East Ayrshire Car Club’s 50 Years of Motorsport

East Ayrshire Car Club has announced a programme of events to mark the club’s 50 years of motorsport. Formed in 1963 by a group of young enthusiasts, the Club has grown into one of Scotland’s leading motorsport organisations with over 370 members.

One of the highlights of the half-century came in 1984 when realisation of a pipe dream was fulfilled when members opened the Kames Motorsport Complex near Muirkirk.

This highly praised facility is one of the few tracks owned and operated by a UK car club and attracts competitors each year from all corners of the United Kingdom, putting the village firmly on the motorsport map.

As well as welcoming drivers in the British Sprint Championship, the tarmacadam track hosts sprints, rallies, autotests and visits by international long-distance vintage rallies.

In recent times the Club has helped introduce 14-17 year olds to the sport and has seen the course used for training by British Cycling and two Scottish universities for their engineering course work. Over the years, a number of Charity sprints have raised thousands of pounds for worthwhile causes.

A history of the Club and the Complex has now been completed in two parts. The first, covering the seasons 1963-1989 went on sale in 2009 and all 250 copies were sold within twelve months, with a re-print currently at the printers.

The second book, bringing the story up to date is to be launched on March 2nd, when the 50th Birthday Dinner will be held in the Dumfries Arms, the Cumnock hotel where the Club had its inaugural meeting.

The Club would like to hear from ex-members and invite them to join in at the dinner, no doubt exchanging tales of mis-spent youth, and beyond.

The Jubilee year will see an eagerly awaited return of the Arran Motorsport Weekend on September 20-22nd, when some autotests and grass tests will form the sporting content and the lively social activities which for 30 years attracted enthusiasts from places as far apart as Wick, Belfast and London will return to the Kinloch Hotel in Blackwaterfoot.

In mid-summer, a weekend of two Open Days will be held at Kames incorporating demonstrations, displays, exhibitions, etc., these not being confined to a motoring theme. It is planned to have admission free of charge to the public on both days.

Full details of the Jubilee Year’s activities are available from:

Robert Smith (robert at rsmith4.orangehome.co.uk)
Ian Gemmell (jjgemmell at yahoo.co.uk)