Motorsport UK confirms club racing set to resume in England from March 29

Club Racing News

Motorsport in the UK is set to resume in March with the easing of lockdown restrictions

Oulton Park, 2020

Club racing is set to return in March

Simon Arron

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Motorsport UK has announced that national non-elite-level racing will be able to resume in England on March 29 in line with lockdown restrictions being lifted.

Following the announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday that outlined how the country would gradually move out of lockdown over the coming months, the UK’s governing body for motor racing has confirmed events can resume in March.

Subject to local restrictions, racing venues across England will be able to resume activity at the end of next month in accordance with guidelines allowing formally organised outdoor sports to restart.

Motorsport UK said in its announcement that it would continue to adhere to guidelines in relation to the return of fans to sporting venues, currently outlined tentatively as happening in early Spring.

It added that motor sport in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Channel Islands are still subject to prevailing government guidance but that further updates would take place in “due course”.

“We are extremely grateful to the government for providing the opportunity for motorsport to resume in England from 29 March,” Motorsport UK CEO Hugh Chambers said.

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“This will be very welcome news for our community, which extends from professional drivers and teams, through to the grassroots of the sport with tens of thousands of enthusiasts. Collectively they fuel an industry employing 41,000 people and generating over £10 billion for the economy, so this is a vital step in securing the UK’s future as leaders in motorsport around the world.

“Hopefully it won’t be too much longer before we can announce similarly positive news from the other home nations. Clearly strict protocols still apply, as our sport needs to play its part in supporting the NHS and wider frontline community in keeping infection rates under control, and our Restart Guidance has enabled us to accomplish that objective on two previous occasions.

“I would like to thank the Motorsport UK community for their support during lockdown, and for their spirit and fortitude in keeping the sport together for when this announcement came. We now look forward to getting motorsport up and running at the end of March.”

While the British GT and British Touring Car Championship’s both fall under elite-level sport and therefore could go ahead, both postponed the beginning of their 2021 seasons due to rising Covid-19 infection rates and the absence of spectators.

Both are now set to begin in May, though it is still not certain that spectators will be allowed back into venues by that point. Following the government announcement on Monday, a preliminary May 17 date has been set in the hopes of allowing fans back into sporting venues.