There are a number of series in existence that feature cars capable of lapping in times close to those set by British Touring Cars, or even faster. It’s not unusual for a well-developed single seater or sports prototype, or even a highly modified saloon car, to rival or beat the UK’s premier motor racing championship across a lap. What is unusual is for a car to do so with no wings or diffusers, while also running on road tyres.
One championship that does just this is Sports 1000. At Brands Hatch in recent years, its fastest times have been on a par with those towards the rear of the BTCC grid, which is little more than a second off pole. Not bad for cars with engines that only produce around 175bhp and have no wings or other aero elements – although that certainly does not mean no downforce.
This is especially impressive given that a Sports 1000 car can be run on a fraction of a BTCC budget. Indeed, those involved, even some who fight for wins, tell us that a season’s racing can cost less than £10,000.
RGB ancestry
But perhaps this should not be a surprise, as Sports 1000 is part of the 750 Motor Club (750MC) family of value-for-money championships, so the technical regulations are firmly aimed at keeping costs in check.
These regulations have evolved enormously over the years, largely to keep pace with a category that itself has changed markedly since it hit the tracks as the Road Going Bike-Engined Championship, better known as RGB, over 20 years ago.
‘It looked completely different from what it looks like nowadays, in that it started off as just roadgoing kit cars that someone had put bike engines in, and it’s developed into what are basically out and out sports racing cars,’ says Tim Hoverd, the formula’s representative for the 750MC and, until the end of the 2022 season, a competitor in the championship himself.
The reason for this dramatic technical evolution is largely due to the regulations being relatively free, which has
