“Esports series will boost the grassroots motorsport scene”

Speak to enough people in UK club motorsport and you’ll quickly appreciate that there are a lot of opinionated personalities. That is no bad thing – it is the bedrock of the sport, for budding professionals and amateurs alike.

A topic which has dominated these pages and often polarised opinion across the UK has been the seemingly endless creation of new championships. Extended timetables and increasing demands on volunteer marshals have led some south of the border calling for fewer championships and condensed race meeting schedules.

Cross the border to Scotland and it’s a different story altogether. A new championship for a new championship’s sake is never a good idea, but done for the right reasons, with an eye on developing the club, then it must be applauded.

The Scottish Motor Racing Club has, this year, introduced a pair of championships which it aims to enhance the sport at a grassroots level and allow those with lower budgets to forge their own on-track journeys.

Launched during last year’s British Touring Car weekend, the Citroen C1 Cup has proved to be one of the best additions to the club’s bill in recent seasons.

The C1s offer drivers a full season’s racing for approximately £7000, a fraction of the cost of more established club championships.

The championship had its doubters, but the quality of racing is second to none.

The level of talent on the grid – which has grown from 11 cars in the opening round to 18 by mid-season – is incredibly even and the fact that the title fight is going down to the wire between karting graduate Ryan Smith and racing novice Finlay Brunton is testament to the success of the category.

That is on-track, but the SMRC and Knockhill also deserve praise for what they are doing off-track as well.

The recently-announced SMRC Esports Championship – which began last week on the subscription-based iracing platform – is the next step in boosting the burgeoning grassroots scene. And you know the club is serious because they’ve brought in Red Bull Racing Esports driver Graham Carroll to spearhead the project, which aims to turn virtual racing into reality.

The winner of the inaugural season will be rewarded with a fully-funded drive in one round of the Scottish Legends championship, while the runner-up is given an ARDS test at the circuit; proof of the club and circuit’s commitment to bringing in new talent.

Scotland, in racing terms, is a small community and one that always fights against lack of resource and members. That said, the interest in motorsport appears greater than ever and by carefully investing in championships it believes will steadily grow its grassroots scene, the SMRC is one step ahead of the curve.

AGREE/DISAGREE? letters@motorsport-news.co.uk