Hundreds of thousands on site, millions watching at home and more tuning in from around the globe. Of the 4000 motorsport events that take place in the UK every year, there can be no denying that the British Grand Prix is the one that gets the most attention. Especially when the previously all-conquering Red Bull is under threat. And governing body Motorsport UK is keen to capitalise on all that interest and keep the sport firmly in the spotlight afterwards with the revival of its National Motorsport Week initiative, which begins today.
Running until 21 July, the scheme is designed to showcase the diverse range of disciplines that form the UK’s motorsport scene. The 11-day celebration is part of Motorsport UK’s ongoing efforts to grow the sport and, ultimately, the aim is to get more people involved and turn armchair fans into active participants.
“The holy grail, if you like, is getting brand-new people into the sport,” says Motorsport UK CEO Hugh Chambers of the decision to relaunch National Motorsport Week. “The vast majority of people come in through friends and family.
“But what we’ve all experienced since COVID is the Drive to Survive factor and there is no question the effect of the Netflix series on communities that were very hard to reach – younger kids, females – who have engaged with the sport almost from no prior involvement or knowledge, so they’re brand new to the sport.
“A lot of those will just remain fans and want to go on to social media and follow their favourite drivers or whatever, but some of those will go, ‘Why can’t it be me?’ And we want to provide that bridge.
“You can run marketing campaigns that are a drip-feed throughout the whole year, but they tend to not have enough impact, enough momentum to cut through. So the principle of having a National Motorsport Week is to have that focal point and to do that off the back of the British Grand Prix, so the peak of public interest in motorsport in this country. But also use the counterpoint to the grand prix because the grand prix is 20 drivers, hyper talented and they probably spent €5million before they even have a chance of getting on the grid.
“So we need to explain that there are 4000 other events that Motorsport UK and the community put on every year across the whole of the UK, starting at an entry fee of £40 to go and do an autosolo in the car you drive to the shops in. So it’s to really get the whole of the community together with a focal point to promote the sport to new audiences.”
Huge range of events being held
With a staggering 103 events taking place across the elongated week, there’s almost guaranteed to be something happening near to any potential new participant. This ranges from high-profile fixtures such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed – where a certain Max Verstappen is due to make an appearance – and London’s Formula E decider, to far more grassroots contests, including the Southern Rover Owners Club cross-country trial at Renhurst Farm in Sussex.
“There’s so much going on that we can showcase,” continues Chambers. “And it tends to get a little bit lost [ordinarily] because everybody is so focused on putting on their event and talking to their competitors, but we need to celebrate this and make sure a broader audience knows about it.
"For the price of going to the pub for a couple of people and buying a few pints, you can have a whole day in your Mazda MX-5 going on a navigational rally or doing an autosolo or a production car hillclimb" Hugh Chambers
“There’s rounds of the British Autotest Championship, the British Hillclimb Championship, dozens of club races, kart races – you name it, all of our disciplines are represented over those two weekends because it’s the peak of the season.”
And that is another reason why National Motorsport Week is happening now, in order to not just capitalise on the grand prix but also the sheer volume of events before things quieten down a little over the summer holidays. Many of these take place away from the established motorsport venues, helping to bring the sport to the masses. Sure enough, the StreetCar scheme that encapsulates so many of these low-cost disciplines has been one of Motorsport UK’s flagship initiatives in recent years, and it ties in perfectly with the promotional period.
“For the price of going to the pub for a couple of people and buying a few pints, you can have a whole day in your Mazda MX-5 going on a navigational rally or doing an autosolo or a production car hillclimb – there’s so many different things you can do in the sport that have really low barriers to entry,” says Chambers.
Other important messages to shout about
Chambers is also keen to use this spotlight on motorsport to highlight several other key points. Chief among these is inclusivity, and that stretches far beyond just encouraging those without deep pockets.
“Motorsport is very unusual in the sporting sphere in that it is completely democratic,” he states. “It’s obviously gender neutral but also, if you’ve got disabilities, you can compete alongside able-bodied people in exactly the same race and competition in exactly the same cars. I think getting that across, and promoting racial diversity and different ethnic groups to get involved in the sport, is incredibly important.”
However, the focus will not just be on those competing. Chambers also wants to use this opportunity to demonstrate the enormous number of different ways people can get involved as a volunteer.
“The most obvious thing is that people think I’m going to be driving a racing car or driving a rally car, but motorsport requires a huge amount of human resource to run it and, in particular, to keep it safe,” says Chambers.
“So, with a community of over 10,000 marshals and 4000 officials, there’s a constant need to bring new people into the sport, and if you don’t have the budget or the wherewithal or the talent to be driving a racing car, there’s so many other ways you can get involved and be intimately involved with the whole organisation of events.”
Alongside that, another area Chambers wants to highlight is the UK’s technology base, to try to inspire more people to become part of an industry that already employs 40,000 people and generates an annual turnover of £9billion.
“Now the RB Formula 1 team will be firmly based in Milton Keynes, we’ve got eight out of the 10 F1 teams here,” says Chambers of the UK’s motorsport industry. “What that brings are opportunities for kids who are thinking about STEM subjects to get inspired by the aerodynamics of racing cars to be able to reconsider their choices of GCSEs and A Levels. If we can communicate the excitement of science through motorsport, then I think that’s really important.”
But, if you are already active in the sport, why does this all matter? Chambers says many competitors are not fully aware of the sheer size of the community and therefore the importance of bringing new faces in, particularly on the volunteering side.
“It’s around 100,000 people who are actually registered with Motorsport UK and there’s a vast array of volunteers who are not registered with us,” he explains. “There’s at least a quarter of million people who are actively involved with motorsport week in, week out and I don’t think people are aware of the size of that community.”
Yet, ultimately, everyone benefits when that community is large and active, and Chambers feels National Motorsport Week can be an important way of ensuring that continues to be the case.
“We’re all inundated by special national days and weeks and things, but I think motorsport lends itself [to such promotion] because of the complexity and diversity of the sport – it’s a rich basket to put on the table,” he concludes. “The media needs a hook to tell a story. We need to give people an excuse to talk about it – ‘Ooh, it’s National Motorsport Week, so let’s all talk about motorsport’.”
And that’s certainly something we can all play a part in.
Some of the highlights of National Motorsport Week
More than 100 UK motorsport fixtures are taking place from 11-21 July. Here are just a few to illustrate the wide and eclectic range
Goodwood Festival of Speed: 11-14 July
National Motorsport Week gets off to a spectacular start with the motoring extravaganza in Sussex. There will be a special focus on the Red Bull Formula 1 team this year, while a host of other F1 squads will also have a presence on the famous hill.
EnduroKa 24 Hours, Anglesey: 12-14 July
From the glitz and glamour of Goodwood to the humble Ford Ka and the beautiful Welsh Anglesey circuit. The EnduroKa 24 Hours is a great way of going endurance racing on a budget and is the perfect event to highlight how inclusive club motorsport can be.
Nicky Grist Stages, Builth Wells: 13 July
There is a multitude of rallying events taking place during the next 10 days and the Nicky Grist Stages, a blast around the Welsh forests, will be one of the highest-profile.
Coast to Coast Classic Car Run: 13 July
Not all of the fixtures on this list are so fast-paced and this event – now in its 32nd year – features a scenic drive from the Lancashire coast in Morecambe all the way across to Whitby in Yorkshire, a distance of 170 miles.
Legends of Brands Hatch Super Prix: 13-14 July
Historic racing is one of the most popular strands of the sport and the Historic Sports Car Club’s annual visit to Kent is set to host an eclectic mix of classic sportscars, tin-tops and powerful single-seaters.
Perkins Peterborough Goblins: 13 July
It is not just for the adults, as this Greenpower event is targeted at children aged between nine and 11. Fostering an interest in science and technology is the name of the game here via the design and construction of an electric car.
Lydden Legend Festival: 19-21 July
The history of rallycross is being celebrated at this new event at the Kent venue. Group B and four-wheel-drive monsters headline the cast list, while the latest rounds of the Retro Rallycross Championship will be held.
HERO-ERA’s Summer Trial, Chester: 19-21 July
The Historic Endurance Rallying Organisation-Endurance Rally Association organises some hugely popular contests; this is a trial around Cheshire, Shropshire and the Welsh Borders.
Classic Nostalgia, Shelsley Walsh: 20-21 July
The Worcestershire hill’s historic showpiece attracts a diverse range of cars and stars. Among those due to be in attendance this year are Tyrrell, Lotus, Hesketh and Benetton F1 machinery, 1984 World Rally champion Stig Blomqvist, and there’ll be a celebration of 40 years of Prodrive.
Formula E London E-Prix: 20-21 July
There’s an international flavour to round out National Motorsport Week as Formula E descends on London for its season finale. Briton Oliver Rowland may now only have an outside chance of title glory, but there are plenty of other drivers in with a shout.
