- Graham King does his first ever race
- Contests 750MC’s Suzuki Swift Challenge
- The racing’s feisty, fair and fun
Right, be brave. Brake just a tiny bit later into the left, that’ll get me on his bumper at the exit. He takes a wider line into the right-hander, but if I hug the kerb I can get alongside and try to out-drag him onto the straight. Sheesh, that’s close. There, he’s gone wide. That’s it, keep it tight, control the understeer. I’m alongside. Come on, got to get by and take the line for the next corner. Easing past… I’ve done it!
Hang on, wait, what? Did I just do some actual, proper racing? Like you see on TV?
It’s been a long road to get here. It started last year. I turned 40 and resolved to finally get a racing licence and get on track. It’s a mid-life crisis or the realisation of a decades-old dream – you decide which.
Along the way, I’ve investigated the things that need considering even before you get anywhere near a racetrack in the ‘How to become a racing driver’ series you can find here on carmagazine.co.uk. I’ve looked into the fitness requirements, the financial and practical considerations and the choices racers make to end up where they do. In the last instalment, I took and passed the ARDS test that clears you to apply for a racing licence.
That’s all well and good, but it’s a pointless exercise if I don’t find a way of doing some actual racing. There are ways of going racing relatively cheaply but even they are beyond my pocket, especially after spending about three grand on the exercise thus far. Fortunately, the 750 Motor Club (750MC) offered me a race in their new Swift Sport Challenge (SSC) series, an incredibly generous offer I jumped on.
750MC styles itself ‘the home of affordable motorsport.’ The club was founded in 1939 but really took off in the post-war era amid the explosion of Austin Seven-based ‘specials.’ The pre-war Austin was cheap, plentiful and easily turned into a racing car. Many of the UK’s greatest car designers cut their teeth with Seven specials in 750MC races, among them Colin Chapman, Frank Costin and Gordon Murray. Other series for different types of car have been added over the years, but affordability remains at the core of 750MC’s ethos.
That’s demonstrated by the Absolute Alignment Swift Sport Challenge. It’s for the first generation of Suzuki Swift Sport (codenamed ZC31S) sold in the UK from 2006 to 2010. It’s a car we rated highly at the time, our review noting that its handling feels ‘light, exciting and just a little bit scary.’ More importantly for 750MC, the Swift Sport is cheap, plentiful and easily turned into a racing car.
A standardised kit of parts is fitted to every car on the grid including everything from upgraded suspension and brakes to the rollcage and zip ties. The 120bhp-ish 1.6-litre engine remains entirely standard aside from an induction kit. If you’re handy with a spanner, you can DIY the build. If not, 750MC recommends several professional outfits that can do the work for you. It’s a great package that 750MC has put a lot of development into, the focus on safety and reliability. Best of all, the finished race car is MOT-able.
The parts package costs under £5000, a decent Swift Sport costs around £1500, and the season entry package is £2500. Add another £3000 to £5000 for a professional build. It’s not exactly peanuts but building and racing a car for a year for potentially less than £10,000 is undoubtedly a bargain.
On-going running costs should be pretty low, as well. The cars use little fuel, a set of tyres and brakes should last at least half the season, maybe all of it. There are tyre and brake pad giveaways throughout the year and entry fee discounts for driving the car to races. Taking part in pre-event test days incurs a grid penalty, so that spend is pointless.
The regulations are tightly controlled so a costly development war shouldn’t develop, either. There are slight spec variations between cars built in different years, but 750MC works to equalise their performance. An 1135kg minimum weight is imposed.
750MC was clearly onto something when it conceived the SSC. I learned about it at Autosport International in January 2025. At that stage, they had 10 or 15 entries confirmed and hoped to have 20 out by the end of the year, 750MC communications manager James Winstanley told me. But no less than 30 cars turned up for the first meeting at Silverstone on 11 May – an unprecedented number for a brand-new series.
The number of novices taking part is unprecedented, too. 20 entered for Silverstone, many of them doing their very first race – including me. When 750MC offered me a race in their development car, I anticipated taking part during the second half of the season. But James Winstanley called three weeks before the opener suggesting competing in that would be a better option.
I had to agree. Most people would be up to speed by mid-season, leaving me to play catch up. And Silverstone National is a relatively easy, flat and very wide circuit, which is exactly what you want for your first race.
I collected the car from 750MC’s office at Donington Park and drove it down to Silverstone. That generation of Swift Sport was criticised for its raucous motorway manners – the engine’s turning 3800rpm at 70mph in fifth. With most of the interior binned, the race car is rather more so, but an earbud with a podcast took the edge off. Otherwise, it’s pleasant enough to drive, not uncomfortable with very keen handling. As it turned out, most people had tried their car on the road and decided to trailer it…
My fellow competitors were a diverse group. Men and women, the youngest just 16, the oldest over 60. Some had come with a large back-up crew, some were running solo – 750MC arranged for racer/mechanic Matt Duffell to look after me. The non-novices included drivers with quite high-level experience in single-seaters, touring cars and GTs. 750MC fosters a friendly, inclusive atmosphere in the paddock. Everyone was happy to chat, and I dare say some lasting friendships were formed.
Qualifying is at 9:20am and there’s a lot to get done beforehand. The car, my race suit, helmet and head restraint need to go through scrutineering to make sure they comply with the regulations. There’s a briefing for drivers who haven’t raced Silverstone’s National circuit before. I top up the car’s fuel to make sure the weight’s right. There’s a couple of nerves-induced toilet trips. I put my gear on and get to the assembly area 20 minutes before the session. On any other Sunday, I’d still be in my dressing gown.
I drum on the steering wheel to take mind off what’s about to happen. I’ve honestly no idea how I’ll feel about it. Will I love it? Hate it? Have a panic attack? All viable possibilities. The marshals flag us away and, before I know it, I’m on Silverstone’s Tarmac. There’s nothing to do at this point except put my foot down and get on with it.
Qualifying lasts 15 minutes, maybe 11 or 12 laps. I’m in mostly clear air, but close enough to some of the more experienced guys to see what they do and try to copy it. Good God, this is amazing. Driving as fast as I dare, pushing myself harder than ever to brake later, hit the throttle sooner, pick out exactly the right line. The car gets very squirrely under braking for Brooklands and refuses to do anything but understeer through Luffield – everyone else reports the same experience. But the Swift Sport is fundamentally benign, doesn’t feel like it’s going to play tricks unless you do something stupid. And it’s immense fun.
Just as I think I could keep lapping literally all day, the chequered flag comes out. As we file into pace fermé, Matt Duffell tells me I’ve qualified 14th for Race 1. Exactly mid-grid. Two seconds off pole, but I’ll take that. I’ve not disgraced myself, and that was the main goal.
Then we wait. The race isn’t until 1:50pm, and that’s a long time to kill. Matt gives the car a check-over, but everything’s in perfect order. I thought I might watch some of the other races but feel like doing so would put be off my stride.
Fortunately, the day rolls on quicker than expected and it’s time to get ready for the race. Sat in the assembly area, my heart rate picks up. I’m not necessarily looking forward to it but I’m not looking for an escape, either. We file out onto the grid. I focus on the starting gantry. One minute board. 30 second board. Five second board. Lights come on and… I completely fluff the start.
A large handful of cars get past, so I get my head down and get after them. I find myself tussling into the very fast right-hander at Copse, off-line at 90-odd mph. The car slews sideways. ‘Huh,’ I think. ‘Never experienced this before. I wonder how it’s going to end.’ But, on pure instinct, I correct the slide and carry on. It happens again on the next lap but I’m expecting it now, I know I can deal with it. The car lets go, I counter-steer, keep my foot flat to the floor. Wow, what an incredible feeling!
I had a theory the fastest way to drive the Swift Sport would be like an old-school Mini. Sling it into the corners to get the back end moving, keep the steering as straight as possible and the throttle pinned. Turned out I was right. The fastest guys are going through Copse absolutely flat out with a squeeze of left foot braking. I’m not that confident, so my approach is to take a slower entry, power through the apex and deal with whatever mess develops. Crude but reasonably effective.
I out-drag a couple of cars out of the slow right-hander at Becketts and gradually catch up to a dogfighting foursome. I look for a way past but the driver ahead blocks my every move. I decide I’d rather bring the car home in one piece than risk a move, so hold station. I cross the line 19th. I went backwards but I’m happy enough. Especially when I hear I set the third fastest lap by 0.12 seconds from a guy who really knows what he’s doing.
Race 2 comes around soon enough. The car’s still in perfect health so I just top up the fuel again. In 19th on the grid, I’m determined to make a better start. I do but I’m still slow off the mark, as are most of us are – practice definitely needed. But there are bigger problems to come.
Approaching Becketts for the first time, I find myself on the right-hand side of the track with a big group of cars around me and nowhere to go except the grass – not the best place to slow down. I hear stones and soil bounce off the floor. A hideous crash flashes across my mind, but I rejoin the track without hitting anything. I end the first lap 25th. Work to do.
So I get stuck in. I see slower cars ahead and get after them. Three or four are going quite slowly, so they’re easily passed. Quite unexpectedly, I pass one car around the outside of Copse, and another on the inside while fully sideways. My reaction to both moves can’t be repeated here. But this is what I wanted. I may be quite a long down the order, but I’m doing proper, actual racing. Assessing the opposition, working out where I’ve got the advantage and making a move that sticks. It all becomes a bit of a blur.
Ahead, there’s a four-strong battle-pack. I pick them off one by one, either on the drag along Wellington Straight or the run from Luffield to Copse. This is bringing out the best in me. I’m working hard, focused and determined. Everything I’ve learned about fitness and the training I’ve done is paying off, as well. It gets a bit sweaty in the car but I’m not wilting under the strain – six months ago I’d have been completely done by half-distance.
After a lap or two I finally pass the car leading this group around the outside of Woodcote and see the chequered flag. I’ve no idea where I’ve finished, but I feel like I gave a very good account of myself. It could have been a disaster after the first lap shenanigans, but I fought my way back through. And what an utterly fantastic way to spend a Sunday this has been. I’ve had immense fun and met some lovely people.
Back at parc fermé, I get out of the car. Matt Duffell comes over with the results. I’ve finished 15th (which becomes 14th after a disqualification). Really? How the hell did I manage that? Then a dangerous thought occurs to me. Might this be something I’ve got a bit of a knack for? I certainly don’t want it to be a one-off. I need to make some calls…
750MC has put together a fantastic series in the Swift Sport Challenge. The car feels like a proper racer, it’s strong and safe, there were some reliability issues but I’m sure they’ll be fixed. The driving standards were generally very high, and 750MC runs a slick operation. This is a series that will go from strength to strength. The grids are nearly at capacity already but I’m sure the first meeting’s action will persuade others to join.
Congratulations to race winners Louis Woodward and Jake Boydell, and all the other competitors who were such a pleasure to race with. Particularly my garage-mate Victoria Babb who was awarded driver of the day and Issabelle Woolley, the youngest driver in the field who was undoubtedly the star of the show.
And thanks to 750MC – especially James Winstanley – for making it all happen and trusting me with their car, and to Matt Duffell for the absolutely invaluable help and advice he gave throughout the day.
Right, time to make those calls.
Images by Jon Elsey Photography