HISTORIC HOTEL FOR 2017 BRITISH DRAG RACING HALL OF FAME GALA AWARDS DINNER
The British Drag Racing Hall of Fame (BDRHoF) Annual Gala Awards Dinner is moving to a new venue for the 2017 
event – the luxurious 4-star Oatlands Park Hotel in Weybridge, Surrey where the magnificent grounds were originally the site of a grand Tudor palace built by Henry VIII in 1538 for Anne of Cleves. The hotel website is www.oatlandsparkhotel.com.
Other monarchs, including Elizabeth I, James I and Charles I, also resided at Oatlands during their reigns. It opened as a hotel for the first time in 1856 and has played host to a number of world-famous guests including writer Emile Zola, novelist Anthony Trollope and artist and poet Edward Lear. Now some of the great names from drag racing will join this list on Saturday, November 18th as the sport celebrates its British pioneers.
CEO of British Drag Racing Hall of Fame Limited, Brian Taylor said, “It is very difficult to find a venue that is convenient, that can take our numbers and enable us to pay tribute to our pioneers in a fitting yet affordable style. It is true that we had a very successful event in 2016 at the Sheraton Skyline, London Heathrow, but we really wanted a venue that could more readily handle all the activities held during the day and, most importantly, one with character and a sense of being in Great Britain. The Oatlands Park Hotel and its associated history certainly do that in spades and we are very pleased to have hunted it down.”
Honorary Chairman of the BDRHoF Stu Bradbury said “We are always trying to improve the event, particularly the environment for guests to socialize with old friends they haven’t seen for years and to give time to mingle with the celebrity guests. We also wanted a hotel that has local interest for those making a weekend of it. The Oatlands Park has easy access from junction 11 on the M25 and is near London Heathrow Airport. It is only a few minutes’ drive from the world-famous Brooklands Motorsport and Aviation Museum. This features many historic aircraft and cars, including one of the few Concordes in existence and the fabulous 24-litre Napier Railton that graced the Brooklands circuit setting many records in the 1930s.
“On the same Brooklands site you can find Mercedes-Benz World where you can put your driving skills to the test on the Handling Circuit in a range of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Or let the Silver Arrows Display Team show you how it’s done. Plenty of Mercedes vehicles on static display too. Also nearby you can find Hampton Court, Windsor Great Park, Legoland, Windsor Castle and lots more. Trains from Weybridge station can take you to Waterloo Station in London so we think this new venue has it covered.”
The main part of the Gala Awards Dinner evening is of course devoted to introducing and inducting the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame class of 2017 and these will be announced at Dragstalgia held at Santa Pod Raceway over July 14th – 16th. The Sydney Allard Media Awards will also be presented at the Gala – this year introducing an award for best video. Event sponsors will be confirmed during the year.
The BDRHoF is now taking reservations for the 2017 Gala Awards Dinner by email at stuart@britishdragracinghof.co.uk or by telephone at 01933 279102. This year the tickets are priced competitively at £65.00 each and this includes a pre-dinner reception. The event always sells out well in advance, so if you would like to join us for the occasion we suggest you make your reservation sooner rather than later. On receiving your reservation you will be given the procedure to book rooms at the negotiated room rate that includes breakfast and VAT as well as parking.
Ongoing news about the Gala, sponsors and other events in which the BDRHoF is involved will be published on the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame website, www.britishdragracinghof.co.uk www.eurodragster.com and on Facebook and Twitter.
