MG Live - 12/13 June - Silverstone GP

[John Turner]

Anyone here attend this event in any capacity? They even allowed a few spectators in. Great weekend with good racing, but swelteringly hot, particularly on Sunday. I think both drivers and engines overheated on occasions! FISCAR were there sharing the grid with Equipe Classics in their two Pre63/1950s grid. Photographic opportunitues were quite difficult for amateurs but I did manage to snatch a few and will put a few up in due course!

[The Fat Clerk]

Originally Posted by John Turner

Anyone here attend this event in any capacity? They even allowed a few spectators in. Great weekend with good racing, but swelteringly hot, particularly on Sunday. I think both drivers and engines overheated on occasions! FISCAR were there sharing the grid with Equipe Classics in their two Pre63/1950s grid. Photographic opportunitues were quite difficult for amateurs but I did manage to snatch a few and will put a few up in due course!

Missed it this year, I was a Drag Race Meeting @ the Melbourne Raceway in Yorkshire. Shame because it's usually a cracking event.

[Peter Mallett]

We were at Thruxton. I understood the event to be a race meeting rather than the MG festival it usually is. Nonetheless good to see them back at Silverstone.

[John Turner]

Yes, indeed, Peter, there were no club stands or exhibitions, and the number of spectators was very restricted. The racing was good though, and let's hope this event which I've always felt was, for some reason one of the best kept secrets in club racing gets fully underway again next year!

[Peter Mallett]

I hope so too, I first went to it in 1985, raced at it a few times and always enjoyed it. A sort of mini classic with trade stands, food outlets etc.

[midgetman]

That was always my beef with MG Live, I thought it tried to be a Classic Lite. Fewer MG club races and it lost the innocent charm of the MG Car Club International Weekend. Prices went up, more people lived in expensive motorhome encampments instead of mixing together in the bars. Sounds like the current version would have suited me down to the ground.

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[Colin McKay]

I missed this......as an MGCC member of 2 months standing I was unaware it was happening. I recently acquired my first ever MG (unless you count the ZB I parked in a girlfriend's dad's barn 50 years ago and never drove. I did paint the rocker cover red though)

[Derwent]

I've not missed many in the last thirty years as a driver, steward or spectator. The cost of putting it on over two days on the GP circuit is massive. Thus they need to accept guest races that pay well.
Big changes next year for the MGCC with a new committee taking over with hopefully new ideas while the Equipe GTS folk are going to run their own race meetings which will leave a hole in the Car Club ones.
Some of the series like the Midgets find the GP track too stressful so they often opt out.

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by Derwent

I've not missed many in the last thirty years as a driver, steward or spectator. The cost of putting it on over two days on the GP circuit is massive. Thus they need to accept guest races that pay well.

.

My criticism exactly.

I preferred the more compact nature of the old event on the shorter circuit. As a non-regular attendee I felt MGL had no soul, but maybe that's just the way motor sport has gone as a whole. Finish your race, back to the motorhome or hotel and stay in your little bubble. Gone were the days of mass revelry in the clubhouse, meeting new people, having fun. MGL looked like just another race meeting, and another sprawling trade village.

As for the racing, well a circuit suitable for current F1 behemoths is never going to be exciting for pre- and post- war road cars. I imagine a Triple M must be like driving on the M25! Not particularly stimulating for the spectators either.

All in all I felt that MGL had become more about the organisers than the participants either on or off track, so I stopped going. I even let my membership lapse, although I rejoined when I got the ZR so I've seen and welcome the latest senior management changes. Let's see if Covid Austerity brings an event I enjoy more.

Or am I just a grumpy old git?


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[Peter Mallett]

Don't forget the meeting was televised back in the old black and white TV days. And Silverstone provided the venue at or below cost. As time moved on either the international festival was lost or another way to finance it had to be found. So, it became MG live with the central theme being the international meeting of marque fans. I agree the circuit may be somewhat out of kilter with the cars but also the old International circuit provided the best compromise between length and fun. For me it would be a great shame if they lost the event.

[The Fat Clerk]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Don't forget the meeting was televised back in the old black and white TV days. And Silverstone provided the venue at or below cost. As time moved on either the international festival was lost or another way to finance it had to be found. So, it became MG live with the central theme being the international meeting of marque fans. I agree the circuit may be somewhat out of kilter with the cars but also the old International circuit provided the best compromise between length and fun. For me it would be a great shame if they lost the event.

I remember 5 or 6 years ago, I was doing the Safety Car, and was asked to take the Chairman of the Australian MGCC & his son round for a few laps during the lunchbreak & had a good chat with them. They had come over just for MG Live.

[John Turner]

A few pit and paddock shots. I'll add some others later:-

[John Turner]

And a few more:-

[John Turner]

Last lot. Note the smattering of spectators allowed in at Luffield. Also my usual rambling race report here, if anyone is interested:-

http://fiscar.org/mg-live-silverstone-gp-1

[Gerard C]

I cant believe someone dares to put a DV on the track! Nice race report, very complete and well documented. Serious stuff, congrats.

[John Turner]

Hi Gerard; kind remarks, thank you. Chris Mann's approach to owning and running the DV is unusual and refreshing. He pranged it at one of our races at Castle Combe
2/3 years back but didn't think twice about returning to the track. I think he sees it first and foremost as something to enjoy rather than as an appreciating asset (which it also is, of course!)