A review of Allied Nippon and FG7’s Trackstar 2024

The culmination of an exclusive Allied Nippon and FG7 campaign, Trackstar 2024, took place at Nutts Corner Circuit. Our editor, Tom Henman, provides the words.

A cool morning and the rumble of high-performance supercar engines welcomed 100 participants to the Allied Nippon Trackstar event at Nutts Corner Circuit, Northern Ireland, held in partnership with FG7.

The third instalment of Trackstar was anticipated, and following the buzz generated by the 2023 event, there were high expectations among the lucky FG7 customers that had discovered a coveted golden ticket with their Allied Nippon braking product, allowing them the opportunity to drive some of the world’s most revered performance cars.

Ferocious cars awaited victorious participants

Once again run in conjunction with Supercar Experience Ireland, this year’s grid included a Lamborghini Huracan, Ferrari 458 Spider, Porsche GT3 RS, and a new McLaren Artura – the marque’s first hybrid supercar – which looked resplendent in Volcano Yellow.

As morning turned to afternoon and guests enjoyed their lunch, sunshine began to emerge from the clouds, giving added ‘pop’ to the assembled cast of supercars.

Sunshine only served to whet the appetite for the afternoon session, with the excitement ramped up another notch as Supercar Experience Ireland’s BMW M3 ‘Drift Taxi’ took to the track. Piloted by an experienced and skilled instructor, the Drift Taxi offered three-person passenger experiences, punctuated by plenty of tyre smoke and sideways action.

Prizes won off the track!

Off the track, the Allied Nippon and FG7 teams were both in attendance to welcome Trackstar guests into a marquee, which had been purpose built for the event and contained two virtual reality (VR) racing simulators.

Guests donning the VR headsets had the opportunity to channel their inner Max Verstappen and set their best lap time. Those that finished in the top-five went away with bespoke Allied Nippon prizes.

“This year’s event was bigger and better”

It had been an exhilarating day, one which will live long in the memory for those that got behind the wheel.

Paul Hone, from Premier Car Parts, described Trackstar as “a fantastic day out”, while Dale Thompson, Belfast branch manager at Colin Adams Motor Parts, was keen to thank the organisers: “It was great of Allied Nippon to bring us out here and let us have a go!”

Sentiments were shared by Kevin O’Kane, FG7 managing director, who was delighted with how the event unfolded: “Trackstar was a huge hit in 2023, and there was genuine excitement at its return in 2024. This year’s event was bigger, better and exceeded all expectations.

“Aside from the on-track experiences that were served up, it was also a great opportunity for FG7 members to strengthen relationships with their key customers and to build our collective relationship with Allied Nippon.”

From the Allied Nippon angle, General Manager for Marketing and Communications, Leigh Davies, the person on the mic throughout the event, added: “We were thrilled to be back for another round of high-speed action with Trackstar 2024. It was a hugely successful and rewarding day at Nutts Corner. Our partnership with FG7 is hugely important for our brand, and it was terrific to see so many of its members and their Allied Nippon buying customers.”