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World and British Rally Champions, Formula One racing drivers and pundits, motorsport royalty and some of the biggest brands in the industry could all be found in the bustling Halls of Race Retro, which firmly declared the 2026 season open with a three-day spectacular at Warwickshire’s Stoneleigh Park.

The celebration of motorsport past, present and future, welcomed 24,390 attendees, with figures rising once again on the previous years (2025: 23,229). It also noted more trade stands than ever before with big names such as Stilo, Radical, HRX and Caterham to name a few reporting brisk business.  

Racing driver and broadcaster Alex Brundle, one of the special guests for the weekend, said: “The great thing about Race Retro is that you can arrive without a licence, a medical, any gear or even a car and find everything you need to be a motorsport competitor by the time you leave!”

Alex was joined by rally legend Kalle Grundel, BTCC Champion Tom Ingram, Motorcycle Racer Maria Costello MBE, Rally Co-driver Nicky Grist, British Rallycross Champion Liam Doran, and motorsport influencer Hollie McCrae on the Talk Motorsport Stage, hosted by Chaz Draycott.

That wasn’t the only place to find famous faces as F1 drivers turned pundits Karun Chandhok and Johnny Herbert were both seen enjoying the show along with former Grand Tour presenter Richard Hammond and BTCC legend Matt Neal.

Inside the Halls, it was the ‘Martini Magic’ that set the tone in the Hall of Fame as both race and rally cars wearing the famous livery were lined up alongside cars from F1, F2 and Formula Ford. There were also tributes to the Le Mans GT40 podium, 100 years since the first British Grand Prix at Brooklands and even the 30th anniversary of the Mighty Minis race series.

In the Pride of the Paddock competition, it was Damien Bradley’s 1992 ‘Pikes Peak’ Wide Arch Subaru Legacy that won the hearts and votes of visitors. Rory Clague’s 1985 Vauxhall Nova came second and Nishit Khambhaita’s 1971 Datsun 510 Deluxe was awarded third place.

Outside of the Halls, rally fans were treated to an action packed display with over 100 iconic rally cars, from Group B and beyond, roaring around the bespoke stage which changed for every sessions before both the main and passenger ride stages were amalgamated to create a 4.7 mile long ‘super stage’ to finish the weekend off in style.  

Iconic Auctioneers had its best Race Retro result ever, reporting fantastic results across its Automobila, Competition Car, Collectors Car and the new dedicated Motorcycle Sale with over £7million in sales.

Show Director Lee Masters said: “Once again, Race Retro upped the ante when it comes to delivering an event that encapsulates the entire motorsport movement. Huge thanks to all the exhibitors, partners, racing and rally drivers, and visitors who continue to support the show and its growth.”