ROARING BACK!

ONE of the most popular events in Coventry is set to return again next summer.

MotoFest, one of the biggest events in the UK motoring calendar is set to roar back to the city next June.

The event has been taking place in Coventry for a number of years, and the 2019 edition is set to take place on the weekend of June 1-2.

It kick-starts an exciting month of events for Coventry, which also includes monster truck extravaganza Monster Jam.

MotoFest is a free, familyfriendly event taking place in Coventry city centre.

Much of the ring road and city centre streets are closed as super cars, rally cars and classical motors all converge on the city.

According to the MotoFest website: “MotoFest Coventry is a motoring festival based in Coventry, UK.

“MotoFest is a unique blend of motorsport demonstrations, static displays, live music and anything else with a connection to Coventry and transport.”

Last year saw competitive racing form part of the weekend the first time in almost 30 years that competitive racing took part in a UK city centre.

The nation had seen nothing similar since the Birmingham Superprix in 1990.

As part of this, the ring road was transformed into a racing circuit for sprint races.

Around 100,000 people are believed to have attended last year’s event, each day.

The MotoFest website explains why Coventry is chosen for the event. It says: “In a word: pride. The City of Coventry has a lot to be proud of. From worldrenowned ribbon manufacture to watch and clock-making to bicycle manufacturing to vehicle production to aircraft landing gear, Coventry has been at the forefront of technology.

“Today the city makes the famous London black cabs, armoured vehicles to protect our service personnel in war zones around the world, bespoke parts for prototype cars and electric vehicles.

“The people of Coventry have proven to be resilient in the most desperate and fear-inducing of circumstances, being bombed for 11 continuous hours on the night of 14th November 1940 when the German Luftwaffe put all of their expertise, men and equipment into the attempted destruction of the city.

“More than 36,000 bombs were dropped on the city destroying or damaging around two thirds of the buildings including the Cathedral of St Michael, the ruins of which still stand near the centre.

“Despite the near decimation of the city the people of Coventry (Coventrians!) got straight back to work, initially by making factories operational again to continue to supply the Allied war effort and, post 1945, resurrecting the city using the materials that were readily available at the time.

“Thus, if you think the phrase, “sent to Coventry” gets us down you’d be wrong.

“We’re proud to be part of an amazing city, and we’d like to show you why.”

More information ahead of the 2019 MotoFest is likely to be revealed in the coming months.