Kent Modified kicked off our show season with our club stand at BHP Show, Lydden Hill. On the first bank, we were one of the largest independent club stands at the show, with 20 cars of different manufacturers.
Due to our early start, we even appeared on the famous 'Speedhunters' website on their show report.
Unfortunately the start to the show was a slow one due to a major car accident on the road outside the circuit meaning many of the show cars and competitors were delayed entry, after the accident had been cleared, the numbers boosted, and it turned out a very enjoyable day indeed. With track action all day, a huge selection of race and drift units in the Paddock, and a large selection of show and shine cars on the various club stands, the day passed a very good one.
Next up on the calendar was the big one - the Modified Live Summer Spectacular at Brands Hatch. It was a weekend event, which meant camping! Some of us arrived on the Friday evening to help set up the stand and camp the first night. Rain was on the forecast for the Friday night, and the forecast did not disappoint. Day into evening was rainy but was an enjoyable rest under the event shelter protected from the weather, watching the sky darken over a damp Brands Hatch.
Saturday morning, and the rain subsided. Members arrived in their droves in order to set up the show and shine area of the stand. Instead of last years angled arrangement, we went with much more of a random layout, which seemed to incite many people to wander round and take a look at the cars on display. With plenty of vehicles taking to the track, from the stand we had the best view of Clearways and Surtees of the entire show stand area.
At Modified Live, we were confirmed as the largest independent club stand in attendance, and that was only the Saturday.
Saturday evening, once the show had died down, allowed us to start the barbecue for an evening meal, and have an enjoyable evening as a club under the events shelter. The rain had gone, and the music had started. Our very own Eclipse Car Audio provided the (albeit dodgy) choice of music and an enjoyable evening was had by all in attendance. We retired to the tents in the early hours hoping for some shut-eye before the historically more populated second day of the event.
Morning came, and more members arrived to come onto the stand. With the Honda Z Car, Hammond and Dan's Tiger and Caterham, and Speed's Skyline, we had an assortment of 'rare' cars along with the rest of the show cars on our stand, bringing our total up to around 35 cars. For the second day, we were also the biggest independent club stand in attendance, with the same prime location along the pit straight.
The sun shone all day and some members stayed on the stand to shelter from the sun and chat to visitors wandering around the stand. We had a number of new members sign up to the forums after the show which hopefully showed what an impression we made! This is the biggest Kent show on the calendar and we were very pleased to have such an awesome turnout at the event to help cement our reputation as Kent's Number 1 car club.
On the other end of the scale, Kent Modified enjoyed a nice laid back event at Faversham in August. Its a relatively small custom and classic show hosted to raise money for Help For Heroes - Kent Modified's charity of choice. We had a great attendance to the show with vehicles with two and four wheels. With a boot-fair tacked onto the side of the show area, it made for a very relaxed day compared to the hectic nature of Modified Live, where members could admire the rare and classic cars on display and also hunt down a bargain in the boot fair.
Also to support Help For Heroes, the club attended a legal 'cruise' event in Bexhill-on-sea, supported by the charity, with some of the county's best modified cars in attendance we were pleased to be there to offer our support. With quite a large selection of cars attending we had a chance to have a good wander around to see what others have done and to enjoy the atmosphere.
Following the cruise itself, some members had an enjoyable convoy across from Hastings to Ashford, where we met at a 24 hour restaurant in order to replenish ourselves, and head off in our separate directions.
In a first for the club this year, we attended a 'track day' organised by the people at Meister-R. It involved track sessions at £20 per person round one of our local tracks, Lydden Hill. Some of our members threw caution into the wind and took on a 20 minute session around the track. Out of the members who came along, all of us had some track experience that day, either as a driver or a passenger, and, although small, it was a highlight of the calendar. Some caught the bug and promptly started 'track-prepping' their cars for the next event! These events will feature a lot more in the years ahead.
In between our shows this year, the usual meetings took place at our organised locations. We had a number of meets with high levels of attendance at each one. Whether it's watching 'Top Gear' on the restaurant's big screen, or socializing with friends, all of the meets we've had have been successful, for most of our members, naming no names!
Special mention must go out to those members who appeared in the nation's print this year, such as Fast Car and Totally Modified, from events we attended - Cruise For Heroes, BHP Show, and Modified Live. Many other member cars made it onto the motoring websites too - Fast Car, Speedhunters, and on the sites of the shows themselves!
All in all, a fantastic year for Kent Modified growing from strength to strength. The more popular we become, the bigger our club stands will be and we could not have done it without our members, past, present, or future, and their dedication.
Here's to the 2012 season.
The KM Team
