Grassroots poised for spring racing return

Race organisers nationwide have events ready to go, reports Vern Pitt

- Vern Pitt

Event organisers up and down the country are “optimistic” of a return to grassroots racing later this spring, but concerns remain about staffing and finances.

Racing has been largely absent since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, although some organisers managed to squeeze in short races with small fields last year.

With a raft of National Road Series races being cancelled and lockdown rules seemingly still some way from ending there appears to be little prospect for racing soon. But with cases of coronavirus steadily going down there is hope for the medium-term return to something approaching normality. Organisers say they’re ready to go.

Andy Cook, organiser of races in Wiltshire, told CW: “We are planning for it to happen. We could be very pessimistic about the future, and we could sit back and do nothing. But the trouble with that, of course, is that the door will suddenly open and everyone will try and rush through it. We’re trying to beat that.”

However, Chris Denman, organiser of the West Thames series, said that the year of cancellations and rescheduling had dented morale. “There’s a lot of extra work with cancellations and rescheduling, when you see people racing and you see the fans and the smiling faces, it’s worth it but when you don’t see that it feels like hard work,” he said.

Most organisers were hoping for a resumption of activity in April or May.

Many CW spoke to reported “healthy” calendars for the spring with the usual summer lull. “May and June are looking like there will be something most weekends,” said Brian Rigby, organiser of the Eddy Soens.