CLUB CORNER
“ We recently had an event at Croft with 12 cars from the Saloon & Sports Car Championship on display, along with a couple of motorbikes, and two of our committee members are also on the committee of the British Motorsport Marshalling Club( BMMC), so they did a display and they got 26 new marshals signed up.
“ That is all the Club working together, in conjunction with Croft, to promote motorsport in the area. We’ ve also got a very strong biking trials section, competing under the Amateur
Motor Cycle Association, and we are affiliated with the Auto Cycle Union for sidecar circuit racing at Croft, with the North East Motorcycle Racing Club assisting in the Battle of Britain.
“ With the Jack Frost Stages, again at Croft, we align with North Allerton MC’ s Christmas Stages, which they run every two years. The circuit can only have one Rally a year, so we also run ours every other year, effectively creating an annual event, with cross-pollination helping to encourage people to participate in both events.”
Darlington Motorsport Day
Reaching out to new audiences through public events is an important part of maintaining a Club’ s success. Darlington and District Motor Club member Craig Hope explains how the Darlington Motorsport Day came about, and how it is helping the local area thrive.
“ The idea came about when we set up a promotional stand in the marketplace with a car and motorbike, to promote a DDMC event at Croft. It came to light that even though we were only four miles from the circuit, many people didn’ t know that such a good quality of racing was going on nearby.
“ A few years later, I approached the council to see if we could put on a Motorsport Day and after six months of work, we held our first event. The DDMC competitors were up for it, as was one of our rescue units, so I then approached other local competitors and Clubs and the feedback was amazing.
“ The simple idea is to bring all forms of motorsport to the general public, especially children who are potential future competitors and spectators. It gives non-motorsport people the chance to see what’ s in the local area and this year we had a great selection of karts, cars( Circuit, Stockcars, Autotest, Drag and Rally) and motorbikes, as well as BMMC marshals.
“ We have a small demonstration area for motorbike trials, which is great for people to watch, and it is so nice to see peoples’ reactions as competitors chat to them about what they adore about the sport. It is well worth the work involved, and the best thing is that it is free, because the council supplies everything we need.”
Photos: Tony Todd
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Revolution- June 2025