FREE! 16-PAGE SPECIAL PULL-OUT SUPPLEMENT
CELEBRATING ALL THAT’S GREAT ABOUT THE UK MOTORSPORT SCENE
MN HIGHLIGHTS ITS FAVOURITE CARS, TRACKS, DRIVERS AND FIRMS ON THESE SHORES STARTS P19
What defines a hero? It is a moot point, and each person has their own reasons for liking a particular racer. Is it flamboyance, is it success on the circuit, is it character or, even, is it the car they’ve become most associated with?
In truth, it can be any of these elements. A hero can, of course, be an underdog but collecting some trophies seems to be an essential requirement.
In this Motorsport News special, we have compiled a list of National Heroes. This is not a definitive list,
by any means, and we are more than happy to hear from readers with their own nominations. Feel free to contact us at letters@motorsport.com.
In drawing up the list, with help from the experts here at MN, we have obviously got our own favourites, but there is a rough premise.
We wanted to look at the drivers who we’ve loved watching over the years, but also include some drivers that we think are modern-day heroes, drivers who we will reflect on in years to come and truly recognise their contributions to motorsport. Why wait until we are decades down the road: why not mark them out now?
Also, the competitors we have selected are drivers who have had most of their success racing in the United Kingdom. This doesn’t exclude men who have reached the top step of the podium on a global scene, but it is the men that we are used to seeing on the British tracks or in the British forests.
There were twice as many that we wanted to include, but the selection process was extremely harsh.
Then we look at some of the stand-out venues in British motorsport. The circuits that the British Isles boasts are the envy of the world, with a real selection of tests and challenges. Think of the comparative skills needed to tackle Thruxton as opposed to Cadwell Park – the variety that the tracks offer the competitors is varied and interesting.
We hand out the MN awards to the various hotspots around the country.
We have also looked at some of the most prolific companies that fly the flag for the United Kingdom, not only on these shores but abroad as well. Britain leads the line in so many areas of motor racing, and the contribution that it makes to the industry (and, as a result, to the economy) is often overlooked. Motorsport News is determined to make sure that isn’t the case within the pages of this publication.
As I have mentioned, a lot of this is subjective, and we would love to hear from readers to let us know their favourite things about UK motorsport. Enjoy.