Live see www.mondellopark.ie
Programme:
08:00 Gates Open
11:00 HRCA - Practice
11:20 Track Session
11:45 Pre-War Practice
12:05 Track Session
12:40 Mini Racers - Practice
1:00pm Track Session - Minis
1:25pm Parade Laps
1:45pm HRCA Demonstration Race
2:05pm Parade Laps
2:25pm Pre ‘55 Demonstration Race
2:45pm Parade Laps
3:05pm Mini Demonstration Race
3:25pm Parade Laps
3:45pm Parade Laps
4:05pm Parade Laps
4:25pm Mini Parade Laps
4:45pm Track Activity Finishes
5:00pm Show Closes
