Like many car enthusiasts I fancied myself as a rally driver or circuit racer. I knew I didn’t have the skill to be a champion and was happy to do my best and enjoy the experience. After gaining my racing licence my first competitive adventure was with the Classic Touring Car Club. This was a salutary lesson in the cost of motorsport. I didn’t have my own business to write the expense off and I wasn’t good enough to gain sponsorship, it was all funded from my own pocket.
I realised quite quickly that despite having a well paid job, it wouldn’t stretch to a season of racing (and pay the mortgage and put food on the table). I retired. I later took part in other of motorsport which didn’t cost the earth.
I often ponder on how we can help young people and the not so well off get into motorsport. Afterall without fresh blood the sport will die. It seems to me that the 50’s and 60’s motorclubs had it right when you join a club and work through events from scatter rallies to national rallies learning as you go. Today the clubs just don’t seem to be pulling in the youngsters, despite their best efforts.
There have been a number of attempts to make motorsport more affordable but the truth is there is no such thing as cheap motorsport. Once you factor in the safety equipment, trailer, accommodation and race entry fee’s then you are still looking at a hefty bill.
Over the past 30 years I have watched the growth of historic racing and what used to be cheap racing in old race cars has now developed into an expensive and exclusive club (My old race which I bought for £2 500 was recently on the market for £70 000).
Lets hope the British Automobile Racing Club announcemnt that it will create a new brand under the “BARC Heritage” banner will honour the affordable racing format.
Designed to cater for older racing and machinery, the BARC Heritage line signals a strong desire by the BARC to re-establish its credentials in the retro, classic and historic racing space. The announcement was made at last weekend’s hugely successful Thruxton Historic race meeting, which boasted a great racing line-up of incredible older cars from the 1950s right up to the 1990s.
In deference to the history of the UK’s oldest racing club, BARC Heritage will utilise the original BARC shield logo that was taken out of commission in 2014.
BARC has engaged seasoned historic racer and event organiser, Rob Manger, to lead the BARC Heritage push. Manger is the driving force behind the successful revival of the Jochen Rindt Trophy for single seater racing cars up to 2-litres that has appeared at the Thruxton Historic meeting every year since 2021.
Ben Taylor, BARC CEO, said:
“The retro scene is very relevant and popular and although BARC has the fabulous Classic Touring Car Racing Club, we haven’t been properly represented in this space for a while. It’s an area that we want to get back into, so we just need to remind people that BARC has great credentials in this area and we’re serious about this sector of the sport.
“We already organise more than 20 club race meetings a year, as well as the BTCC package and of course the three Goodwood events. We have also had great feedback from the Thruxton Historic, so we are confident in our ability to put on quality race events that competitors really enjoy. We are absolutely not looking to compete with the big historic meetings and festivals, but we do think we might be able to offer something for the competitors who just want to go racing for fun with their friends at decent circuits for a fair price.”
Rob Manger, BARC Heritage, added: “BARC is such a great institution and has an amazing history, but it can definitely make more of it. What I have learned from running the JRT is that these drivers, with their lovely cars, just want to be able to race them a few times a year. They don’t necessarily want the bells and whistles of the big invitation-only meetings, or to chase a championship, but they do like to feel that they are wanted, respected, are getting value for money and that they won’t always be the last race on a Sunday!