Under 17 Motor Club lead the championship (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Under 17 Motor Club lead the championship

11:00am Thursday 7th June 2012 in Motor sport

THE Under 17 Motor Club North West have expressed their delight after taking first place in the ANWCC Inter-Club Championship at the halfway stage of the 2012 season.

The club was set up to help teenagers gain experience of driving legally before their 17th birthday and a number of youngsters have taken up the opportunity.

Blackburn’s Simon Robinson has enjoyed success in production car autotests, helping the club to the top of the table.

The championship sees clubs amass points according to their performance a number of different types of event – including rallies, autotests, autosolos, trials and hillclimbs.

The U17MC were 18th in last year’s championship, having only been formed midway through the year.

They currently lead Accrington Motor Sport Club, who are second after finishing eighth in 2011. Clitheroe and District Motor Club are 24th.

“It shows what can be achieved by young drivers,” said Steve Johnson, who runs the club. “It’s a new club that has been setup in the last 12 months. Where else can you drive for three years before you turn 17?

“We have probably had 20 to 30 young drivers taking part in the championship over the past 12 months and there are five or six in the main group who compete in a lot of events – young Simon Robinson takes part in every single event.

“The championship used to be dominated by the stage rallies but now it includes the autosolo, the production car autotest and the autotest.

“Events are £25 to enter, which is a tenth of the cost of a track day.”

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