Autograss

Autograss racing is the biggest form of amateur motor racing in Britain with more competitors than any other. It takes place at venues throughout England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It has been going in some form or another since the 1960s,

Autograss is automobile racing on natural surfaces such as grass or mud . It is usually held on 400 metre oval tracks although this varies. It is primarily a participatory sport, although spectators do attend races. Meetings are promoted by non-profit-making clubs, which are affiliated to the sport's governing body, the National Autograss Sports Association. The National Championships consist of one event held each year for men's classes and one for ladies and junior classes, which gathers all the local clubs together to compete. The events usually take place in August (men's) and September (ladies and juniors).

Racing requires an autograss car and a members licence from a club, which then entitles the driver to race at most events, apart from the Nationals. To race in the Nationals requires either pre-qualification or pre-registration. However, there are now also some exclusive events in the British Autograss Series calendar that don't fit into the usually informal tone of most autograss events.

Autograss racing is often a family sport. Junior drivers may start racing at 12 years old, moving into the adult classes at 16. Ladies’ races are held at every meeting and the sharing of cars between family members is encouraged. All cars must have a roll cage installed and fire extinguisher fitted within easy reach of the driver. There are eleven classes of car ranging from production saloons, through progressively more modified vehicles to the single-seat 'specials'. Juniors can only race Class 1 cars or Junior Specials. There is a very basic test of driving competence by the local track marshal, consisting of a short drive ending in locking all four wheels under braking on grass.

Standard 1000cc Minis. As with all Autograss cars they have the trim, dashboard and seats removed. The engine is standard with limited modification allowed (rebored +60 etc.). The only engine capacity allowed is 998cc bar Minis which may be modified too 1058cc to compensate . Juniors, ages 12–16, are allowed to drive class 1 cars in separate races. This class was previously restricted to Minis, but the Peugeot 106, Nissan Micra, Toyota yaris and Citroën AX have been added to the list of eligible cars from 2006. Other experimental cars are being added to the list as the classic Mini is becoming more expensive and harder to source and is no longer as competitive against the more modern cars being allowed in. The intention of class 1 racing is to maintain an entry level class that can be constructed at a low cost, with an initial outlay of under £500 and minimal running costs at club level, although race winning cars and versions that are competitive at national level tend to cost about ten times that figure and more.

...
Wikipedia