Club Championship
The best place to start when it comes to getting started in Sprint competition is to find a local club near you. There are many different clubs around the country that organise sprint events, whether they are at hill climb venues, circuits or on disused airfields and closed public roads.
Once you have found a suitable club that you are interested in, it is worth going along to one of their events to see what goes on, talk to some of the competitors and get a general feel on how the event unfolds. In doing so, you will be able to find out what classes of competition the club offers, which will give you a good understanding of what type of car you use to compete in.
Many clubs will also have classes for road going cars to compete in, so if you have a road car that you would be comfortable in using, this may provide a good starting point for you to give sprinting a try.
In order to enter an event, you will need to join a club, so it is worth doing some research into the various clubs in your area to find one which you are happy with and that would be suitable for you.
Due to the nature of Sprint events, you can share a car with another driver, as you will be on track at separate times. This will help to keep costs down as you begin your journey into the sport.
After you have decided on a class to enter and what car you will be driving, you will need to obtain some safety equipment. All classes require the driver to wear a suitable helmet which meet the safety requirements as set out in the regulations. Drivers of competition cars are also required to wear fireproof overalls and gloves as a minimum, although for those driving standard cars these are not mandatory but are strongly encouraged.
Drivers will also need to obtain a RS Inter Club licence in order to compete in club events. This can be obtained through the Motorsport UK website. To obtain this licence, you won’t need to take a test or complete a medical assessment.
With both car and equipment all sorted, it is time to enter an event. Each club will have its own calendar of events which make up a championship. These may run at 1 or more venues and will give you a good opportunity to gain some experience.
The most important thing to remember is to have fun and enjoy driving your car in a competitive environment.