Island Car Centre has been announced as the title sponsor of the 2020 Sandown Sprint, on the same day that it is confirmed 100 entries have been received for this year’s event.
As the Isle of Wight’s leader in quality used cars, it makes an ideal partner for the event which sees closed-road motorsport return to the Island for the first time in decades.
The Island Car Centre Sandown Sprint takes place at Culver Parade on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th March 2020.
Promoter, Tim Addison said:
“The timing of this announcement is fantastic as we can also confirm a ‘full grid’ of 100 race car entries. Although entries are still open, we now know that the Island Car Centre Sandown Sprint will be oversubscribed. We’re likely to see a diverse range of cars take on the challenge of our sprint course in Sandown.”
Will Nicholls is the owner of the Island Car Centre in Rookley and no stranger to motor racing. He has been a consistently successful rally driver for many years and intends to enter the sprint himself.
Will commented:
“Island Car Centre is pleased to support the Isle of Wight Speed Trials with this exciting new event for the Island. The Sandown Sprint will be the first time in almost 50 years motorsport will be back on the Islands roads and we’re proud as the islands largest dealer of quality used cars to be supporting the event.”
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Spectator ticket sales have been limited to just 2,000 per day and almost a third of this allocation has been sold within the first couple of weeks. Cost of entry has been kept to just £5 with all accompanied children aged 15 years and under admitted for free.
Organisers underlined that only those people holding tickets will be allowed entry to the Island Car Centre Sandown Sprint.
Tim says:
“In our first year, we are fairly restricted as to how many spectators we can accommodate. If you do want to come along and support the event, then please do get online and buy yours as soon as possible.”
In addition to general admission tickets, there are special family packages and a limited number of VIP tickets available. A special enclosure has been located close to the hairpin bend at the Browns Golf Course to look after event sponsors and their guests. Anyone wanting to join them can buy tickets online and all profits from these VIP sales will be donated to the Wildheart Trust at Sandown Zoo.
The Island Car Centre Sandown Sprint is being organised by promoters Solent together with the Isle of Wight Car Club which is the race organising club. The Club has been very busy processing applications and answering competitor’s questions since registrations opened in November. They continue to be impressed by the number and variety of vehicles entered to take part.
Chairman Malcolm Smith enthused:
“We’re also very pleased to welcome the Island Car Centre as sponsors of this event. Will Nicholls is very well known by our Club members and has been a leading light for motorsport on and off the Isle of Wight for many years.”
Organisers are now looking for a team of volunteers to help marshall the event. Anyone interested in being involved is encouraged to find out more information and register to volunteer on the website at www.isleofwightspeedtrials.co.uk.
Island Car Centre Sandown Sprint is also supported by:
• John Peck Construction
• Visit Isle of Wight
• Wightlink Ferries
• Hose Rhodes Dickson
• Heritage Great Britain – Sandham Gardens
More encouragement for more bad drivers on the Island…
What i’ve heard is that the majority of the competitors are going over for the weekend from the mainland, and it’s a controlled event with the closed road being the circuit? all the necessary insurances and health and safety issues will be adhered to! It has to be good for Sandown as well as the Isle of Wight. Comments like yours Clare i’m afraid sum up the apathy and ignorance that you and other locals seem to have.
Correct in the sea maybe
I moved to the Island in 1978 when the Island was booming and worked in The Bayshore Hotel waiting on morning lunchtime and evening for the owner Tim Rich? This is great news for Sandown and the Island in general. Hope the organisers get the necessary support from the council and other Island businesses to make it a success. Lot’s of people talking about it which is a good thing. Best of luck guys!
Many people have died on the Isle of Man! Is it worth it???
And they have far better roads than the Isle of Wight, time to see reality, it cost lives..
I think you’re confusing 150 mph motorbikes with a sprint event. Chalk and cheese….
Shut up Claire, no one cares about your opinion
How do I get a ticket please?
they have them on their website. quite well priced too
But… you’re supposed to be dead?! :O
My apologies, misread your name as Eric Bristow…
Given the state of the carriageway I hope they are using off-road vehicles.
was driving along sandown today, the road surface actually seems brand new along the seafront.
Yes it’s perfectly ok for a road event. Some people just have trouble seeing the reality of things.
Have you seen the state of the road from Browns Golf up to Yaverland, though?
It’s soon going to be impassable unless Island Roads get on with their responsibilities along there.
Some people just cantvsee the good in anything…. It wont encourage bad driving “on the Island”, theres probably less chance of somebody dying than with the road open to the public and the road is perfectly ok.
This is good.(bene) in Italian. Good for Tim and Will Nicholls for getting a great road event back on the Island. Is this Will Nicholls who ran the Snooker club in the 80’s in Sandown. He was good at snooker what i remember.
All the cars in the hedges on the island looks like they been practising for the Sandown sprint