Retro Race

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Mutley78

Original Poster:

102 posts

63 months

Friday 24th February 2023
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Hi All

So I have a spare ticket going free if anyone would like it.

I’d rather share it than it goes to waste.

Please feel free to DM me and I’ll send it.

Thanks

Richard-G

1,714 posts

182 months

Saturday 25th February 2023
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Hello mutley

I was pontificating if I should go or not, a free ticket would swing the balance! I've tried direct messaging you but your dm's are off

Thanks in advance

Mutley78

Original Poster:

102 posts

63 months

Saturday 25th February 2023
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Richard-G said:
Hello mutley

I was pontificating if I should go or not, a free ticket would swing the balance! I've tried direct messaging you but your dm's are off

Thanks in advance
I’ve just sent you a DM…

Richard-G

1,714 posts

182 months

Saturday 25th February 2023
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Just replied, thanks Alex

LukeBrown66

4,479 posts

53 months

Saturday 25th February 2023
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Fair is all I will say for the money.

Rally stage is only thing really worth seeing. Endless space taken up with bloody trailers and food, hardly anything to really look at you cannot get in the auction area, so there are really only 2 halls as the other one is full of tat.

I was hoping for more, but without doubt the weakest RR I have been to yet in terms of stuff for the fan to see. When you have tat stalls in the main arena, it tells you something.

Rally stage was good, some nice stuff and good drivers, but overall considering how long they have been away, I was expecting a lot more. A lot scared away or struggling it seems.

Mutley78

Original Poster:

102 posts

63 months

Saturday 25th February 2023
quotequote all
LukeBrown66 said:
Fair is all I will say for the money.

Rally stage is only thing really worth seeing. Endless space taken up with bloody trailers and food, hardly anything to really look at you cannot get in the auction area, so there are really only 2 halls as the other one is full of tat.

I was hoping for more, but without doubt the weakest RR I have been to yet in terms of stuff for the fan to see. When you have tat stalls in the main arena, it tells you something.

Rally stage was good, some nice stuff and good drivers, but overall considering how long they have been away, I was expecting a lot more. A lot scared away or struggling it seems.
That’s a shame Luke, I actually ended up taking a trip to Gilks which isn’t far away from where you were today. It’s a great little spot but definitely book a table as it gets busy.

Y Cymro

54 posts

178 months

Saturday 25th February 2023
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LukeBrown66 said:
Fair is all I will say for the money.
Rally stage is only thing really worth seeing. Endless space taken up with bloody trailers and food, hardly anything to really look at you cannot get in the auction area, so there are really only 2 halls as the other one is full of tat.

I was hoping for more, but without doubt the weakest RR I have been to yet in terms of stuff for the fan to see. When you have tat stalls in the main arena, it tells you something.

Rally stage was good, some nice stuff and good drivers, but overall considering how long they have been away, I was expecting a lot more. A lot scared away or struggling it seems.
Thanks for your comments. Don’t think I’ll bother going tomorrow having read this. Doesn’t seem to be worth a 5hr, 300miles round trip with £60 of petrol burnt. I went to the last one before Covid and that was poor, so if you went to that one and this is worse……..

And the advanced ticket discount is a joke: £2 discount given and then they charge an additional £1.95 to buy a ticket.


Edited by Y Cymro on Saturday 25th February 18:50

Red9zero

7,908 posts

64 months

Saturday 25th February 2023
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LukeBrown66 said:
Fair is all I will say for the money.

Rally stage is only thing really worth seeing. Endless space taken up with bloody trailers and food, hardly anything to really look at you cannot get in the auction area, so there are really only 2 halls as the other one is full of tat.

I was hoping for more, but without doubt the weakest RR I have been to yet in terms of stuff for the fan to see. When you have tat stalls in the main arena, it tells you something.

Rally stage was good, some nice stuff and good drivers, but overall considering how long they have been away, I was expecting a lot more. A lot scared away or struggling it seems.
Agree completely. Very underwhelmed this year. Parking seemed to be much further away than usual, with a very convoluted route to get in. Luckily it was dry today. The auto jumble seemed to be an afterthought, stuck on a limb outside. There wasn't the usual number of halls, so everything was a bit squashed, without a lot of the usual displays too. The lighting in one hall was very poor, it seemed very dim, although all the lights were on. I know there was some doubt over the show coming back after Covid, but this really didn't help their case for next year.

MrBrightSi

2,914 posts

177 months

Saturday 25th February 2023
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I heard the guy commentating at the rally stage say "We've made the viewing a lot better this year as opposed to other years"

Couldn't disagree more. They've ruined how open and easy it was to view the rally stage from anywhere around the track, instead funnelling people into a single side and pretty far back.

This year was a washout, was nice to see it was back on and for so many cars to actually show up and used, but they've made it a pain to enjoy.

BEP

361 posts

212 months

Saturday 25th February 2023
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We were offered a stand about three - four weeks ago (Racewear suppliers incidentally), when we saw the way it had shrunk into the two halls and the exhibitor list booked in we decided to give it a miss. I know ASI gets a kicking but as a retailer it’s always been better, I do hope however that both shows survive and grow back to the levels they were pre Covid but I’m not overly hopeful.

LukeBrown66

4,479 posts

53 months

Sunday 26th February 2023
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Apparently they were limited to two show halls.

My advice get rid of the poncy auction area that took up an entire hall and was only limited to people who paid to get in there. As a punter you were not even allowed to look around there, pathetic. But typical of historic show stuff and historic motorsport at the elite level sadly.

I gather they were limited in hall allocation for some reason so that might explain something, so tell people, let them know, but that will mean people might not fork out huh.

I am starting to think wintertime car shows are now a total con, I went to the bike show at the NEC last year and it was staggering, cheaper than both ASI and RR, loads of stuff to see and do, it is there for over a week, it fills about 4 halls at the NEC!!

It made little difference, it was busy so these wazarks who ran RR it will up the prices next year as the only thing they are interested is footfall and profit,

But I will not be going again, it has fallen from grace actually been a slow decline, but a few years back it was honest, basic, now it is just a con, sorry to be harsh, but I felt ripped off coming home yesterday, I felt I could have walked round the entire thing in an hour.


Red9zero

7,908 posts

64 months

Tuesday 28th February 2023
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Definately agree it was much better when it was a bit rougher. Drafty cow sheds and a few less fudge stands were fine by me. Seems like they are trying to be another Autosport show, but without the budget or space. I notice the organisers are sending out surveys to get opinions on this year's show, which is brave. Hopefully they will act on the results, as RR used to be one of my favourite shows.

bumskins

1,928 posts

22 months

Tuesday 28th February 2023
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LukeBrown66 said:
I was hoping for more, but without doubt the weakest RR I have been to yet in terms of stuff for the fan to see. When you have tat stalls in the main arena, it tells you something.
Glad I didn't make the trip after that damning review!

I notice the Autosport show was similar this year - lots of stanced tat and tarted up cars with crap bodykits etc on, hardly what's expected of the Autosport motorsport show!

Richard-G

1,714 posts

182 months

Friday 3rd March 2023
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After receiving the ticket from Alex on Saturday morning I got to the show around 10:45 and stayed until 4pm.

It was my first time at race retro, I’ve been to the national kit car show at Stoneleigh a few times and enjoyed it so I know Stoneleigh and the layout quite well.

overall, I enjoyed the show, plenty to see and plenty of people to talk to, i have also never seen rally cars live before so that was a boon!

however.....it wasn’t worth £30 for a ticket, that I will agree with, if it was around £20 I think it would offer great value.

Thanks to Alex's kind donation of his ticket I donated £15 to the WWF who were there and £15 to the royal British legion.

will also give Gilks cafe a go on the way to Stratford with the other half this spring.


Peter911

512 posts

164 months

Tuesday 20th February
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Not sure if there is another thread on it but this years (2024) event has been cancelled due flooding and the ground is waterlogged.

Richard-G

1,714 posts

182 months

Thursday 22nd February
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Peter911 said:
Not sure if there is another thread on it but this years (2024) event has been cancelled due flooding and the ground is waterlogged.
Yes I've just had the email, gutted as I was looking forward to going again this year. The pictures look pretty bad, the water is really high, and the A road heading from Coventry way is also closed due to flooding.

Looks like my car season will kick off at the restoration show at the NEC now.