Modified Live 2012 Round 1 - Cadwell Park

After the long winter break Modified Live is back! Over the past six months it’s been a busy time for everyone involved in the Modified Live show, from the Time Attack competitors rebuilding and refreshing their race machines right through to the Kleers show cars undergoing extra mods and detailing to give them the edge over their rivals!

2012 kicks off at Cadwell Park, one of the best circuits for punters thanks to the huge gradient giving a fantastic view of the track including key action spots such as Hall Bends used by the EDC drifters. The huge field areas also mean each club has plenty of space for their stands and display cars meaning more people can be part of the show than ever before! As well as the usual action from the Time Attack and EDC series, Modified Live 2012 also welcomes the Civic Cup which, just like the mighty minis last year, results in some fantastically close racing thanks to the near-identical specs of each car competing. In between this action, Kevin Carmichael was back to perform a series of stunts displays on his range of motorbikes, a crowd favourite from the 2011 season.

With Modified Live being one of the first major events in the UK show season, it’s always refreshing to take a walk around the array of car clubs and tuners on display showcasing exactly what they’ve been upto during winter. With the weather finally dry it’s brought along plenty of punters who, thanks to the Great British attitude, aren’t fussed about a bit of mud when there’s such a quality event underway. In between the EDC and Time Attack pits it’s an absolute hive of activity with trade stands, car clubs and sponsor stands all on display. Time Attack welcomed both Petronas Oil UK and KW Suspension to their 2012 line up, both getting right into the Modified Live spirit bringing along stands and products for punters and competitors to check out!

Kleers once again held their ‘Show and Shine’ competition attracting over 30 entrants with a huge diversity of cars – just check out that classic hot rod with the engine completely uncovered, brave given the weather! In 2012 the Euro look is still as popular as ever but we’re seeing even more non-euro cars following this trend. It’s always good to see some of the classic show parked alongside those more extreme show cars gleaming in the sunshine – if there’s one thing Modified Live represents, it’s ALL aspects of car culture.

Throughout the morning both Time Attack and EDC warm-ups take place as well as the new Civic Cup qualifying. These Hondas aren’t exactly slouches – during their qualifying the fastest times even exceed some of the Club Class Time Attack laps – all while battling against one another out on track! Straight after the Civic Cup qualifying it was time for Kevin Carmichael’s crazy stunt bike display and If you’ve never seen him perform you’re in for a serious treat! One of his most popular stunts is to wheelie a huge Harley Davidson cruiser – and we don’t mean some 10mph crawl, Kevin bangs through the gears upto and over 100mph on one wheel, all while waving to the crowd like nothing’s going on. What’s more, with the Great British weather opening up literally at the start of his performance, Kevin continues to wheelie, donut and endo all while on semi-slick bike tyres in the wet. We’re not sure whether he’s entirely sane, but there’s no denying the sheer skill this man has!

Unfortunately for those Show and Shine competitors the raincloud during lunch has undone all their morning’s cleaning work – not that this bothered the majority! One of the competitors even told us, ‘It’s only a bit of water. It’s not like I’m about to go and do some donuts in the field! Plus it gives me an excuse to clean the car again which isn’t too bad.’ That’s some dedication right there, but hardly surprising when you consider the time, effort and money these guys put into making their car look as best as possible all through the year. During lunch the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership put on a display showing exactly what happens during an road traffic incident. This includes everything from the Fire serives freeing any trapped motorists right through to the Air Ambulance and Police who all play a key part in ensuring your safety on the roads. With plenty of single-track roads and horrible weather Lincolnshire roads can be some of the most dangerous in Britain - it's always great to have the Police and services supporting Modified Live.

With the day coming to a close there was just enough time to announce the Kleers ‘Show and Shine’ winners. Just like 2011, Kleers award trophies within a variety of classes including Euro, JDM, Classic and Performance. As well as these, a final ‘Best in Show’ trophy is awarded to the car that exceeds every other competitor on display. ‘We’ve been blown away by the turnout today’ explains Kleers director Rob Barnes. ‘Given the weather it’s fantastic to see so many people put in the effort and enter the competition – we look forward to Round 2!’

Those winners from Cadwell Park include:
Best JDM – Adam Robinson, Mazda RX7
Best Euro – Josh Howell, Citroen C2 GT
Best Retro – Claire Scott, Ford Escort Cab
Best OEM – Mike Popperwell, VW Golf GTI
Modified & Best In Show – Joseph Williams, Fiesta ST

After the Time Attack finals Round 1 of Modified Live was over. Despite the initial weather Cadwell Park turned out to be a fantastic start to the season with new competitors, new trade stands and clubs all coming out for the day. We look forward to heading upto Knockhill for Round 2 on June 10th – for more information please visit modifiedlive.co.uk