The Cholmondeley Pageant of Power (CPoP) is back this weekend (June 14-16) at Cholmondeley Castle, just outside of Malpas, Cheshire.
The event is packed with high-octane, high decibel attractions to thrill diehard petrolheads as well as families looking for an unbeatable fun-packed day out.
This year will be the sixth successive year of the event and will feature a record number of supercars, race and rally cars, superbikes, helicopters and powerboats, as well as an awesome aerial display involving Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancaster bombers.
Organisers promise the most interactive event ever, allowing visitors to get up-close and personal to the attractions like no other event in the UK. A new and exciting partnership with Wales Rally GB will now see the Pageant of Power play host to a packed schedule of on-track action featuring a number of British rally drivers and their ultra-performance cars.
Descending upon the Cholmondeley Estate will be some of the biggest names from both the World Rally Championship (WRC) and British Rally Championship (BRC), including rising Welsh star Elfyn Evans, who will take to the course in his Qatar M-Sport Ford Fiesta RS WRC car as well as a host of star drivers and their 2013 championship-contending machines.
Other notable British stars lining up to compete around the 1.2-mile track include Tom Cave, who finished second in the 2012 BRC, and reigning Class 3 Welsh National Champion Benjamyn Mckay, while James Ford, Alex Parpottas and Gary Wright complete the BRC entry list.
As well as fierce competition on the track, Aston Martin will be celebrating its centenary and Lamborghini their 50th anniversary with memorable displays of some of their most iconic vehicles. It is 10 years to the day that local manufacturer Bentley Motors won the famous Le Mans 24-hour race and their driver Guy Smith will be at Cholmondeley with the winning car, the Speed 8 making laps of the track to commemorate that triumph. Joining Guy will be another famous racing name, Derek Bell.
As part of Lamborghini’s 50th anniversary celebrations – ‘100 years of innovation in half the time’ – the marque will be pitching its classic and modern Lamborghinis head to head on the event’s 1.2-mile race circuit in a series of full-bore timed runs. There will also be a display of classic vehicles, showing visitors the colourful evolution of the iconic Italian manufacturer.
Marking five decades of production for Lamborghini, some of the brand’s most famous models from its history will be on display, including a rare 1988 25th Anniversary Countach, a Diablo, the first model from the brand to top 200 mph, and the Jalpa, one of only 410 ever manufactured by Lamborghini in the 1980s. Members of the Lamborghini Owners’ Club will also be present at Cholmondeley to display their cherished cars to the attending public.
Other supercars racing the track also include the latest models from illustrious marques including; McLaren, Aston Martin, Bentley, the Bugatti Veyron and many more as they go head-to-head to claim victory in the Pageant’s timed Supercar class.
As well as racing on land, there will be flypasts from Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancaster Bombers plus hovercraft racing, jetski demonstrations and for the first time, flyboarding on the lake. There is also plenty for the little ones to do from mini tank driving, Segway challenges or army assault courses. Alternatively, there is an opportunity to shop ‘til you drop in the Lifestyle Pavilion or relax in one of the trackside bars.
James Hall, event director for The Cholmondeley Pageant of Power comments: “It’s going to be a superb weekend of motorsport action. Not only do we have some of the fastest and most expensive cars in the world here but we have lined up some thrilling air displays and on water racing to complete the action.
“There’s genuinely something for everyone whether it’s the opportunity to fly a helicopter, have a ride in a RIB or just relax in a trackside bar it’s a great day out for the family and we’re really excited to be putting on such a fabulous event again this year.”
On the Saturday evening the Cholmondeley Fireworks Concert is set to return with another magnificent show. The Concert will start with the fantastic Mossley Brass Band followed by the Manchester Camerata Orchestra who will open with Wagner’s Flight of the Valkyries accompanied by a Helicopter flypast from RAF Shawbury.
This year’s theme will be ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ and the show will include a festival of family fun with flag waving to classic the ‘Last Night of the Proms’ style music. The astonishing climax to the evening is a spectacular pyrotechnic display set to music with the breathtaking view of Cholmondeley’s beautiful castle providing a stunning backdrop. Visitors are advised to bring along chairs, rugs and a picnic to enjoy on the Castle lawn.
Gates open to the Cholmondeley Pageant of Power at 8.00am every day. Tickets are available on the day from £25 (£35 on Saturday or Sunday) with children entering free. Adult tickets for the fireworks concert event on Saturday 15 June start at £22, while child tickets start at £5. For more information about the Pageant or to book tickets, visit www.cpop.co.uk or call 01829 772432.
