Fans meet favourite stars at CRC Speedshow

The annual automotive and motorsport expo, CRC Speedshow, offers fans a great opportunity to meet their favourite race drivers and riders and this year’s show is no exception.

Kiwi V8 Supercar driver Shane van Gisbergen is a special guest in 2011. ‘The Giz’ has a busy schedule through the show weekend, running 23 and 24 July, signing autographs at the Autoshop / SP Tools site beside one of his former SP Tools V8 Supercars.

Van Gisbergen gets the chance to enjoy all the fun that CRC Speedshow has to offer, racing simulators and slot cars, and tackling as many competitive activities as he can.

CRC Speedshow promoter Keith Sharp says: “Antony Eade and the team from Autostop have a fantastic SP Tools tool-kit to give away this year. Everyone that purchases a product from the great range of SP Tools goes in the draw to win this special SP Tools tool-kit.”

Another famous Kiwi V8 Supercar driver, Greg Murphy, joins the driver line-up at CRC Speedshow this year as Murph prepares to race one of the stunning new V8SuperTourers when that new series gets underway early in 2012. The V8SuperTourer team has at least seven drivers racing in their inaugural series at Speedshow, so alongside Murph expect to see John McIntyre, Paul Manuell, Andy Booth, Andy Knight, Anthony Pedersen and Andre Heimgartner.

“It’s very exciting for us to have such an amazing line-up of talent all together to represent V8SuperTourers at CRC Speedshow this year,” says John McIntyre, V8SuperTourer spokesperson, team owner and driver.

“When you think of the array of races and championships we’ve won, it’s astonishing. A four-time Bathurst winner – Greg Murphy; three NZ Grand Prix winners – Greg twice as well as Andy Booth and Andy Knight; six national champion with ten championship titles between them – Greg as two-time Formula Holden champ; Andy Booth as two-time NZV8 champ, Paul Manuell with one NZV8 championship, me with three NZV8 titles, Andy Knight as a Toyota Racing Series champ and teenaged Andre Heimgartner who was the youngest ever New Zealander to win the Formula Ford championship last season at the age of 15.”

Many V8 racing fans will also know that Van Gisbergen and McIntyre are scheduled to drive in the V8 Supercar endurance races – Bathurst and Phillip Island – for Stone Brothers Racing in the #9 SP Tools Falcon.

On the two-wheel side of the motorsport arena, champion superbike rider Sloan Frost visits CRC Speedshow this year. Nicknamed ‘Choppa’, Frost and his championship-winning BMW 1000RR are at the show to highlight Leatt’s world-first neck brace specifically designed for riders of street-style motorcycles.

Leatt New Zealand’s Paris Youroukelis says he will also be showing more world-first neck braces for off-road motorcycling pursuits as well as neck braces for car and kart racing. “Sloan will be at the Leatt site most of the weekend available to speak with fans,” adds Youroukelis.

New Zealand’s first-ever world motocross champion, Shayne King, is also at this year’s CRC Speedshow with his championship-winning bike, the Crown Kiwi team and high-tech motorcycle racing equipment.King has arranged with Alpinestars to display some very special race suits.

“While it would have been amazing to have had some of these international stars at CRC Speedshow, it’s pretty fantastic to have had Alpinestars’ assistance to bring Sebastian Vettel’s actual driving suit from his first F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne,” says the New Plymouth-based King. “We also show Michael Schumacher’s race suit worn in the Canadian Grand Prix and the suit that Casey Stoner wore at the Spanish Moto GP.”

All these suits are the ones that the drivers and riders have actually used in competition.

King notes that Alpinestars also displays the new 2011 KTM 990 Adventure Dakar bike surrounded by the new adventure riding jackets and pants from the new collection.

“We also have a replica Justin Barcia CRF250 Honda; he was the winner of the East Coast Lites USA Supercross Championship alongside the first global launch of the 2012 Alpinestars motocross riding gear collection.”

Sharp adds that CRC Speedshow visitors can find a schedule for the Ezybuy Live Action Arena in the timetable section of the event’s website, www.speedshow.co.nz.
Driver autograph signing sessions will be run throughout the weekend.

CRC Speedshow runs for two days, Saturday 23 July and Sunday 24 July, with tickets available only at the gate. The show opens at 9am each day, closing at 6pm on Saturday and 5pm on Sunday. Adult tickets are $18.50 each, children aged 10 to 15 years $10 each, and children under 10 years of age free with a paying adult. A family pass offers great value at $48 for two adults and up to three children. News, competitions and show information is updated on the show’s website, www.speedshow.co.nz, and Facebook page on a regular basis.