Caernarvonshire & Anglesey Motor Club has been established for over 90 years and, throughout this time, has built a community of committed members who attend the club’s social and competitive events. In late February, the club held an awards dinner to recognise its most successful and high-achieving members. In total, 30 awards were presented. Emma Roberts received her award from the club, while Chloe Thomas received two.

Chloe was introduced to rallying through her dad, with her first family holiday abroad spent watching Rally RACC Catalunya in 2010. She made her competitive debut at the Toyota Harlech Stages in 2015, just weeks after turning 14. “I got my first set of overalls as my birthday present, and luckily got my licence in time. We even came away with 1st in class!”

Now in her 11th year of competing, Chloe began co-driving with her dad in his Peugeot 106 GTI. After he broke his wrist in 2015, she partnered with Brandon Smith in a Darrian T90, finishing 2nd overall at their first event. She later won the ANWCC Championship twice with Andrew Morris in a Ford Escort Mk2, “my favourite rally car of all time.” After COVID, Chloe moved into car 1 at the Toyota Harlech Stages with Wil Owen, who she currently co-drives for.

This year, Chloe plans to compete in Rali Ceredigion. “It will be my first closed road event too, so I’m really looking forward to it.” Chloe joined Motorsport UK’s Rally Academy this year and has “already learned so much useful information from Nicky Grist, Seb Marshall and the team.”

Caernarvonshire & Anglesey Motor Club awarded Chloe the Regent Cup for Tarmac Stage Rally Co-Driver of the Year and the Yvonne Matthews Cup for Lady Rally Navigator/Co-Driver of the Year. In 2019, Chloe won her most prized award, the Gary Matthew’s Achievement Trophy, awarded by the committee. The award goes to the individual they believe has achieved the most in motorsport that year. “I was completely blown away. With all the support from the committee, both past and present, I felt it was a no-brainer to join so that I can give back the support I’ve received and share it forward to the next generation.”

Emma was also recognised by the club and won the Olwen Cup, which is awarded to the highest placed lady member in the Don Mills Patron’s Cup table. “I was over the moon to win my first award with the club. Seeing all the names of the previous winners engraved on it, all the way back to 1989, made me realise that this is an award with history, given out long before I was even born — and now my name is part of that!”

Her first experience in motorsport was go-karting with her dad, where her interest began to grow. She previously competed in the Glan-y-Gors karting championship in Corwen. Now, Emma is focusing more on autotests, where she will be both navigating and driving, as well as rallying. She takes part in the CAMC monthly navigation runs and is “hoping to do another novice rally as a navigator after my first one was the CAMC Valentine Rally in February 2025.”

Emma has been a member of Caernarvonshire & Anglesey Motor Club for over two years, while Chloe has been a member for many years and, in 2024, stepped into the role of Club Secretary. Emma described it as an “incredibly welcoming environment. It’s a very transparent and fair club, and everyone from competitors to organisers is supportive and friendly.” Chloe added that “since joining the committee, it has been eye-opening to see the work that goes on behind the scenes. I may be biased, but I do think we’re one of the top motor clubs in the UK with how committed the teams are to their events, the friendliness of our competitors, and how much of our non-event weekends are spent assisting other clubs. We are really lucky to have the members we have.”

Both recommend starting your motorsport journey by joining your local motor club, attending events, and giving it a go. Emma said, “Motorsport can feel intimidating at first, especially as a female, but I’ve only ever felt encouraged and supported.” Chloe said she was “super anxious when I started — I could hardly ask for a cuppa — but now I know how vital it is to put yourself forward and speak up loud. And if you’re doing a good job, people will always notice.”

Whether you’re brand new to the sport or already competing, Caernarvonshire & Anglesey Motor Club offers a welcoming community, opportunities to learn and grow within the club. Go and check out what they have coming up on their website today!