As I count down to the start of my new adventure, as Circuit Manager of Motorsport Vision’s Cadwell Park, I’m using my blog – and social media channels – to take you with me on this exciting journey.

Today I visited the circuit for the first MSVT motorcycle track day of the season, and was blessed to have my wonderful family with me to meet some of the team I’ll be working with, at this brilliant venue.

I was introduced to Bob Armiger, whose personal story with Cadwell started much like my own; albeit 83 years earlier. Bob has been visiting the circuit, near Louth since 1934 when Cadwell was first opened.

In 1934, Bob was eight years old, and at 91 he hasn’t lost any of his enthusiasm for Cadwell and the incredible motorsport stories he’s witnessed over the best part of a century. Indeed, he relished telling me about some of them, and I was delighted to be told – I’m hoping I can spend some more time with Bob to hear more of those stories!

He recalled the track being little more than a dirt road back in the 1930s, chuckling at my excitement, at legends such as James Hunt and Barry Sheene having raced there. As he pointed out, to him those are the ‘new boys’, the heroes of Cadwell Park’s ‘hall of fame’ began much earlier for Bob.

Bob enjoyed telling my children about how he remembers motorcycle racing celebrity, Guy Martin as an oil-covered 9 year old, playing with gearboxes and getting stuck in at a far earlier age than today’s health and safety-conscious world would sign off.

It is stories like this that bring a motor racing circuit to life, and the drama and adventure that Bob Armiger has seen unfold at the circuit hang in the air; an atmosphere you can’t quite place, but you feel before the bark of race engines in the paddock steals your thoughts.

I felt proud of the Motorsport Vision Group, and my team at Cadwell when Bob told me how he is not only spoiled rotten by the hospitality staff on his current visits to the circuit, but how he was also made guest of honour at a recent event, being met by Jonathan Palmer.

Bob – and people like him – are the reason why I took this job, the reason why I love the motorsport industry so dearly.

It must be hard to comprehend for someone on the outside to understand how a piece of tarmac which plays host to two and four-wheeled racing events can play such a pivotal part in a person’s life.

I’m so excited to take up the role of Circuit Manager at Cadwell, and I truly look forward to meeting more people like Bob; people like you. Get those stories ready, because I can’t wait to hear them.

I’ve got some exciting content in the pipeline for my motoring channel, and of course I’ll share the car films with you on my website, HERE.

But for other pieces of exclusive content, and to be the first to view content I’m uploading to my YouTube channel, I’d appreciate your subscription. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you – as always – for your support and interaction. My YouTube channel achieved over 1 million minutes of watched content in 2016.

Original, quality content takes a huge amount of planning, writing, filming and producing, and I do this for one reason: It gives me a thrill to think that something I can create, can give people all those minutes of enjoyment.

All those times I see a discussion breaking out on one of my films, or when people approach me when I’m filming a TV show to tell me they like enjoyed my latest film, or suggest a subject for a future feature. Those times are what makes this project worthwhile.

I use the term ‘project’, because I could never describe this as a ‘job’ – it’s something I do; it’s what I am. Ultimately, it’s a top drawer hobby, that is made all-the-more top drawer by being able to share it with my incredible subscribers, followers, fans, critics and friends. Whichever category you fall into, I take my hat off to you. (Even if you’re that person who always points out my sideburn continuity errors – yes, that person exists. But everyone needs holding to account for their facial hair, right?!)

Anyway. I highly doubt any other motoring presenter, blogger, petrolhead, car nerd (delete as appropriate) has as much fun as I do; reading your comments, answering your posts, Tweets and emails, and generally being part of your motoring circle.

There’s more to come, and by subscribing, you’ll be able to follow my adventure as I embark on my career as Race Circuit Manager at Cadwell Park.

For a huge fan of Formula One like me, the advent of accessible live social media technology a few years ago signalled what looked like a new and exciting way to engage with the sport before it hit the race track in March. Actually, it’s ruined the spectacle.

I made a point of planning my schedule this week around being able to – at least in the background – catch the live streams as the teams began to launch their 2017 challengers to the world. Appointment-to-view content, it was not.

The fact that the Mercedes Team has so far been the only one to have the foresight to plan the reveal to coincide with the UK’s accepted lunch hour window is of little consolation, as we could barely see the car.

Mercedes GP trialled a live 360 degree launch, with their presenter introducing the session in selfie-mode, before proceeding to interview the driver line-up, along with Toto Wolff in a format that felt like it had seemed like a good idea in someone’s head.

In practice, it lacked any kind of polish, excitement or glamour. Even Lewis Hamilton took to making his own unveil video on social media during the stream, following complaints from viewers that they couldn’t see the car properly.

Previous to this, we’d seen the Williams and Sauber cars launched via a series of arty photos, with Renault and Force India opting for a corporate stage-and-stool set-up, and more ‘traditional’ live stream formats for fans to tune in. Ironically, the most exciting launch so far has been a spoof video, posted online last week, and purporting at first glance to show the new McLaren.

The BBC only this week ran a story throwing back to the lavish, showbiz launches favoured by teams in the ’90s, with Renault sailing their new car through a canal in Venice, McLaren staging a live Spice Girls concert and Honda employing the Natural History Museum’s infamous T-Rex to present one of their previous launches.

This frustrates me immensely, particularly as one of the things I’ve been quite excited about during the Liberty Media takeover of Formula One, is the prospect of them bringing an element of the spectacle that American sport does so well. You only have to look at the driver introductions at the 2016 Daytona 500 race, or the concert that has a certain American Football game tagged onto the end of it.

Not one of the drivers at the launches I’ve watched so far had their helmets with them to take a (previously compulsory) under-arm shot. And to make matters worse, it would appear Lewis Hamilton’s new helmet design has had a more glamorous unveil – and more press coverage – than any of the new cars have.

We need to attract new fans, new sponsors, and new manufacturers to Formula One, for it to continue to hold its place as one of the world’s top sporting series. And in order to do that, we need more spectacle.

What we don’t need, is another “Minecraft” car launch with a substandard 360 degree camera, or a conference room done up to look like…err…a conference room. 

February 26th will mark my last radio show on East Yorkshire’s 99.8 KCFM, a commercial station on which I’ve presented shows for the past five years.

I’m incredibly proud of my radio career, which has spanned seven years and has seen me progress from Hull’s hospital radio station, Kingstown Radio, to Yorkshire Coast Radio and KCFM; two stations I listened to from a young age.

Radio for me was never my end game; not something I could see myself doing forever, or even as a main focus. But it was something I wanted to do, badly, from a young age, so I pursued my dream. You should ALWAYS follow your dreams, even if it means knocking on a good few doors along the way.

My new chapter, as Circuit Manager of Cadwell Park race track in Lincolnshire, means certain other things are changing in my life. While I’ll be sad not to be on air anymore, I take with me from KCFM – and the radio industry in general – some great memories, skills, friends and life stories.

And that’s what it’s all about! So for now, that’s it for my radio career; let’s say I’m ‘parking it’ (see what I did there?!) and I certainly wouldn’t rule out a return at some point.

Now, where did I put that little thank you video I made for my radio listeners…OH, here it is…

I love the poetry of this situation – a Q&A with a British petrolhead, about an American motoring icon, on UK roads, for an American publication. Still following?

The British petrolhead is, of course, me. The publication is Ford NXT, an online digital magazine for fans of American spec Fords, and the star of the moment is of course, the reborn Mustang.

The fact that the Mustang, for the first time in history has also been launched in right-hand-drive for a UK audience, has caused a stir among fans of the brand over the pond, so the mag’s Executive Editor contacted me to set up a Q&A about my recent Focus RS vs Mustang #CarFilms feature.

The interview feature covers a range of topics, from how well the Mustang has been received by a British motoring audience, to how successfully the new Focus RS continues the true ‘RS’ bloodline, and even my own Mustang family story – yes, I have one!

Read the full article HERE.

The Ford Focus RS and Mustang GT pairing is one of the hottest stories in recent motoring history, and I’ve finally managed to get behind the wheel of both cars. 

Evans Halshaw is working to a brief which is close to my heart; as a fast Ford fan. They are trying to position their brand to capitalise on the excitement these two new models.

They’re doing this by offering a more rounded experience for people who opt for the sports models because they’re looking for something a little different.

My local Ford dealer went through a range of company names above the door, before becoming part of the Evans Halshaw dealer group. But the same passion for Ford Performance has run through the place for as long as I can remember.  (It’s a big part of the reason I bought my own Focus ST from them.)

I used to attend events to celebrate Colin McRae’s rally success with the first generation Focus World Rally Car, and I’ve attended events with my own Ford rally cars. I’ve also dealt with the same Parts Manager, Richard Batty since I passed my driving test back in 2001 for cars ranging from Mk3 Fiestas to purpose-built rally KAs and classics such as Mk2 Escorts. (Richard, by the way retires this month, so congratulations to him, and all the best for the future.)

So it was with a sense of pride and – given the two subjects for the weekend’s filming – an even greater sense of excitement that I got to work, bringing this brand, and this brief to life.

Here’s the promotional film, produced to showcase Evans Halshaw’s Ford Store experience. For my #CarFilms edit, CLICK HERE.

When the all-new generation of performance Fords were launched to a rapturous reception here in the UK, I was determined to get my hands on one…or both.

It’s taken a while, but I’ve finally been able to bring you my story of the RS and Mustang. After decades of the odd glance at a car show, these two iconic brands are lined up side-by-side at showrooms in the UK, and what a pairing they make.

The Focus RS finally returns the ‘Rallyesport’ brand back to its roots, a market leading performance car with its roots on the rally stage.

Meanwhile, the Mustang gives UK petrolheads the perfect introduction to a motoring legend, and seems to capture the Hollywood glitz of arguably the world’s most glamorous getaway car.

I shot content for this film, while producing a mini TV-style feature for Evans Halshaw on their new Ford Store performance motoring concept.

This isn’t a drift-drag-off between the Focus and Mustang’s respective drive modes, it’s a glimpse at the heritage of the brand, the back story, and the experience of driving these two exciting cars.

This film has been a long time in the making; possibly from the moment I first laid eyes on an original Mustang when I was a young boy. So let’s call this a labour of love -enjoy!

It’s not often a car manufacturer launches a completely new model; in concept, format and target audience, but that’s exactly what Skoda has done with their all-new Kodiaq SUV, and I was there for the UK launch with DM Keith.

One of the best things about the work I do with motoring brands and companies, is mixing with people who are passionate about cars. And that is the only way to describe the eclectic bunch of people I found myself sharing a brightly-lit car dealership in Hull with last week.

Skoda has, for the last few years been introducing new models to its range, to allow it to compete on a level playing field with its competitors, across the board. But one area yet to be explored was the SUV market.

The anticipation in the air as I joined Skoda dealer, DM Keith for the first of their unveilings of this exciting new car was tangible, and it was a total delight to be there to experience this unique occasion, and to produce a film for the innovative ‘Moving Mag’ series I’m working on with the marketing team at DM Keith.

I’m confident the Kodiaq will do the business for Skoda. And moreover, I’m sure that it will ensure a wide range of new additions to the DM Keith family.

These car dealer projects are not purely promotional – I work on projects I want to work on, and have retained a large degree of flexibility in my motoring work to allow me to add my own angle to a film, and show you the things that excite me; the way I see them.

[Enter stage left] – Skoda Kodiaq…

I’ve been busy the last few months, working with some of the UK’s leading car dealers to bring a wide range of motoring content to my channel. And it couldn’t have been more diverse!

One of the projects I’ve been working on is a motoring video diary with Evans Halshaw and Nissan. And the star of the show? The all-electric Nissan Leaf.

To say I was apprehensive going into this project is an understatement. I am aware that electric motoring is getting bigger, and that I can’t keep my eyes closed to it forever. But I’m married to the feel, noise and smell of a petrol engine, so it’s a difficult pill to swallow.

Evans Halshaw wanted to give me the car, but let me write the brief. All they wanted was an honest, credible and watchable account of what an electric car is like to live with. So, with honesty in mind, I started with the things I wasn’t looking forward to.

You can follow the adventure HERE on the Evans Halshaw website, or here’s a full edit of the series…

The news of my appointment as Circuit Manager at Cadwell Park captured the imagination of BBC Radio Lincolnshire reporter, Katie O’Halloran, so this morning I found myself meeting Katie at the race track for a chat about how the story unfolded.

As fate would have it, Katie and I worked together at Lincs FM, when I was a presenter on Yorkshire commercial radio station, KCFM and she was working as a journalist across the group. So it was great to catch up again; both in our new roles, and introduce Katie to (a very quiet!) Cadwell Park.

I’ve insisted that Katie, and perhaps some of her BBC colleagues join me at the circuit when there’s some action on track at some point this year, so keep a listen out. But here’s this morning’s Radio Lincolnshire Breakfast Show feature for you to listen again on iPlayer.

I really appreciate the support that’s been shown to me by not only the local BBC radio station, but other local businesses who have been in touch to congratulate me. Cadwell is clearly a very big part of the community, and I fully intend to nurture those business, media and community links when I take post in March.

[LISTEN AGAIN HERE]