2011 YES! Roary will be back!
And as much fun as ever.
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In 1997, a group of enthusiasts felt it was high time interest in the Palace’s history was rekindled and organised a series of highly successful sprint events. The informal and relaxed atmosphere of these meetings was described in the national press as rather like a ‘high octane garden party’.
Some of the star drivers and cars from the past became involved again. Bentleys, Bugattis, Ferraris, Porsches, Jaguars and many Lotuses graced the circuit once more. The latter marque even chose one of these Palace events to reveal its latest sports car.
The driving force behind those popular events was Sevenoaks and District Motor Club, which is one of the foremost motor sport clubs in the country, running events from the smallest club rally to national championship rounds.
Sevenoaks DMC is involved in every motor sport discipline, but sprinting is the most popular. Forward-thinking has kept the club at the forefront of British motor sport and it continues to be represented at the top level of the sport. Nonetheless, the club does not lose sight of the needs of its members and keeps a friendly approach to the sport ~ ‘motor sport is fun’ is its motto. With a membership of over 200 and an active organising team, Sevenoaks DMC is well placed to see motor sport thrive into the future. The club relies entirely on volunteers to run its events ~ from the organising committee to the trackside marshals; a philosophy harking back to those very first events over 100 years ago.
Unfortunately, building work relating to a millennium project in the park put a stop to these well-supported sprints.
Back to the future…
Sevenoaks DMC members have been working with the local council and London Development Agency since 2006 to bring motor sport back to the Palace and, in 2008, it was revealed that these efforts had borne fruit. Motor sport will return to Crystal Palace in May 2010 with a two-day sprint event.
This new event aims not only to celebrate the history of the venue but also to showcase beautiful classic and thoroughbred racing cars, highlighting the best in local motor sport talent, all to the benefit of local charities. The combination of low spectator entry fees and a superb location make big crowds highly likely. Spectators will witness some of the star cars from over 100 years of motor racing and some cars that could show the way for the sport’s future.
An electric car contested the venue’s first event over a century ago and today, in these environmentally aware times, similarly powered vehicles will return, alongside entries running on alternative fuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel. Spectators will be strongly encouraged to travel to the event using the abundant public transport in the area.
The event will be split into two days over the traditional ‘Racing at the Palace’ bank holiday dates of 30th and 31st May 2010. The first day, Sunday, will be dedicated to both modern and older machinery, with everything from standard shopping cars to fire-spitting World Rally Cars expected, and just about everything in between. Bank Holiday Monday will celebrate the history of motor sport at the Palace, with cars dating from 1899 to 1972, plus a few modern surprises littered throughout the day.
Plenty of specialist clubs will display their finest machinery, along with a number of specialist retailers. A special guest appearance by ‘Roary the Racing Car’ and his friends is proposed for our younger visitors’ pleasure, while others can take a trip along memory lane viewing the stunning AA Heritage Collection, and a traditional ‘Wall of Death Show’ will excite all witnesses.
VIP guests will be indulged with a dedicated marquee and premier catering in addition to a dedicated spectator area overlooking one of the most exciting parts of the course.