Diversifying motorsport in Norfolk

On the 24 of August 2024, Jane Blake from Sporting Car Club of Norfolk introduced an exciting new initiative to encourage diversity in grassroots motorsport. The ‘Womens Autotest Taster Day’ was formed to provide a unique opportunity to experience many different sides to motorsport, but most importantly, the excitement of an Autotest.

Jane explains, “The inspiration behind this event was to boost female participation in grassroots motorsport by hosting a free Autotest taster session to bring in people from all sorts of backgrounds to experience the excitement of grassroots motorsport.”

The enthusiasm for this event was shown from the very start, with 74 individuals signing up for the pre-registration. Jane goes on to say, “The concept was really well received by my Club, the Sporting Car Club of Norfolk and the Better Together Group who were incredibly supportive of this idea to help boost the diversity within the Club and grassroots motorsport.”

The event was a great success, especially with the support given by the local community. A number of Motor Clubs across the area joined together to provide a substantial number of marshals for the event, creating a friendly atmosphere, guiding these newcomers through their very first experience of an Autotest, and boosting their confidence throughout the day. Jane continues, “The event was brilliant, ages from 14, up to 75 turned up on the day for their very first experience of grassroots motorsport, and everyone had an absolutely amazing time, the smiles were from ear to ear.”

From this initiative, a number of the female competitors who participated on the day have caught the motorsport bug and gone on to become regular competitors and members of Sporting Car Club of Norfolk.

For 2025, Jane looks to expand on the success of last year, organising a similar event at Lotus, Hethel to again encourage diversity within grassroots motorsport.

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