PLYMOUTH MOTOR CLUB
I am the main organiser and I don ’ t think I could physically do another one ! There is an awful lot of work that goes into it , but it is worth it .”
The increasing popularity of all the local Speed events means there are now plenty going on in the region , and as a means of further encouragement , there is now a Cornish Speed Championship , which is a county-based competition for Hill Climbs and Sprints that is still competitive , but a little less intense than its bigger cousin .
“ The regional championship involves between 15 and 20 rounds and has more than 120 participants ,” explains Locke . “ It is one of the most popular regional Hill Climb championships in the UK , but it is also quite competitive , so because Plymouth is only ten minutes from Cornwall , the Cornish Speed Championship is also popular with Club members .
“ That one has around ten events in four venues , and it is very friendly . We have about 45 contenders who get involved , and most will do four or five rounds or even more . It is also quite hotly contested – there is a lot of friendly rivalry , and it is just another good opportunity for people to get their cars into action .”
Building Collaborations
Putting on events can be challenging , but in Plymouth MC ’ s case , positive collaboration with other nearby Clubs has helped put its name on the Speed map and enabled the Club to rebuild a strong post-pandemic grassroots base and , from that , add another major event to its roster .
Having once ran a busy schedule of Autotests , Scatter Rallies and 12 Car events , the loss of an Autotest venue and the reduction of Scatter Rally numbers has put more focus on 12 Car rallies at Plymouth MC . That could have been a problem , as its close neighbour South Hams Motor Club is also an established 12 Car organiser , but instead it turned into an opportunity .
“ We are in the same part of the world so trying to share the roads out could have been a bit of a challenge , but we coordinate what we do with them , and it has worked out well ,” says Locke . “ We have , for many , many years , always run our 12 Car series on the last Friday of the month , so they fit in during the mid-month .
“ We tell them where our events are planning to go , when we are going , the roads we are going to use , and they avoid it . They do the same , and working together like that makes
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12 Car Rallies have become a focus for the club
Revolution - March 2025
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