Sprinting near Essex
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Discussion

sjtgeray

Original Poster:

318 posts

209 months

Tuesday 31st December 2013
quotequote all
Am looking to take up sprinting in 2014 (as well as continuing with a few track days)and was after any guidance on nearby clubs who have a focus on it. Having looked at a few local clubs online they seem to be more oriented to 12 car and rallying type events.
I'm driving (including to the event) a pretty standard Mk1 MX5 1.8 with a TR Lane bar so realise I wont be winning anything but that's not the point. Beating myself is the goal, as well as having an excuse for a day out with likeminded folks...and maybe a few mods later when the wife isn't looking!
Have got myself a suitably labelled suit and gloves (per MSA sprinting needs) and am off to get a helmet in January. Also just registered on the MSA site and will do the on-line license application in the next few days.

Brands, Snetterton, North Weald are all relatively close by so if anyone has local knowledge of clubs who frequent such places that would be excellent.
Thanks in advance all, and best for 2014 !

andye30m3

3,496 posts

276 months

Tuesday 31st December 2013
quotequote all
Tunbridge wells motor club ran a sprint at brands but there's been some issues with semsec who they shared the track hire with so I don't know if it will run in 2014, others in the area worth looking at are sevenoaks and district who use north Weald and have a good chapionship and borough 19.

There's a couple of other venues up that way such as debden, I also think honnington and hethel would be within sensible traveling

I'd also recommend a trip down to goodwood if you get the chance, as most clubs will allow you to enter events if you a member of any other localish club

eastlmark

1,656 posts

229 months

Tuesday 31st December 2013
quotequote all
Best sprint by far in your area is at Debden airfield near Saffron Walden, Essex. Held twice a year, May and October and run by the Herts county auto and aero club. http://www.hertscountyaac.co.uk/

Others are, as you mentioned, North Weald, several normally at the start and end of the season, We have also visited both Woodbridge and Bentwaters Park in Suffolk and Hethel- the Lotus test track- in Norfolk.
Not sure there will be any Brands Hatch or Lydden sprints in 2014 due to the Race club (who share the day with the sprinters) not putting on any races during the year.
Easiest way to get involved is to register for one of the championships and then they will send you regs as they become available.
Borough 19 ( http://www.borough19motorclub.org.uk/ )
ACSMC ( http://acsmcsite.wordpress.com/ )
ASEMC ( http://www.asemc.org.uk/)

all the above run championships and the events are essentially the same- you basically register for as many championships as you want and collect points at each event.
Good news is you only need to join one motor club that is MSA registered and that will allow you to enter pretty much any sprint event. (would recommend HCAAC as above!)
You will need a non race competition licence but that easily obtained from www.msauk.org

CaterBram

133 posts

197 months

Tuesday 31st December 2013
quotequote all
why not have a look at http://www.aemc.org.uk/

the run various championships in the east including both sprints and hill climbs, on there site they also give details of which club members can enter, this should give you some pointers.

jeffw

845 posts

250 months

Tuesday 31st December 2013
quotequote all
7oaks & District run at NW and are running an MX5 championship next year. http://www.sevenoaksmotorclub.com/
Herts & County run at Debden
B19 as has been mentioned.

Basically if you join an MSA club you can sprint in the SE. 7Oaks Speed League is pretty good as is ASMCm ACSMC and so on.

sjtgeray

Original Poster:

318 posts

209 months

Tuesday 31st December 2013
quotequote all
great info all...many thanks for the pointers. The MX5 championship sounds particularly interesting
Looks like my New Years day will be spent on a few websites
cheers
s

carl_w

10,345 posts

280 months

Tuesday 31st December 2013
quotequote all
Looks like there will be a BARC sprint at Rockingham in March (14th I think?) in addition to the excellent advice you've already received. My advice would be to join a local club (HCAAC is mine) and sign up for all of the area championships (AEMC, ASEMC, ACSMC). That will get you entry to nearly all events in the southern half of the country, plus they'll e-mail you the calendar and regs when the events come up.