2018 HMI International to Introduce Drivers' Club
Historic Motorsport International will blast into 2018 with more floor space and exciting new features including a special new Drivers’ Club open exclusively to exhibitors and their guests.
Now revving up for its second year, HMI has become the pre-season event for historic motorsport competitors, organisers, preparation experts, dealers and enthusiasts. It returns to Excel London from 15th-18th February 2018 ready to kick start the classic motorsport season. As in 2017, it will run alongside the London Classic Car Show to ensure maximum exposure for the historic motorsport and the classic car industries. Earlier this year, the double bill attracted a record 37,000 visitors.
The newly introduced HMI Drivers’ Club, supported by leading companies such as British Motor Heritage, Cosworth, Dunlop Motorsport and Piloti, will be a central meeting place where exhibitors can catch up with existing and potential customers, competitors, friends and the trade.
It will be buzzing, too, with many top name exhibitors returning in 2018, and there will be plenty of newcomers, too. Companies such as Gosnays, Qunnitech Racing, Rally Round and Motor Racing Medics will be joined by racing car manufacturers Crosslé and Lister Cars along with renowned sales companies including The Old Racing Car Company and Hall & Hall. Indeed, there will be a large selection of historic competition machinery offered for sale through specialist companies and at an on-site auction.
The Vintage Sports-Car Club (VSCC) is one of the notable newcomers to be joining HMI in 2018. It will be showcasing all of its events and creating a hub for its almost 7,000 members. The Classic Sports Car Club, Equipe GTS and Historic Grand Prix Cars Association will be lining up alongside the VSCC with many more clubs and series organisers finalising their plans.
Another popular feature back even bigger and better for 2018 will celebrate the Silverstone Classic, Europe’s biggest festival of historic motor racing and classic motoring. This year’s superlative event takes place at the end of this month and will include two capacity grid races celebrating 50 years of Formula Ford – these will be ‘Presented by Historic Motorsport International’.
Come next February, the Silverstone Classic will again bring its pop-up pub, the Scarf & Goggles, to ExCeL. It’s the perfect place to chill out with a pint of Silverstone Real Ale. On show in a bigger display area will be a selection of stand-out cars due to race at Silverstone in 2018, plus a vintage food van and a huge screen showing some of the great on-track action from this week’s Classic weekend.
The Supagard Theatre will again host HMI’s Conference Programme, which mixes debate on important issues affecting the sport with star driver appearances and other entertainment. Among the names appearing at HMI in 2017 were multiple Le Mans winners Jacky Ickx, Derek Bell, Emanuele Pirro and Jackie Oliver plus tin top hero Steve Soper and F1 ace Martin Donnelly.
“The overwhelmingly positive reactions from visitors and exhibitors to the first edition of HMI and the third running of LCCS are proof, if any were needed, that our unique double bill of classic motoring and historic motor sport exhibitions are firmly on the map.
“For 2018, both shows are going to be bigger still with plenty of stunning machinery on display and guest appearances from top names from the motor sport world,” said event director Alexia Antikides.
The 2018 edition of HMI/LCCS will be held at ExCeL, London, on 15th-18th February.
