It’s National Motorsport Week this week (27 June – 5 July 2015) – this is a celebration of the UK Motorsport Industry. It encompasses a busy week for the UK Motorsport scene, the Goodwood Festival of Speed starting the week, the first Formula E race in London and finishing with the F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone this weekend.

However, it’s not just about those high profile events, National Motorsport Week is about initiatives and activities to promote UK Motorsport. This can range from novice taster events, to factory visits and open days. It’s about promoting the industry, inspiring the excitement to new audiences – this brings more interest, more spectators, more competitors, more officials and marshals – and as a result more jobs and a huge benefit to the UK economy.

Here’s some UK Motorsport Industry facts provided by the National Motorsport Week team to show what a big deal this is;

• The 750 or so motor clubs registered with the MSA have an estimated national membership of a staggering 200,000, with more than 32,000 MSA Competition Licence holders in the UK.
• Britain has produced more F1 World Champions than any other nation – 10 title winners; Brazil and Finland are up next with 3 each.
• More British drivers (32) have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans than those representing any other nation, including hosts France (27).
• Seven out of the 10 current F1 teams are based in the UK
• Over 4,300 UK companies are involved in the high-technology business world of Motorsport, and performance engineering, with £9 billion of combined annual turnover, of which £3 billion is exported.
• Motorsport in the UK supports nearly 41,000 full and part time jobs, of which some 25,000 are qualified engineers.
• Motorsport is a genuine UK success story and something this country should be very proud of.

So if you are looking to get involved in Motorsport – what is the best way?

Volunteering?

All Motorsport events need volunteers to help run them both safely and effectively. Getting involved in marshalling, scrutineering, timekeeping or rescue will get you out there and involved – volunteers are welcome at any are, although there may be restrictions on the duties you can do. The best place to start is the Volunteers in Motorsport website.

Driving?

The really good news for those getting involved in competitive motorsport is the range of different disciplines to pick from. This means there is something for every person. From arrive and drive karting championships and track days to formal competition, there are plenty of chances to find something that suits you.

Working?

Motorsport has wide ranging career choices, and it’s a worthwhile and rewarding industry. However, it can involve working long hours, weekends and being away from home…. Not to mention being exposed to the elements…. So if you’re still interested… What do you need? 

Again this depends on the path you wish to take – Engineers will want to be looking at English, Maths and Sciences – moving on to these at school or college and then maybe looking at these or more vocational qualifications before considering University and one of the many Motorsport, Automotive or Engineering courses out there.

But Motorsport is not just about Engineering: there are so many supporting business roles – sales, marketing, accounting, project management. You need to think about what you enjoy and where you want to be in the future; office role or more practical?

It’s great to gain experience, work on your own vehicle, help out a local team with basic duties, volunteer as a marshal to get experience and meet others but most importantly, learn about the industry, and look at the skills you are gaining and how they might be transferable too.

Watching?

Watching on television is one thing, but nothing beats the experience of seeing motorsport live, the smell, sights and sounds are spectacular! There are over 4,500 events taking place every year, all over the country, so you are bound to find something of interest near you. It’s well worth checking out GoMotorsport for events.

There’s a way for everyone to get involved so however you want to do so, get out there and get involved in Motorsport in your area.