The supercar event is this weekend!
AKA car spotters heaven! Don't miss out 24th, 25th June 2017 at Dunsfold Aerodrome. (The Top Gear track)
On the face of it the Supercar Event may look like a bunch of Ferrari's, Lamborghini's, TVR's, Porsche's, even Zonda's burning tyre rubber on a sunny weekend in June but it runs much deeper than that. It all began in 2006 when Richard Davis visited a friends daughter at the Children's Trust. Becky had come out of a coma but her brain function had been affected. It was a long road to recovery but with the help of the trust Becky gradually learned to walk and talk again. As a treat Richard got together friends from Club Scuderia to take some of the children at the hospice for rides in their cars....but it wasn't just the children who were keen to have a ride in the cars and so the idea was born to offer rides to anyone, in exchange for a donation to the Children's Trust.
Lamborghini Aventador on track at the Supercar Event
Fast forward to 2009 and the day had become so popular it had outgrown the Children's Trust premises. They were able to secure Dunsfold Aerodrome, the home of Top Gear, as the new base. The event was originally known as 'Dad's Day Out' as it fell on fathers day weekend but since we girls are quite keen on cars too that soon changed to The Supercar Event.
The smiles say it all! I'm not sure who enjoyed themselves most, Chris or the young lad chosen at random from the crowd for a ride in the La Ferrari.
As word spread, more and more people attended and the event was extended to a full weekend of petrolhead bliss! As well as the core supercar rides around the circuit other attractions were added; high speed Caterham Thrill rides around a tight, twisty course, or, for those who prefer a more refined ride there are classic and sports car rides around the local countryside provided by members of the Sporting Bears motor club. There are plenty of fairground rides to keep the little ones amused too, as well as booster seats for little ones keen on a supercar ride of course!
Nilesh, the fastest dentist in Essex, shaking hands with another happy customer in his Ferrari 458 spider. Ask nicely and he'll give you a dental check up at 100mph!
Last year more than £120,000 was raised for the Children's Trust, quite something given the humble origins of the event and all in the name of a young girl named Becky.
More info can be found on the Supercar Event website on this years line up. www.thesupercarevent.com
I personally became involved in 2009 when the event moved to Dunsfold and I was asked to produce a video for the Children's Trust. Below is one of my favourites from the years I've covered; 2014......Chris Evan's turned up with his La Ferrari. He'd only picked it up 3 days before and wasn't feeling well but couldn't resist bringing it along to show the crowds. 'Showing' the crowds his new car quickly turned in to auctioning rides around the track in aid of the trust and 5 lucky people got an experience that's difficult, if not impossible, to top for a car lover! One of the auction winners, another supercar owner, donated his place to a child picked at random from the crowd "to make their day". It certainly did that and just goes to show what a warm hearted bunch of softies these car owners are!
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