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THE HISTORY OF SPEED EVENTING by Steve Wilkinson
To the surprise of most people, Speed Eventing is the oldest form of motor sport still in operation in Great Britain. In 1899, as part of the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland's General Efficiency Trials run on open roads, the organisers included a 2.41 kilometre/1.5 mile Speed Trial; however, the aim was not out-and-out speed but reliability- after all there was a 20kph/12mph speed limit in force nationwide. The Trial acted as a catalyst and the ACGBI produced a set of regulations in early 1900, prior to the running of a far more ambitious 1000 Mile Trial.

Meanwhile clubs throughout the country started to organise Speed Events. There were no national championships in either Hillclimbing or Sprinting until much later.

THE BRITISH SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP
Having carried on in the same pre-war vein, Sprinting was elevated from a club sport to a National Championship at the start of the 1970s. After the Second World War, there were a lot of old airfields becoming available as the Allied Airforces retrenched, so the Sprinters moved in. These events attracted large entries and encouraged by this the RAC announced in 1969 that they were launching the British National Sprint Championship. In 1970 there were eventually 10 rounds which took place at Yeovilton, Greenham Common, Woodvale, Blackpool, Cadwell Park, Thruxton, Duxford, Curborough, Moreton-in-Marsh and Fairford.

The 1970s - the F5000 Decade
Big V8s would dominate the initial decade with the inaugural champion being Patsy Burt in her McLaren-Oldsmobile. Burt became the first woman to win a British National Championship, a feat still not matched; for the next seven years the big V8s were the ones to beat. Jonty Williamson, Bob Rose also known as ‘The King of Curborough’ - and John Ravenscroft all won titles, before Dave Harris took control.

He first won in the hybrid McLaren & then with the McRae. The decade ended with the David Franklin taking two titles in his F2 March.

The 1980s - The Rowan Era
Engineer Ray Rowan, also a very talented driver, would be the big influence in this decade. After Dave Harris won in the Pilbeam, Rowan himself took the championship in a F/Atlantic March. Ken Ayers and David Render, both long time supporters of the championship, each took a title. After Roy Lane’s title win, Rowan was again victorious, this time in a Toleman; then ex-rally driver Rodney Eyles won with his hybrid Ralt. In 1987 Rowan engineered the Toleman that took Richard Ames to the title and after ‘Super Chef’ Paul Edwards won in ’88, it was another one of Ray Rowan’s Toleman chassis that clinched the final title of the decade with Nigel Bigwood behind the wheel.

The 1990s - The Return of Power – Carrying on with some stellar performances, Nigel Bigwood took his second title. Then it was Ulsterman Jackie Harris who battled the new batch of V8 powered cars to register the last championship win for a Hart four-cylinder. Ex-Mallock driver Chris Hill took four titles in the next five seasons at the wheel of F3000 cars, whilst Patrick Wood narrowly took the title in 1994 with his Pilbeam. Roger Kilty, a quiet spoken and thoroughly professional driver from Yorkshire, took back to back titles in his Pilbeam, before the century drew to a close with Tony Eyles scoring his first title with an F3000 Lola.

The 2000s - Still More Power
The Eyles Brothers started to dominate with first Rodney and then Tony taking the titles in their ex-F3000 cars. Mark Harrison, who had been honing his talents in a Pilbeam, was finally let loose in an F3000 car. The result was a series of victories that had the 2003 title sown up by early August. Tony Eyles took back-to-back titles, first in his F3000 car and then in a new Force-Opel V6. Roy Dawson, who had been a top performer in the bike-powered cars and a GR37 Gould, got his hands on the ex-Fleetwood GR55 and consequently blasted his way to the 2006 title – the first Scot to do so!

In Conclusion
The Sprint Championship has seen various swings in popularity, usually linked to the quality of venues. Unfortunately, there are no Sprinting equivalents to Shelsley Walsh and Prescott, whose history and atmosphere are major advantages; however, it is the on-track experience which draws competitors to this branch of the sport. If history tells us just one thing, it is that the domination of a driver or car is usually broken as technology progresses. Long may Speed Eventing be the place for the inventive and quirky engineers who have made the sport so thoroughly absorbing for so long.