After two false starts due to last month’s wet weather, the autograss season finally got into gear with the first Invicta Kent meeting at Ivychurch Raceway last weekend.
A meeting that featured both club races and national qualifying races, drew a massive turn-out of both competitors and supporters for what is perhaps motorsports best kept secret.
There are eleven National Autograss Sport Association classes, differing by type of setup and engine sizes, from near-standard 1000cc Minis to specifically designed space-framed single-seaters with V8 engines.
In a sport that could not be more inclusive, there are races for both men and ladies, junior races, where kids as young as ten years old can race, and mixed races where men and women compete against each other on equal terms.
The social aspect of the sport appeals to many and is perhaps the defining factor making the sport so enticing. The family nature has always played a vital part in the sport and often members of the same family can be seen sharing one car and racing at the same meeting.
Andy Russell from Heathfield, racing a Volkswagen won the best-presented saloon race car and was alongside his niece Rosie Russell with her special class single seater. Andy said: “It’s a great day out and the whole family can get involved. We love it.”
Another young driver who values the importance of family connection is fourteen-year-old Amelia Byde from Hamstreet. Her enthusiasm for the sport is palpable.
“I remember watching my dad autograss racing when I was very young, and it was always an inspiration for me to take part. During the pandemic, I helped my dad build me a Nissan Micra and my first season racing was 2021. It was a great debut year, I enjoyed many wins and finished third place in the club championships.
“In 2022 they lowered the youngest age entry to 10 years and my younger brother joined me on the race circuit. It was also the year I rolled my car, proving not everything always goes to plan. This year I have a new car and am very grateful for sponsorship from Exact Group, the Woodchurch precision engineering firm.”
Amelia recorded a great start to the season with a first, a third, and a fourth place in her Invicta Kent races last Sunday.
Woodchurch seems to be the local village for racing connections. Maggie Webster is another young protégé of the autograss scene. She told Rye News: “I started racing when I was 14 years old in junior saloon classes. It was just a hobby to start with, something to do, but with my first win very early in my career, I fell in love with the sport. It’s addictive.”
This young adrenalin junkie is among the most competitive of drivers, and after missing a gear change at the start of her second race last Sunday, put in a barnstorming performance to power her Toyota Yaris through the field from the back of the grid to first place.
“It’s brilliant!” she said, adding: “It would be great to qualify for the national finals but the main goal would be to finish in the top three of the Invicta Kent championship this year.”
With all the passion and enthusiasm that autograss so obviously engenders among competitors of all ages, it won’t be too long before the sport loses its tag of ‘best kept secret’.
Let’s leave the last words to fourteen-year-old Amelia: “I’ve made so many amazing friends through autograss and it’s also done wonders for my mental health. My ambition is to carry on moving up in classes as I get older and who knows? Maybe I’ll be the next female Formula 1 driver.”
I wouldn’t be betting against it.
Image Credits: Chris Lawson , Amelia Byde .