Wheelspin Winter / Spring 2025
Editor: Kevin Pick Photos: Jim Moir
In this issue….
- Notes from the Chair
- Racing Lines
- Marshals Post
- 2025 Season Preview
- 2024 Awards Dinner Report
- Review of the 2024 Season
Notes from the Chair
Welcome to our first issue of Wheelspin in 2025
Firstly, I would like to thank all our sponsors and suppliers for your unwavering support of SMRC during 2024. In particular, I wish to pay thanks to Jonathan Gilbert of The Edinburgh Watch Company for, not only sponsorship of the Classic Sports and Saloons Championship over the past few years, but going above and beyond in attending our race meetings, presenting EWC Driver of the Day trophies and gifts, whatever the weather.
I welcome HelloReport as a new sponsor of the Classics Championship, standing alongside our SMRC sponsors: Yokohama, Wheelsaround, John Clark Motor Group, Torq and Mintex. Thank you all!
Secondly I write to express best wishes to all SMRC Club members in your endeavours for 2025 season; whether you are racing, marshalling or supporting the Club in other ways, such as a Championship Steward, Scrutineer and Committee Member.
I look forward to seeing you in the paddock and on the track.
Nic Boyes, Chairman
Racing Lines
2025 Membership Renewals Open
With the new year now upon us, we invite members to renew their membership subscriptions. Existing members should log in to the Members area of the Club website where they will be able to pay for their annual renewal. The web site also allows new drivers and supporters to join the SMRC.
Championship Registration / Regulations
The 2025 Championship Sporting & Regulations are available to download from the Championship pages of the Club website.
These should be read in conjunction with the Motorsport UK National Competition Rules (NCR), the latest version of which is published in the Motorsport UK online resource centre.The NCR is a dynamic document which will be revised throughout the year, so its important to check for any updates prior to each event.
Racing members can register for their chosen Championship by logging in to the Members area of the Club website. Once registered, it will then be possible to enter events. Event documents such as Supplementary Regulations, Briefing Notes, Timetables, Final Instructions & Paddock Plans will be published in the relevant event page of the Members area as the year progresses.
Pre-Season Testing & Scrutineering 16th March
If your car has undergone a winter rebuild or did not compete during 2024 it will require an inspectionbefore your first race. To facilitate this the Scrutineering team will be attending the Knockhill Pre-Season test day on Sunday 16th March. No appointment is necessary for the technical inspection but if you wish to take part in the track sessions as a pre-season shakedown then this should be booked via the Knockhill website.
Steve Burns, Competitions Director
Marshals Post
Welcome to the 2025 season! With our first activity of the year now complete, let me recap the year’s events so far.
Annual Training Day at Knockhill
On Saturday, 15th February, our annual training day took place at Knockhill, with attendance reaching our maximum capacity. The day began with welcomes and introductions of the team. We confirmed the season ahead will include a total of 14 days of marshalling.
Acknowledgements
We congratulated Andy Massie on receiving the SMRC Marshal of the Year award for 2024 and Mathew Mcilroy for receiving the KMSC Marshal of the Year award.
Training Activities
The day’s activities focused primarily on practical sessions and covered areas not addressed in recent years. The sessions included:
- Controlled rolling of cars
- Various incident scenarios with actual vehicles on the Knockhill hairpin for realism
- Vehicle fire management using the newly built gas-powered fire rig, which is environmentally friendlier than using petrol but equally realistic
- A brushing competition that helped teams practice clearing gravel from the racing line
These activities were supplemented with important Motorsport UK modules, covering topics such as “first on scene,” Post Chief communication and report writing, and teamwork.
Feedback and Thanks
We received feedback from 74% of the attendees, which was very complimentary and constructive, aiding in the design of future training events. I wish to thank the team of trainers who worked hard to organize the day’s activities, our race control team for keeping the event running on time, and, most importantly, all the marshals who attended and participated in each session. Sharing experiences and knowledge is what makes these days so successful.
We now look forward to the upcoming season, eager to put our newly learned and polished skills to use.
Alan Barron, Chief Marshal
2025 Season Preview
Whilst the cold winter months are devoid of track activity, the SMRC team have been busy preparing for the new season and I’m sure that our members are busy fettling their cars as well.
Our Championship Representatives have been feeding back the views and suggestions from their respective drivers in order for us to put together the 2025 Sporting & Technical Regulations and calendar of events.
This year we will be continuing our close relationship with Knockhill Racing Circuit with our Championships featuring at all five Knockhill Motor Sports Club race meetings, whilst away from our home track, all Championships will enjoy at least one away round.
April
The Scottish Mini Cooper Cup and Scottish C1 Cup will get the 2025 season underway at Knockhill on Saturday 5th April. They will be utilising the anti-clockwise circuit configuration. Whilst the Scottish Fiesta ST Cup and Scottish Classic Sports & Saloon Championship will take to the track on Sunday 6th April, in the more traditional clockwise direction. Saturday 5th is Knockhill’s annual Mini Mania car show event, so our Mini Cooper Cup will enjoy top billing and a lunchtime public grid walk.
May
1st Knockhill race winner in 1975 Eddie Labinjoh, Alfa Romeo GTV
Sunday 18th May is 50 years to the day, since the first ever car race meeting at Knockhill. So the circuit have planned a special weekend, to commemorate this milestone anniversary. Saturday 17th will be a Scottish Championship raceday featuring our Minis, Fiestas and C1s. Whilst the Scottish Classic Sports & Saloons take centre stage for the anniversary celebrations on Sunday 18th. Scottish Champions from across the five decades will be present, many with their original competition cars on display and on track, during special parades and track sessions. The sight and sounds of these iconic race cars will be a trip down memory lane for many
June
June sees our traditional full club away round. This year following competitor feedback, we will be returning to Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire, for a full day of SMRC organised racing on Sunday 15th June.
July
For the summer months of July and August our championship calendars diverge, reflecting the specific requirements of each category. The Scottish Mini Cooper Cup will head to Oulton Park on Saturday 5th July, supporting the TCR (UK) Championship. While one week later the Scottish C1 Cup & Scottish Fiesta ST Cup, will enjoy an outing on the 2nd of Knockhill Motor Sports Club’s two anti-clockwise configuration race meetings on 12th July. The Scottish Classic competitors have a month off to take in a holiday, or visit some of the major historic racing festival events, happening south of the border during July.
August
August features the final away round of the year, with the Minis and Classics venturing to Croft, over the weekend of 23rd& 24th to compete at the Darlington & District Motor Club’s Battle of Britain race meeting. While the Fiestas and C1s get to take their summer break.
September
All Scottish Championships reconvene at Knockhill on 13th& 14th September for a ‘Best of Scottish’ race weekend, which promises to be a critical event for those chasing championship honours.
October
Its Championship finals weekend on 11th& 12th October at Knockhill, to round off the 2025 season.
Steve Burns, SMRC Competitions Director
