Street race could be coming to Coventry for MotoFest 2025
Coventry's city ring road could host a street race next year (2025) as part of its annual motoring heritage festival.
MotoFest Coventry has revealed it is in “advanced talks” with the FIA World Rallycross Championship to host a round of the World RX championship in 2025.
After the success of an event in Hong Kong last November, there are plans to bring the dual-surface discipline to more city centres.
A proposed layout has already been drafted and a period of consultation will take place over the next few months, with partners and residents working to agree how the project can be taken forward.
James Noble, MotoFest Coventry festival director, said: “MotoFest Coventry is hugely excited to have entered into advanced discussions with the FIA World Rallycross Championship promoter to host a World RX round at our 2025 festival weekend.
“We have made no secret in the past of our ambition to stage competitive motorsport on Coventry Ring Road and having successfully delivered closed-road time trials, we are now driving forward with the next phase of that plan.
"With a track design drawn up by Driven International, we are close to having all the pieces in place for this ambitious project.
“We are now actively seeking commercial partners to provide the necessary infrastructure and finance required to turbocharge our ambitions and take the plan off the start line.
“With the ambition to stage exhilarating, all-electric racing on our unique city centre sprint circuit, we are taking MotoFest Coventry to the next level by putting the event at the heart of sustainable motorsport for now and the future.
“This is a massive opportunity to showcase Coventry’s motoring past with a project that will help secure its future as a city at the heart of transport innovation and development.”
The World RX championship round would form part of an extended MotoFest Coventry festival weekend, sitting alongside its current sprint circuit programme.
It will also continue to host its Crewsade Drift Arena, live action arenas, dynamic and static car displays and full entertainment programme across the festival weekend.
Arne Dirks, managing director, Rallycross Promoter, said: “Since being appointed promoter of this championship, one thing that has been clear to us is rallycross’ enormous potential to appeal to new audiences.
"A point very well-illustrated by the phenomenal success of our inaugural city-centre event in Hong Kong last year.
"That was a real ‘milestone’ moment and has encouraged us to explore further metropolitan locations.
“MotoFest Coventry has solidly established itself as one of the UK’s most popular car-themed events. We are excited to continue working together as we investigate the possibility of incorporating World RX into MotoFest in 2025 and beyond.”
MotoFest Coventry, which celebrates all things automotive past, present and future, attracts more than 200,000 visitors.
Andrew Wheatley, road sport director of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), said: “Following the success of World RX’s first event in Hong Kong last year, it’s great to see Rallycross Promoter pushing ahead with its plans to bring the sport to more city centres.
"The compact footprint and intense, high-energy nature of rallycross make it well-suited to an urban environment, and with its strong sustainability credentials, Coventry would be anideal location.
"We look forward to seeing how this exciting project develops.”
This year MotoFest Coventry event takes place across the weekend of June 1 and 2.
It will feature a unique blend of racing demonstrations, static displays, live music and anything else with a connection to Coventry, transport and the city’s motoring heritage.
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