National Motorsport Week celebrates global sporting success

This summer sees the launch of a new and improved National Motorsport Week that will culminate in the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Thanks to an exciting new partnership between the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA), the Motor Sports Association (MSA) and Goodwood Motorsport, the annual National Motorsport Week has been switched to a date in high summer (June 25-03 July).

There’s a tremendous amount to celebrate, as the UK remains the world leader of motor sport on all fronts. As well as producing World Champions such as Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, this country is one of just two hosting rounds of every major FIA World Championship, providing fans with an unrivalled opportunity to experience the excitement of live top class action. Indeed there are more than 5000 motor sport fixtures sanctioned by the MSA governing body every year in the UK. These not only provide the public with nationwide events to enjoy but also a chance to participate in a raft of different disciplines from sprints and hillclimbs to autotests and rallycross.

The UK is also in pole position when it comes to the cutting edge motor sport industry and it’s no surprise that eight out of the 12 current F1 teams are based in this country. The MIA figures indicate that around 4,500 companies are involved in our motor sport and performance engineering Industry, boasting an annual turnover of £6 billion of which £3.6 billion is exported.

“From all angles motor sport is a great UK success story and one we will be highlighting in National Motorsport Week,” said Colin Hilton, Chief Executive of the MSA. “The MSA has supported the MIA in this project since its inception. However, now National Motorsport Week will be part of our on-going Go Motorsport initiative, the primary purpose of which is to encourage more people into the sport. The objectives of the year-round Go Motorsport campaign are very similar – let’s get more people involved in motor sport.

“The revised date – plus the extra impetus from the MSA – will see this well established initiative gather even greater momentum. We couldn’t hope to have a better showcase than the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the move to July coincides with numerous UK motor sport events and activities, including the final build-up to the British Grand Prix. I am confident that by combining our resources and the whole sport coming together, we can really celebrate the global status and achievements of UK motor sport.”

National Motorsport Week has run each year since 2006, with the valued backing of the MSA’s affiliated motor clubs. Its aim is to attract wider media coverage, which in turn introduces new fans, competitors, spectators, organisers, engineers, journalists, photographers and much needed marshals to the planet’s most thrilling sport.

Said the MIA’s CEO Chris Aylett, “This is great news. We are excited by our new partnership that will vault National Motorsport Week to a new level. Incorporating it into Go Motorsport makes enormous sense, as does being able to crown nine days of nationwide promotional activities with access to 150,000 of the most ardent followers of motor sport at the Festival of Speed.”