Overdrive Meets : Russ Swift (and a quick blog)

Hi everyone

Well, it's been very slow progress as far as the website is concerned! We've been really busy and concentrating our efforts on our project with Kart Force.

Because of the demands on the team's time, we're making a few changes - we'll be trying a system where we update twice a week. So, Tuesdays will be the time to visit us for Results and Reports from the weekend's action whilst Fridays will be the day for other news and event previews - maybe a few results too. So if you're a potential contributor, e-mail your results and reports to us by 9pm on Monday and your news and previews by 9pm on Thursday.

We'll also be announcing our new webmaster soon.

For this weekend though, you can look forward to the qualifying and race reports from the BTCC at Rockingham, and there'll be a live stream from the Silverstone Britcar 24 hour race when the race starts at half past 3

Whilst you're waiting, here's a video we shot earlier in the year - we met up with Autotest legend Russ swift, who told us about how he got started, his precision driving career and the Prime Minister of Malasya's Limousine

MSA British Autotest championship : Round 1 highlights

Well, this is a bit embarrassing... it appears we've got some problems with Youtube and as a result the video we were going to show you isn't working. Watch this space and it'll be fixed. Honest.

Go Motorsport says... Join your local motor club!

David Coulthard trying Autotesting in a Mini Special

Go Motorsport’s display stand at this week’s Autosport International Show (12-15 January) will be promoting all forms of grass roots motor sport as organised by hundreds of car clubs throughout the UK.

Proving that motor sport is both more affordable and more accessible than many believe, the ‘Join Your Local Motor Club’ showcase at the National Exhibition Centre will not only feature an array of inexpensive competition vehicles but also be manned by members of car clubs from the region around Birmingham’s NEC complex.

Cars on show will include those regularly used for a wide range of disciplines including asphalt rallying, sporting trials, autotests, sprints and road rallies. Indeed many are unmodified road cars providing potential participants with one of the most cost-effective ways of enjoying the thrills of competitive motor sport without the need to invest in specialist machinery. Several of the vehicles also feature special controls permitting those with disabilities to compete alongside their normally-abled opponents.

In recent months the huge amount of competitive fun offered by the thousands of events organised every year by Motor Sports Association registered local motor clubs has been highlighted on several major television programmes. Former F1 driver David Coulthard experienced the delights of autotests, hillclimbs and sporting trials [we did that too!] for a feature aired on the BBC’s award-winning Formula One programme. Then last month, Vicki Butler-Henderson teamed up with Skoda UK’s reigning Intercontinental Rally Challenge Champion Andreas Mikkelsen to contest a 12-car navigational rally for Channel Five’s popular motoring show Fifth Gear.

Vikki Butler Henderson and Andreas Mikklesen

“It was all about showing just how easy it can be for all-comers to have some really great fun,” reported Coulthard. “As I found out, all these disciplines create very accessible and affordable opportunities for people to get into motor sport and, as there are classes for everyday road cars in hill climbs, autotests and trials, there really is something out there for everyone.”

“I had a real giggle,” agreed Butler-Henderson. “I’m passionate about grass roots motor sport and, in particular, things that are cheap to enter. Navigational rallies certainly tick that box as you don’t even need a special licence. You participate in a great sport with some healthy competition in your everyday road car for an entry fee of just £15. You can’t have more fun for your bucks than that.”

It is now hoped that many show goers at Autosport International will be inspired by those two high profile programmes and thus be encouraged to experience similar thrills by joining their local motor club at the NEC.

“The Go Motorsport initiative is all about dispelling many of the myths regarding the perceived costs of getting involved in motor sport,” confirmed Colin Hilton, Chief Executive of the MSA. “As both David and Vicki found out for themselves, you can have an enormous amount of enjoyment for very little financial outlay. This is an important message and one that is often overshadowed by the huge budgets found at the top level of our sport. Anyone wanting further proof of the fun to be had at grass roots level should visit the ‘Join Your Local Motor Club’ display at this week’s Autosport International.”

Those MSA registered car clubs participating on the Go Motorsport stand at Autosport International are: Herefordshire Motor Club; Loughborough Car Club; the Mercia Motor Sports group; North Humberside Motor Club; Owen Motoring Club; Oxford Motor Club; Peterborough Car Club; Quinton Motor Club; Wolverhampton & South Staffordshire Car Club and the British Motorsport Marshals Club.

New Year's Resolution? Join your local Motor Club!

So you've finished off the turkey, the tinsel is back in it's box and you're looking for something to do with your car over the new year. If you've seen our first edition of Overdrive, you'll know a bit about getting started in Autotesting, but what does an actual event look like?

Land Rover Discoveries are a rare sight in most motorsports!

The Ystrad Mynach motor club likes to celebrate the new year with an annual autotest held at a local farm. It's a fine example of the many varied events that take place every week around the UK, The venue can be almost anywhere and the vehicles competing can be almost anything! With the entry costs being very inexpensive, it's no wonder that the club had a strong turn out of competitors and spectators for this year's event, even on a very cold January Morning. A fantastic way to blow away the winter blues and get you and your car ready for the oncoming season.

Are you from a Motor Club? Do you have a report for us? Send it in to us at info@overdrive-uk.com

With well over 200 spectators Ystrad Mynach Motor Club’s New Year’s Autotest proved to be a great success. Set on Gelliargwellt Uchaf Farm near Gelligaer the competitors were in for a really tough afternoon from the start. With persistent rain from the weekend, conditions were muddy and extremely slippery.

This Austin A35 is more than it appears...

There was a large selection of vehicles on show. We had everything from Ford Escorts and Peugeot 205s right through to off road quads. With a strong entry of 40 competitors there was a plentiful array of vehicles for everyone to see.

Stand out vehicles on the day were Roger Holder’s “Mint” Ford Escort RS2000 (Coming in as a last minute replacement for his Honda Civic), the A35 of Toby Down, the Renault Clio (with suspect racing stripes) and the poor Citroen Saxo that has every inch of its gearbox taken away from it! A special mention has to go to Matthew Maidment after parking his Peugoet 205 Rally car into one of the many skips located on the site. In his words “I only crash on straights!”.

Congratulations to overall event winner Stephen Giles. Taking the overall win on his quad. Winner of the Car Class Carl Davies had to swap cars half way through after damaging the steering arm on his BMW mid way through the event.

The full results book can be found by clicking here.

This quad seems to be hell bent on becoming a motorcycle!

A big thank you to the venue owners, TSL Sports Timing, the competitors, helpers, marshals and spectators. Without you none of this would have been possible. With your help we were able to make a generous donation to the Childrens Cancer and Leaukemia Charity LATCH.

Many of you have been asking when the next event will be. At the moment we don’t have a firm date but we are sticking with Gelliargwellt Uchaf Farm and are looking a firming up a date for the summer. Please keep checking www.ystradmynachmotorclub.co.uk for regular updates.

UPDATE : If you've arrived here from the Austin A30/A35 owners club forum ( http://forum.austina30a35ownersclub.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2312&start=615#p41946 ), I'm afraid we don't have much information about that little blue car other than it has a Cosworth engine and is apparently a very potent machine on this sort of event!

Video, Report and Photos courtesy of Ystrad Mynach Motor Club

Edition 1, November 2010

Introducing Overdrive, the first edition of a planned series of monthly programmes featuring the best of British motorsport, coming next season. For more information, visit www.overdrive-uk.com

This month, Paul Gardner takes us on a trip around Llandow Circuit in South Wales, whilst David Malins investigates the finer points of Autotesting.


We're already hard at work planning next season's programmes which will follow the same format, but with even more content. Watch this space for news and developments!