Silverstone Cancel MGLive!
By Paul Jurd
MGLive!, the MG Car Club’s flagship two day meeting at Silverstone has been cancelled as the circuit is now being resurfaced prior to the British Grand Prix in July. Originally set for the circuit's Grand Prix layout on the weekend of the 15th and 16th of June, MGLive! not only featured a host of MG racing and a packed infield of events and displays, but also rounds of the Equipe GTS and Pre’63 series, the Porsche Club championship which was to include a large field of the Classic Restoracing Championship Boxsters.
On a statement on the MGCC website, Adam Sloman, General Manager of MG Car Club sates: “We are incredibly sorry to be sharing such devastating news and everyone at the Club is so distraught that we are no longer able to hold MGLive! at Silverstone this year, due to this Force Majeure situation.
“It is such a shame, as we have experienced record sales versus previous years with so many members and classic car enthusiasts purchasing tickets well in advance. We are so deeply sorry to all of those ticket holders and enthusiasts who have supported the Club and event to date.
“We are absolutely making every effort to find an alternative option for MGLive! in 2019, we do not want to add to the decline of classic motoring shows or events we’ve already seen recently, and we are not going to be beaten by this.
“We are working very hard to find a solution for a venue that can hold our unique race & entertainment event, and hope to make a further announcement soon confirming the arrangements going forwards.
“Once we have those arrangements in place, we will be in touch with all our current ticket holders outlining the options that will be available to them. We’d like to thank the classic car community in advance for their support and understanding.”
Stuart Pringle, Managing Director of Silverstone Circuits Limited added “Silverstone Circuits Limited is extremely sorry for the cancellation of the MGLive! event in June. This is due to essential track maintenance. We will work with the Club to find a suitable alternative date later in the year that accommodates MGCC Members aspirations for their racing.”
This will be a big blow for the MGCC, as it is the headline meeting of their season and also it would seem likely a key part of their financial planning for 2019. With most race calendars and circuit bookings for this year already in place many weeks ago, it is hard to see how they will be able to source a venue or date as high-profile as their original summer Silverstone slot.
