| Recent
News and Events
March 2008. Another new franchisee.
Racing Challenge sets
up its first franchise in Scotland! Bobby Gechie brings the Super
4 to South Glasgow and South West Scotland.
February 2008. The Stig puts down a hot lap at Research Machines.
A charity fund raising day at Research Machines in Abingdon saw the BBC's legendary white suited racing driver putting RM employees to the test. Some say that he sleeps hanging upside down from a bar and that he only eats bacon on a Wednesday. All we know is that he's called The Stig and that he thrashed all other competitors and put down a hot lap of 1.53.416!
January 2008. The fourth franchise
training week.
Just in time for his first
party in February, Eric Graham becomes the lastest franchisee to
join the Racing Challenge team. He is now operating in the Buckinghamshire
and Watford areas.

January 2008.
Business Franchise Magazine at the GMEX in Manchester.
Business Franchise Magazine
again hire the Racing Challenge to promote their magazine and entertain
exhibitors and the public. The show was a big hit and many people
attended from all over northern England. Look out for Racing Challenge
at the London Olympia, Glasgow and Birmingham NEC franchise shows
later this year.
December 2007.
Third franchise training week.
Another fantasticly successful
franchise training week sees the fourth and fifth franchises swing
into business. Just in time for Christmas Mr Aidan McLoughlin takes
over trading with his Super 4 simulator in Oxfordshire, with Southeast
Gloucestershire and North Wiltshire included in his area also. Mr
Paul Mahon was the other franchisee, he however becomes the first
Super 8 simulator franchisee and will be trading throughout the
Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Aidan McLoughlin: Oxfordshire,
Paul Mahon: Super 8 for Republic of Ireland
East Gloucestershire and North Wiltshire
October/November
2007. Second franchise training week a big success.
Our third franchisee was put through
the training course at the end of October and began trading at the
begining of November. Mr Simon Alley is now running a Super 4 simulator
for Racing Challenge Northwest, based in Cheshire.

Simon
Alley: Racing Challenge Franchisee for Cheshire and the Northwest
October 2007.
Business Franchise Magazine at the NEC in Birmingham.
Business Franchise Magazine
hire Racing Challenge to entertain their clients at the Franchise
show in the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. The two day
show was a big hit drawing people from all over the country. Racing
Challenge provided some much needed entertainment to the public
and other franchise traders.
September 2007.
Scouts 100th year anniversary at The Big Event in Kent.
Almost two years in planning,
2007 was the 100th anniversary of the Scouting movement. Many events
were scheduled throughout the year but the highlight was to come
at Kent Showground. Over 8000 Scounts, Cubs, Beavers, Guides and
Brownies camped at the showground and enjoyed many different activities
including zipwires, a model steam railway, bouncy castles, campcraft
and much more. The Racing Challenge was also involved and entertained
hundreds over the weekend.

August
2007. Jason Plato wows crowds at Beverley's Revved Up Race Day!
Racing
Challenge recently entertained the public at a special Revved Up
Race Day held at Beverley race course in Yorkshire . The event was
part of a two day race meet hosted to raise money for Dove House
Hospice. The first day was a Ladies Day and Racing Challenge was
brought in the following day to entice the men to attend.
Jason
Plato, 2001 British Touring Car
Champion and current BTCC points leader, was present to race against
corporate guests and the public and wowed the crowds with exceptional
high speed laps of Monza . Due in no small part to Racing Challenge,
attendance for the day was 40% higher than organisers expected.
July
2007. French Car Show at Rockingham Speedway .
Modified
Renault, Peugeot and Citroen cars arrived in droves at Rockingham
Speedway to display and race around the track. Upwards of 15,000
people attended with highlights including a jet pack being flown
down the pit lane, Dave Coates the professional motorbike stunt
rider performing tricks and monster trucks doing wheelies!
Racing
Challenge provided further entertainment for the masses and was
sponsored for the show by Gofaster energy drink, an American brand
entering the British market. All in all a high octane fuelled day
that petrol-heads thoroughly relished.
July
2007. British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
The
most eagerly awaited event in the British motor sports calendar
lived up to expectations with incredible driving all round and,
despite pit lane mistakes, another podium finish for the gifted
Lewis Hamilton. Kimi Rikkonen held off the two McLarens to win,
with Alonso grabbing second place. Nevertheless the day's best action
was the drive from Massa , who after starting last from the pit
lane, carved up the field to finish fifth.

Not
all of the action was confined to the track however. The Racing
Challenge Super 8 was positioned in its usual spot in E Zone on
Stowe, attracting record crowds from Friday through to Sunday. Racing
Challenge teamed up with the E Zone entertainment and allowed groups
of eight drivers to race head to head for prizes including pit lane
passes and helicopter rides.
June
2007. First franchise training week.
The
first two franchisees attended a week long training course, equipping
them with everything they need to know in order for them to run
a successful Racing Challenge Super 4 simulator. Both franchises
are now up and running; Mr Seamus Grimley running the Belfast and
Northern Ireland area, and Mr Craig Bevan running Herefordshire
and some of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire.
Mr C. Bevan: Franchisee
for Herefordshire. Mr S. Grimley: Franchisee
for Northern Ireland
June
2007. Lincolnshire Show.
Off
to the North for two days of open countryside and fresh air! The
Lincolnshire show attracted a hugely diverse crowd and many interesting
events and stalls. The array of cutting edge agricultural machinery
was fascinating and onlookers were entertained by a range of acts,
including show jumping and daredevil motocross stunt riders.
Racing
Challenge paired up with the Lincolnshire Road Safety scheme to
promote road awareness. In order to race, a safety quiz first had
to be answered. An average of 300 children per day completed the
quiz before enjoying racing against one another. This result heavily
surpassed Lincolnshire Council's predictions, and hopefully educated
600 children about the dangers involved in driving and roads.
June
2007. Iveco Stralis Truck Launch at Milbrook Test Circuit.
In order
to promote the launch of the new Stralis truck, Iveco arranged a
week long event at Milbrook Test Circuit. Clients were invited to
view the new truck in its eye-catching New Zealand Rugby inspired
livery and then to drive around the sweeping four lane track complete
with banked corners and steep inclines. Between drives Racing Challenge
was on hand to provide some real racing, making it slightly difficult
to get clients back into the trucks!
May
2007. Caravan Club National Rally at Blenheim Palace .
Despite
being one of the wettest weekends of the year, the Caravanners still
arrived in their thousands! Whole acres of the Blenheim Estate were
covered in caravans of all shapes and sizes from many different
countries. A large number of activities were scheduled for the weekend,
however many were cancelled as the weather worsened - bouncy castles
were deflated and stall holders began lashing down their merchandise.
Nevertheless,
at the Racing Challenge Super 4 simulator, crowds continued to swell,
and those just sheltering under the awning from the elements were
soon involved as well. In the end the rally was thoroughly enjoyed
by all, even those who needed to be towed out of the mud!
April
2007. Bahrain Grand Prix.
One of
the highlights in the Racing Challenge calendar and now our second
year of attending the Grand Prix. A total of eight of the Racing
Challenge simulators were lined up track side for the racegoers
to experience the action for themselves. A very entertaining Grand
Prix, with Massa taking the chequered flag just 2.3 seconds ahead
of Britain 's talented Lewis Hamilton, who left Rikkonen trailing
eight seconds adrift in third. Look out for Racing Challenge later
this year at Silverstone!
March
2007. Bahrain Grand Prix promotion.
To
shift eight simulators, each weighing over a quarter of a tonne,
the 3,750 miles from Oxford to Bahrain is a large undertaking to
say the least. After much blood, sweat and tears (well, not quite
the tears) the simulators were safely packed away in specially constructed
crates and so began the long journey involving several lorry rides
and Grand Prix sponsor Gulf Air. Despite the blistering temperatures
of over 35 ºC and a lot of sand and dust, the simulators remained
in perfect working order and were in place ready for the Grand Prix
and the month long promotions.

March
2007. British Franchise Show in London .
Due
to the massive success of the Super 4 simulator since its launch
in September 2006, Racing Challenge has decided to become a franchised
operation. The decision was reached primarily because demand for
the Super 4 for birthday parties and corporate events was far outstripping
supply. The Franchise Show was a great success and we look forward
to running our first franchise training week at the end of June.
So look out for a Racing Challenge in your area soon!!

Silverstone
Grand Prix crowds queue non stop to experience the
Racing Challenge at the 2006 British Grand Prix. For 3 days, there
was a constant queue of excited drivers wanting to race each other
as the Racing Challenge was used by the Grand Prix race organisers
in the Silverstone E-Zone.
At a rate of nearly 100 drivers per hour, from 7.30am to 6.00pm
each day, many race fans more than made up for the disappointment
of Jenson Button's race week-end.
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