Week Thirty – Five: In Which We Get Ready For TRAX!
The seasons have changed and the Most Important Show of the Year is now a season-ender rather than an opener. It always used to be the Doncaster Show, when it was owned by Cliff Moore and had all the odd kinds of stuff. Skinheads with scooters. Elvis fans in custom vans. Military nutters in camou. Custom cars with fabulous chromed excess. The appeal was the sheer breadth of every kind of car club. I was saddened when the new owners moved venue (they had to as the race course was having a multi-millions facelift) and then made it modern car clubs only. Don’t get me wrong, the modded scene has been a slice of my life since Max Power’s early issues but I loved that part. That and Fireforce, the jet powered funny car doing monstrous 150dB+ blasts of fire and smoke.
But now, the show of the year is Trax, run along the same lines as the Donny show replacement but somehow, due to its Silverstone, rather than more remote location, it has become the show to be at.
This year, on the crucial audio front, we have Clarion there with their sponsored Peugeot IRC rally car, plus Oliver Ashley’s mighty K1 Attack supercar and the mobile showroom. So you can go and mess about with the latest kit. Also, there will be a good presence from Pioneer, who will have a collection of demo metal there, including the Brabus Smart car with the CDJ digital decks and the brand new Mercedes Vito with a startling install of twin fifteen inch SPL woofers (the ‘˜can-take-four-amplifiers-each’ ones) actually done ‘˜by’ Mercedes as a show-off for how far their OEM can go for taking to dealer events Both are the work of Paul Richardson of A1 Audio Designs. Also the Stage Two ‘˜Power’ system (2.4kW of bass) and Stage Three ‘˜Reference’ system in the Pro-R Subaru Imprezas, again a serious OEM option.
Vibe are also going with their legendary Bass Tunnel and will have their Ford Focus RS with a mixed Vibe install, the Fli Corsa VXR, the new Edge Audi TT, plus the C2 from Mill Auto in Cornwall with a BlackAir install in attendance. All the normal girly and prize-giving shenanigans will be in full effect.
And FOUR shall be there, causing SPL chaos with their Hertz SPL Monster amplified demo wagons and the new and deeply cred Smoke & Mirrors low rider on hydraulics. ‘Bags are for fags..’
Celsus Ice (JL Audio, MTX, Stinger, Phoenix Gold, Dynamat, PAC) will be represented with a demo car or too as well and are the sponsors of the EMMA UK League Trophies this year as Dynamat Europe, so power to them!
Alpine will be at the TRAX show as well, so you can go and see Ross the Alpine Guru and Cool Hand Luke, get your hands on some Alpine Goodies and see the VW Passat CC in all its glory. They will be on the Car Audio & Security stand as they are the Ice traders for the show.
Lastly but by no means least, the guys from Fusion will be in attendance, so if you want an alien or to check out the new kit, look for the distinctive inflateable Fusion dome!
On the EMMA front, towering over all other teams, the Highdown crew will be taking no fewer than four league titles home from their six cars at the finals, with tussles for exact podium places for the other two. I will be there to report for trade title Mobile Electronics News as well as us lot. Expect video and hardcore car audio content.
Meanwhile, got behind again after the bank holiday and owe all sorts of stuff, so better get on
Adam Rayner Online Editor