Why Clubmans still holds its appeal after six decades

Since it roared into life at Brands Hatch in March 1965, Clubmans racing has championed a mixture of fast, affordable competition with novel engineering and a strong camaraderie.

Sixty years on, the Clubmans Register celebrated the latest historic milestone during the recent Clubmans Sports Prototype Championship meeting at Donington Park, following a hillclimb-focused commemoration at Prescott in May.

Few categories in British motorsport can boast such longevity and, while it no longer accommodates some of the up-and-coming names that it once did, Clubmans still inspires deep affection from its close-knit paddock of racers – as evidenced by the number of former drivers and machinery that were out in force for the anniversary events.

“There was a Derek Bell Trophy race at Thruxton when I waved at Neil Fowler in a March 782 [Formula 2 car], and we passed him out the back and then disappeared,” recalls multiple champion Mark Charteris. “After that they didn’t want us racing anymore – the cars were too quick!”

That experience, in a nutshell, is what motivated journalists Simon Taylor and Andrew Marriott to get together with Nick Syrett of the British Racing & Sports Car Club to create Clubmans many years earlier, when Lotus Sevens were outpacing far more sophisticated machinery.

“‘Get these cars away from all the expensive sports and GT cars, we don’t want them beating us’ – that was the original reason, and it’s just gone on from there,” explains former driver-turned-Clubmans Register vice-president Peter Richings.

British Touring Car champions Will Hoy, Frank Sytner and Chris Hodgetts as well as multiple Le Mans 24 Hours winner Derek Bell are among Clubmans’ most successful alumni, while Max Mosley and Formula 1 engineering gurus Patrick Head and Harvey Postlethwaite also form part of its illustrious history. 

For Richings, beating Hoy in the 1982 season finale at Thruxton remains a special memory. “He had a go in one of Hugh Chamberlain’s cars,” recalls Richings, who started racing Clubmans in 1979. “On the last lap he caught a backmarker at Church and had to lift – and I didn’t.

Hillclimbing has been a major part of Clubmans’ story and this was celebrated at Prescott

Photo by: Joy Richings

"So we came up to the chicane side by side, banged wheels three times, and I beat him by seven hundredths of a second. I was pleased at the time as he was a multiple Clubmans champion but, as he got more famous, that became better and better for me!

“As well as Will, Vernon Davies was a marvellous driver back in the day. Creighton Brown, Barry Foley, Tony Bridge – these were real characters.”

The simplicity and hands-on nature of the cars is one of the elements that makes Clubmans so special. Many drivers have built, developed and engineered the front-engined machines themselves – a departure from many modern-day series. One such racer is Mike Luck, who was recently reunited with his self-built Dart, which he now uses for hillclimbs.

“It’s frequented largely by fairly technical people who do a lot of the work themselves,” he says. “It’s not a high-spend formula. Through the years there’s always been interesting, unique cars.”

“We’ve been involved for 40 years, so it does mean a lot. Over the years the racing’s been very respectful – you get out of the car and have a laugh about it” Steve Dickens

Phantom, Diamond, Gryphon and Vision are among the rich array of marques to have enjoyed success. But the DNA of the series wouldn’t be complete without the Mallock family, whose name is synonymous with Clubmans. It was Arthur Mallock’s vision that helped create the formula, and his legacy has been carried on in motorsport by his sons Ray and Richard.

“They are the most prominent marque in Clubmans racing,” points out Charteris. “The Mk20 is probably the best they ever made in my opinion, it’s such a great car.”

Another past champion, Steve Dickens, adds: “The Mallocks were built as a turnkey by Arthur and they just evolved from there with Richard and Sue. You buy it and off you go – they’ve won many championships.”

Dickens’s own journey mirrors that of many in the paddock – a passion for Clubmans passed down through generations. “I got into it because of my dad,” he explains. “He started racing in Clubmans in the mid-’80s. I took over the car when I was 18 – it’s still his car. We’ve been involved for 40 years, so it does mean a lot. Over the years the racing’s been very respectful – you get out of the car and have a laugh about it.”

Hayward has enjoyed plenty of success and feels Clubmans is her home

Photo by: Steve Jones

Michelle Hayward is one of several female drivers to race – and win – in the category and feels she has found her home: “I started racing in Formula Woman in 2006 and then got offered a drive in a Clubmans car. I didn’t look back. I’ve won the championship several times in CSP2. I’m the only girl on that trophy, and I’d like to be the only girl on the [top-tier CSP1] trophy.

“Considering a lot of these chassis were built back in the 1970s and ’80s, it’s phenomenal, even to this day, the pace we are getting out of these cars. You speak to the likes of Clive Wood and Ray Mallock, and people who have raced a variety of things, they still absolutely love coming back into a Clubmans car.”

While the category has mostly featured slicks-and-wings prototypes, the early years were slightly different, with the likes of a Lotus 3/7 mixing it with unique machines such as the Ladybird Mk6B, which raced back in 1965 and also competed in the Donington 60th anniversary event in the hands of owner Bob Yarwood.

“I really liked it when it was classic Clubmans – there were no wings, no aero, it was all mechanical,” Yarwood reminisces. “This still has a period engine, it’s still got drums on the back – I like that, and it goes well enough.

“My mentor is the guy that built this car, Derek Walker. I always loved racing against him. He was always quicker than me, but I’ve learned a lot from him.”

The current Clubmans Sports Prototypes series ended its 50-year association with the British Automobile Racing Club by switching to MotorSport Vision Racing in 2020. While the change resulted in an initial surge in entries, numbers today aren’t quite as high. Nonetheless, there are two key ingredients that many in the paddock believe are keeping Clubmans going: bang-for-buck racing combined with a family environment.

“It’s very cost-effective – you can’t go any quicker for the money – and it’s a very friendly atmosphere,” reckons Dickens, who would like to see more younger drivers get involved. “Once someone drives one, they’ll love it. It’s just getting them in the car. Dan Eagling won the championship a few years ago and went on to race GTs, so you can progress.”

Richings is aiming to lower costs next year in an attempt to try to attract more entries, and remains optimistic that Clubmans will still be going in 10 years’ time. “We’re going to change the calendar a bit,” he explains. “Fewer races next year to bring the cost of entries down. As a club we don’t make any money – we just buy the track time and sell it for what it costs us. We hope we’ll still be going for our 70th!

“It’s a great way to go racing in pretty fast cars at a reasonable price. The quickest cars are lapping within a second of a British Touring Car. Nothing has changed in 60 years. It’s like a bunch of mates going racing together and having a lot of fun. We help each other in the paddock and race like hell on the track.”

This article is one of many in the monthly Autosport magazine. For more premium content, take a look at the September 2025 issue and subscribe today.

Veteran Ladybird machine was in action at Donington celebration

Photo by: Steve Jones