You get a feeling that a show’s going a to be a winner when you hear people are already queuing to get in at 8am. So with the sun already blazing, we had a very good feeling about the first event in the new 2010 Adrian Flux Auto Series – Japfest.
And there was good reason to be cheerful. This year the Japfest team had pulled out all the stops to make it the best yet, with more to see and do than ever before and record attendance.
Brand new for 2010 was the Drift Battle. The specially invited drivers were competing for a cash prize and with some big names on track there were reputations at stake, too. After three hard-fought rounds, which produced some of the closest and most exciting drifting ever seen at the Combe, Phil Morrison and Dan Chapman from team Driftworks took top spot, with a stunning display of sideways car control. But the prize for showboating has to go to Luke Fink who’d come all the way from Australia to drive his socks off. He may have been in a low-powered Corolla AE86, but he was leaving other cars behind and pushing so hard he had several crowd-pleasing 100mph spins onto the infield.
With public track sessions sold out well in advance, the circuit was busy all day and in typical Japfest style the range and variety of cars on track made it one of the highlights. We saw everything from Evos, Imprezas and Skylines being driven until their tyres fell off in the expert sessions, to some more oddball stuff including a Subaru Brat pickup and an ultra rare Mitsubishi RVR – a weird little MPV with an Evo engine! It was being driven by a nutter and must have embarrassed more than a few Lancers and Scoobys!
Another new feature for 2010 was the Platinum Trade Village, which brought together some of the UK’s premier aftermarket parts companies in one place. Milltek Sport, Pioneer, KW Automotive, Maxxis Tyres, TSW, Meguiar’s and STP all brought along a selection of their latest products to show that the UK tuning scene is in great shape. And Redline Magazine joined the Village with their Power Paddock display, featuring the very best performance tuned road cars. From a 900bhp Skyline R34 GT-R, to a turbo charged MX-5 kicking out 400bhp, there was something for everyone.
Other attractions include the Adrain Flux stand, with the Flux Babes busy giving drivers of specialist performance cars quotes. They also ran a competition to give away a year’s free insurance to some lucky person. Over on the KW Automotive stand, their awesome Race Room was in full swing, offering mates the chance to race against each other on the high-tech race car simulators. And the guys from S&B Auto Academy were busy tuning a Toyota MR2 live at the show, before racing instructor John Thorne took it out to test the upgrades.
Finally we have to say a huge thanks to all the clubs who brought along over 2,000 of their members’ cars. You guys are what make the show what bit is, and we saw one of the best turnouts ever. In fact, there was such a great vibe that this year’s Japfest could’ve been renamed Smilefest! The best Club stand award went to Jap UK, who received £500 towards next year’s stand. The RX8 Owners Club also deserves a special mention for the work for Help for Heros and we will we be donating £250 to the charity.
And with another record attendance, there’s no doubt that the Japanese car scene is going from strength to strength. Big thanks go to our sponsors Opie Oils and Rare Rims for all their hard work and support.
If you were out on track and fancy getting some great pics of your car, then click the following link to MW Photography – for your chance to buy track photography online (Hyperlink to http://126497.prodarkroom.com/gallery.php?gallery=16e4428f58f790efa8044780e7bdb6bf&PHPSESSID=3f107ab52d0a393f4e004463a1ab9c15 <http://126497.prodarkroom.com/gallery.php?gallery=16e4428f58f790efa8044780e7bdb6bf&PHPSESSID=3f107ab52d0a393f4e004463a1ab9c15>
Special offer - £5 off tickets for Japfest 2! We’ve got our new event – cunningly titled Japfest 2: The Evolution – taking place at Rockingham on 15th August. This brand-new show features the most extreme machines Japan has ever produced, plus 0-60 strip, world-class drifting, track action, plus much more.
Book before 31 May get a special £5 discount off the on the gate price of £18. Quote promo code JF9 to claim your discount and book your ticket for just £13. Offer ends 31 May. Click here to book now <Japfest link to http://uk.sitestat.com/future/japfest2/s?Internal-Japfest-Offer-Clickin&ns_type=clickin <http://uk.sitestat.com/future/japfest2/s?Internal-Japfest-Offer-Clickin&ns_type=clickin> >
