About BARC North Western Centre
WHO WE ARE
The North Western Centre is one of the six regional centres of the BARC, it currently has around 120 members made up of officials, marshals, drivers and enthusiasts, the Centre is always keen to welcome new members for all the activities involved in race meetings....if you are interested please get in touch.
The Centre organises many different activities in addition to the BARC (NW) Sports and Saloon Car Championship, these include Marshals, the Rescue Unit and our Annual Awards Night. The Centre has existed since the end of the Second World War and has quite a history which you can read about further down the page.
HISTORY OF THE NORTH WESTERN CENTRE
The North Western Centre has existed more or less since the end of World War 2. At that time the activities were various and diverse. In the fifties, membership was 600-700 with many ‘badge members’. In this period many people were not interested in competing but were enthusiasts who wished to have a social life which revolved around motor racing.
H.M. ‘Jock’ Sinclair became Chair of the NW Centre in 1959 and began work which shaped the NW Centre into what it still is today, a strong and active group which organises race meetings and a significant National racing championship. Previously, the chair had changed almost every year but Jock stayed for 24 years. He was a member of the BARC Council and was very effective in insisting that the NW Centre ran its own affairs and its own finances. He was also close to the Managing Director of Oulton Park which helped. This was crucial as ever since Jock started this initiative the NW Centre has always run race meetings at Oulton Park and still has an excellent relationship with the circuit management.
The Awards Night is our annual presentation Dinner Dance for the Championship and Marshals. This event has remained strong over the years and regularly is a sell out at over 150 guests.
Back in the 1960’s before we ran race meetings, karts provided our racing interest. The first kart meeting was run in 1960 and was followed by many more. A ’festive frolics’ meeting was always held near Christmas in a car park close to the swimming baths in New Brighton. One year a kart race was put on there and a TV company was invited, giving the club good publicity. The popularity of karting increased rapidly then and gradually took over the club’s activities. There were 14 kart meetings one year raising a significant amount of money for the club.
In the early days the Centre also ran quite a few night rallies of its own and also ran the North Wales Rally which was quite a big event. Another major feature of club activities was that it organised an RAC rally stage for many years usually this was at Dodd Wood by Bassenthwaite in the Lake District. Once the hey-day of club rallying was over in the late sixties, when regulations for the running of road rallies were seriously tightened up, membership of the Centre started dropping.
In the early sixties the BARC NW Centre also ran several autocross meetings. One of the committee found a patch of gravel at Atherton near Wigan, owned by the local authority for development. Two or three meetings a year were run for 5 years including a John Players national event.
Driving tests were popular and another televised event was once run at New Brighton which featured on ‘World of Sport’. This was a sprint meeting held on the sea front. A smaller but popular sprint meeting was held in Southport which ran around Marine Drive and past Peter Pan’s Pool near the Pier.
In the sixties handicap racing was very popular and some people were very good at handicapping and there were some extremely close finishes. Race meetings also often contained Formula Libre races as ‘catch all’s’.
The NW Centre has run events such as The British Open Trophy Races for unlimited single seater racing cars, Formula 5000 and The Gold Cup, which has been awarded for several classes of racing car from single seaters, Thundersports, British Touring cars and saloons. Sponsors’ names conjure up all sorts of memories to anyone who was around at the time: Forward Trust, Britax, British Air Ferries, Ocean Air Freight. During the 1980’s and 90’s the main meeting was the Good Friday F5000 or Thundersports event. Often this meeting also ran for the Gold Cup and regularly had the BTCC on the bill.
Ken Mitchell followed Jock Sinclair in the Chair. An electrical engineer, he was originally involved with the Centre through helping with the setting up of telephone communications for rally stages. The Centre did not run its own Championship until Ken Mitchell came along and realised that there were a lot of cars looking for a championship series following major reshuffling of the national sports, saloon and GT championships. More information on the history of this championship can be found in the CNC Heads section of the website.
The Centre Doctor, Dermott Lehane, used the opportunities presented by his role to study the heart condition of drivers on the starting grid. The RAC and BARC Headquarters were very interested in some research which he carried out. He believed that some drivers were barely conscious at the time the flag dropped because of their high heart rate. He attributed many of the first corner pile ups to this and was one of the first people to attach instruments to drivers to measure their pulse at this crucial time. Away from racing, he was also in charge of the Blood Banks and was the first person to successfully carry out a complete blood change on a child.
During the mid ‘80’s there was a significant change in the organisation of the Centre with Ken Mitchell and the instigation of two Centre Championships, one for Sports and Saloon cars and the other for Formula Ford 2000 cars. By now the Centre had stopped all organisation of anything but car racing. Over the next couple of years the FF2000 championship struggled to get entries and was soon dropped. On the other hand the Sports/Saloon championship went from strength to strength and by the end of the decade entries meant that grids were full at each meeting.
By this time the key officials for each race meeting were Centre members, many joining the Centre to take a more active role in race meeting organisation. Over the years we have had our own Clerks and other key officials and have been able to fully staff race meetings using centre members. Over recent years many Clerks and Secretaries have been trained/mentored in the Centre and gone on to act Nationally and Internationally.
A further arm of the Centre was the procurement of a Race Rescue unit which is used for all our race meetings and additionally it is used at many meetings organised by other clubs and our HQ section. It is widely regarded as one of the best Rescue Units in the country and for years the unit has been invited to the Grand Prix. The unit’s claim to fame at the Grand Prix is that it was the unit that extricated Michael Schumacher when he went straight on at Stowe and broke his leg!
As we entered the new millennium the Centre was entering its 50th year of operation and was running three or four meetings at Oulton Park and a couple at the new circuit on Anglesey. The Chair of the Centre passed from Ken Mitchell to Dave Blundell and then to the present incumbent Ray Sumner who has led the Centre for the last 30 years. The Sports/Saloon championship became 40 years old in 2024 and is famous for its friendliness and camaraderie together with full grids at most meetings.
As to the future the Centre is well positioned in terms of personnel trained in the various skills required to run a race meeting and also is financially strong so that it can provide the equipment required to support the racing activities. If you are interested in getting involved with motor sport in any capacity then contact any of the club’s officials and we will invite you along to one of the meetings and discuss how you can help.
Starting Out In Motorsport
A Basic Guide to getting started in Motor Racing.
The controlling body for Motor Sport in the UK is Motorsport UK (MSUK) who derive their authority from the FIA in Geneva.
All competitors need to obtain a Competition Licence from MSUK. Request a “Starter” pack on line which will include an application form and details of ARDS courses offered by racing schools in the UK. It is necessary to attend and pass an ARDS course before the MSUK will issue a national B race licence. Those wishing to go karting or into speed events need a slightly different licence before they start competing.
The BARC’s own Thruxton Motorsport Centre and Croft Circuit offer ARDS courses. The instructors are all very knowledgeable and are racing drivers. They will assess your capabilities, and advise you as to whether you are best suited to racing a saloon, sportscar or single-seater. However, we recognise that you may have already made up your mind!
All applications to MSUK for a racing licence have to be accompanied by a medical report completed by a doctor (form supplied in the Starter Pack). MSUK may be contacted on 01753 765000, by visiting their website www.motorsportuk.org or alternatively, you can write to them at: Motorsport UK. Motor Sports House Riverside Park Colnbrook, Slough SL3 0HG
Once you are in possession of a competition licence you need to become a member of a MSUK recognised motor club such as the BARC. Once you have gained your licence, you are ready to take the next step, and decide which Championship or Series to join.
It is very difficult for us to quantify the costs of you becoming a racing driver as the type of car, frequency at which you compete or the degree of technical sophistication you wish to attain will have a very significant impact on your overall costs. However, you should recognise that you will incur costs in all of the following areas:
• ARDS course and competition licence
• Personal equipment (overalls, helmet etc)
• Purchase of a suitable car (depending on the Championship you wish to enter)
• Car preparation and maintenance
• Purchase of a suitable electronic transponder for race timing purposes
• Annual Club membership
• Annual Subsidiary Club membership depending on the Championship
• Annual Championship Registration fee
• Race entry fees
• Transport costs to/from each race meeting (using a trailer or transporter etc)
• Accommodation at race meetings, hotels, food etc
Your First Few Races
Having decided that motor racing is for you and you want to compete rather than marshal or officiate, the next decision is to what championship you want to get involved in and also the car to be driven. That really is up to you but once you have made that decision and sorted out your car and got the necessary licence and medical certificate ‘it’s off racing for you’. Below we have documented some hints and tips, do’s and don’t’s for those first few races. You may find them helpful. My thanks go to Gareth Newton for providing the original piece from which I have updated it and made it fit closer to the Sports and Saloon Car Championship.
1 – Race Entry and Signing on
Having registered for the championship the first step is to enter your first race. Since Covid the usual method of entry is by an on line system run by the organising club so simply go to the relevant club website and follow the links. If for the Sports and Saloon Car Championship simply go to barc.net or barcnorthwestern.co.uk and follow the links.
About a week before the race you’ll get some tickets, some vehicle passes (if required), probably via email. At a similar time the race documentation will be available on line through the relevant club website. Notwithstanding the tendency to bin everything except the tickets, it does make sense to read the instructions, in fact most important to read them. This documentation will confirm all you need to know plus some specific things for the meeting and your race. Read them, save them and bring them to the meeting.
Again since Covid all signing on is handled on line. You will probably be sent links either separately or they can be found in the Final Instructions. It is vital that you do sign on before the meeting, if you are late then you will probably get reminders – do not ignore them. You may be required to upload your competition licence, so have it ready just in case.
2 - Getting to the Circuit
Remember it will take considerably longer to get to the circuit than your Sat-Nav claims with a car on a trailer, so leave plenty of time. Before you set off, make sure you have everything - it sounds simple but it makes sense to do a list. It’s easy to forget something and it could lead to you not getting a race. You may well have the meanest looking race car on your trailer, but if you haven’t got your tickets, you won’t get in! Likewise, No Licence or Membership Card = No Race. Make sure your Crash Helmet and Clothing is in good condition and has all the right labels to comply with the rules (see the Motorsport UK NCR’s to see if there have been any changes since last year). You will also need Tools, Petrol Cans (ideally with petrol in……. you wouldn’t be the first!!) spare tyres etc. Write the list and check the stuff off before you go!
3 - Setting up at the Circuit
Go to the part of the paddock allocated in the Paddock Plan you were sent with Finals. If you arrive on the day rather than the day before you may find that other championships have encroached on your allocated space, if this happens try to find some space that is unallocated and camp there. Park considerately as space is at a premium, use as much space as required but don’t try to save space for numerous hanger’s on cars. If you are lucky enough to be allocated a pit garage there will usually be space allocated behind for trailers/cars, though you may have to wait until drivers testing vacate if you arrive the day before. You will find some of the drivers & teams arrive the night before the race. Accommodation options range from local hotels, tents, motorhomes or “The White Van Hotel”. If you do plan to stay in the Paddock, bring some burgers as there is usually a BBQ fired up that you can jump on and share a few beers and racing tales into the night.
Got loads of time to kill before your session? Why not walk around the track while it’s closed (check with the circuit office for times). It sounds a lot of effort but it will provide you with some very useful knowledge of the corners………. And it’s an opportunity you only get as a ‘racer’ (it’s also a touch more realistic than any computer game). Better still; try to walk round with an experienced fellow competitor. As well as familiarising yourself with the track if you have time it is worth checking where such things as signing on take place, the location of the scrutineering bay and assembly and Parc Ferme. Things may get busy on race day and it is useful to know where everything is located.
4 - Before Qualifying
The first task is to sign on - check the time in the Finals/Timetable and arrive at the time indicated, please don’t go too early as this will delay others from earlier races. Walk over to the official’s office and sign on, this may be in the Secretaries office or Registration. You’ll need your competition licence and your BARC membership card, annotated to show you are a North Western Centre member. You will also have had to have had your medical which will be indicated on your licence. As you are a newcomer to this great sport you will want your ‘licence signing’. To get this done simply hand your upgrade card to the person signing you on - remember to collect it after your final race (wait 30 minutes after race). If you are in more than one race at the meeting you can have up to two signatures on your upgrade card.
In return for your signature you will be given your scrutineering ticket and a programme and any important bulletins that refer to your race. That is signing on completed next task is to get the car scrutineered.
5 - Scrutineering
Get your car and your safety clothing (helmet and race suit - make sure these comply with latest regulations, especially important at the beginning of the season) and set off to scrutineering or follow instructions in the Finals. It makes sense to ask an experienced driver to assist here until you get used to the routine. Remember that the scrutineer is there to look after your safety, the safety of the marshals and the spectators. Chances are he’ll find something that you missed, i.e. loose battery or a hole in the fire wall, in which case a minor repair may be required. If you need help Ask! And ask quickly!!
If you fail you will then need to go back to the Scrutineering bay to be rechecked after you rectify the problem. Once the Scrutineer is happy you’ll get through at which point you will be given a sticker to confirm that he thinks your car is a work of art and/or legal. Stick it on the inside of the window/ roll cage immediately behind the drivers seat ideally- i.e. so it can be clearly seen by the eagle eyed marshal who won’t let you anywhere near the track if he can’t see the sticker.
As well as the MSUK Scrutineers who check for compliance, the Sports/Saloon Championship has an Eligibility Scrutineer, Peter Gorrie. Peter is in attendance at most rounds and will be on the lookout for any cars in the championship not running to championship regulations. (Scrutineering simply checks that the car is safe and does not check compliance with championship regulations). Peter will at meetings decide to check for specific things on all cars (or cars chosen at random). At most meetings Peter will weigh cars at various times, particularly after qualifying and racing (it is surprising how often an experienced driver forgets to put ballast in or swaps to a lighter extinguisher rendering the car illegal and excluded from that session!) This may all sound draconian but it is simply to ensure safety and fair play. Peter’s main job is to help competitors (especially new ones) as much as possible, if you have an issue or question then ask Peter.
6 - Drivers Briefings
If you haven’t raced at that specific circuit before, you’ll have to attend a ‘New Drivers Briefing’. This will probably be after the general Drivers Briefing. The times are shown in the Finals. In some cases an actual briefing is replaced by an A4 handout to read. Failure to attend or pick up a handout will result in a visit to the Clerk of the Course, not something you want in your initial meetings. If you do have an actual briefing and have a question, then ask, don’t be reserved in front of others - it is most likely they have the same question! Make sure that you understand ALL the flags/light signals and where you enter and exit the circuit. These ‘New Driver Briefings’ are not just for new drivers but for any driver who has not raced on the circuit configuration for that day.
In addition to the above there will probably be a Championship Drivers Briefing arranged, again this is mandatory. Make sure that you sign on for it or you will face another trip to the Clerk! These championship briefings are arranged for a reason, usually some specific issue for the championship at this meeting and are important.
7 - Preparation for Qualifying
So, you’ve signed, you’ve attended all the meetings and pretty soon you’re going to be ready to qualify. Get yourself prepared in good time. It is a friendly series and drivers will be willing to help provided they aren’t in the middle of a major rebuild or you expect them to assist you whilst you wander off for a coffee!! REMEMBER TO PUT ENOUGH FUEL IN YOUR CAR, the sessions are normally 20 minutes long. Be ready to go to the Assembly Area 20 minutes before the designated time. Keep listening for paddock announcements or ask another competitor if you‘re not sure what’s going on. Quite often the timetable is changed so don’t decide to go 6 miles down the road for a spot of breakfast. Make sure that your scrutineering label is attached and visible.
You will be fully aware that motor racing at some circuits runs under strict noise regulations. Up to this point your noise level will probably not have been checked. It will be checked usually on your way to the Assembly Area. If it is over the limit you will not be allowed to qualify (or race if checked then) and will be returned to the paddock. Ideally you will have ensured the car is under the limit before you came to the circuit but, and it is a big but, levels can vary in different locations so ideally prepare the car with some leeway just in case.
8 - Qualifying
Make sure your pin is out of your fire extinguisher. Qualifying is to establish grid positions for the race. Also, it’s qualifying- not racing! You have to complete 3 laps to be allowed to enter the race, so use the first few laps to build up some confidence by gradually increasing your speed. Familiarise yourself with the track, braking points, marshals posts etc. Keep a look out for faster cars. In this championship the speed differentials can be enormous and for the novice driver these differences are perhaps the most difficult thing to get used to. The basic understanding is that you should keep to your line and not try to suddenly move off line or try to point where the faster car should go. Just ‘keep calm and carry on’ the faster and probably much more experienced driver will find their way past. They’ll brake later and will probably make it look all very easy, do not be tempted to try and keep up with them, as they will have vastly more knowledge of racing and of the circuit than you. You don’t want to end up in a gravel trap or worse! At all times look out for the lights/flags, especially the blue and yellow (if you are not sure what they mean then check now!).
If for some reason you were not ready for qualifying (and it does happen, even to the most experienced drivers) then usually all is not lost. If you think you can get the car ready in a reasonable time then immediately go to the Secretary of the Meeting and our Clerk of the Course and explain the situation. If time allows (and it usually does) you may be allowed out in another session or over the lunch break to do your three laps to qualify. If in another session come back to the pits once you have done your three laps. Unfortunately you will have to start at the back of the grid. If there happen to be reserves for the race then as you have qualified out of session you will drop to the bottom of the reserve list so may not get a race.
9 - Parc Ferme
Once you have completed qualifying the marshals will direct you into Parc Ferme where the Scrutineers and Eligibility Scrutineer may want another look at your car. If you are in the Pit Lane when qualifying finishes you must still go to Parc Ferme unless you get permission not to. Now they are checking to see that it’s legal - if it’s not (and it should be because the rules are pretty simple) you will be excluded from the qualifying session. You will get the opportunity to correct the misdemeanour but it will be back of grid for the race. Common reasons for exclusion include being underweight. If you’re exactly the right weight before qualifying, you’ll be underweight afterwards. If in doubt, ask to weigh the car at the circuit before you qualify. Bear in mind that it’s the weighbridge at the circuit that counts, not the one in your mate’s garage 200 miles away. Once back in the paddock and you feel you have accidently held someone up during the session then choose the right moment to apologise to them. Remember it is a friendly championship and we all make mistakes at times so an apology is usually accepted and you may get some constructive advice.
10 - Getting ready to race
Once again, make sure you have got the car sorted and fuelled before you are called up for the race. Be ready to go to the Assembly Area 20 minutes before the designated time. Keep listening for paddock announcements or ask another competitor if you‘re not sure what’s going on. You may be noise tested again. Normally you will be parked in the Assembly Area in grid order such that when you are released in that order you will arrive at the grid in the correct order for the Start Line marshals to grid you up. You will have picked up a qualifying times sheet with the grid on it. It is worthwhile memorising where you are on the grid and perhaps wandering down to look at the grid and note which is your grid slot and any memorable features around it. This will make it easier to find when you return from your green flag lap (even F1 drivers get lost sometimes!). Make sure that you fully understand the procedure upon release from the Assembly Area, the process involving formation lap may differ circuit to circuit – if in doubt ask at Drivers Briefing.
11 - The Race
It is worth mentioning that the procedure for starting the race may vary so ensure that you have read the Final Instructions and are familiar of the procedure at the meeting. It may differ from the method described in the championship regulations. In the vast majority of cases you will be sent out from the Assembly Area (perhaps behind a course car) to the grid, maintain your positions and no stopping and doing practice starts. The marshals will direct you to your position (which you will have checked earlier). Make a mental note of your position as the next thing is that you’ll get a green flag lap and will be asked to return to that position. Watch for the ‘minute boards’ which may come up quickly so be prepared! On the green flag lap maintain your positions and no stopping and doing practice starts. If you are passed by all other competitors on the green flag lap then you may be told by the marshals to start from the back of the grid.
Once the grid is in place the lights will begin the start sequence, this means they will illuminate one/multiple red light, after a 2-6 second wait, the lights will go off and that’s it YOU’RE RACING. Again as in qualifying watch for faster cars, (it is worth checking to see if there are faster cars out of position on the grid that will be steaming past you in the first few hundred yards. It is the same etiquette as in qualifying regarding letting faster cars which are lapping you past and remember ‘it’s for real now’ and lapping cars may come in battling groups so it may be wise to gently lift on the straights to let a group past. You don’t want to be seeing the Clerk after the race having accidently knocked a leader off.
12 - After the Race
Once the race is over follow the marshals directions into Parc Ferme and if you are lucky enough possibly the podium. The car will be checked again for eligibility. If you have left your upgrade card for signing then don’t forget to collect it before leaving the circuit.
If at any point before the meeting you have any questions/concerns either ring/e-mail a Drivers Representative (details on this website or in the Championship Regulations) if at a meeting then speak to a fellow competitor or Drivers Representative. We pride ourselves on being friendly and helpful as a championship.