HealeySport is the motor sport centre of the Austin Healey Club UK and coordinates the classic racing, sprinting and hill climbing activities in the UK and Internationally. This website holds race reports, events calendars, results pages, regulations and picture galleries in support of these activities.

Silverstone International - John Gott Memorial Trophy Race - 10th, 11th & 12th July'Action 3000'

2009 is the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Austin Healey 3000 - big celebrations are planned so click on 'Action 3000' to see details In liaison with the MG Car Club, Healey Driver International have organised a commemorative 1 hour race at Silverstone on the International circuit as part of the MG Car Club's International weekend. Qualifying will be on Friday 10th July with the race on Saturday 11th July. The race is open to any Austin Healey 100, 100S, 3000 or Silverstone prepared to FIA specification. We are expecting a field of circa 30 cars with the top UK drivers competing against teams from France, Sweden and Holland. To any Big Healey enthusiast - driver or spectator - this will be a treat to behold to have so many famous cars taking part in this celebratory race.

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THE JEREMY WELCH BIG HEALEY NOVICE SPONSORSHIP

Jeremy Welch of Denis Welch MotorSport has generously agreed to sponsor the entrance fee to the first race for any novice driver coming out in a Big Healey in the Championship in 2009 up to a maximum of £250.

The cars must comply with the standing AHC Regulations for this year and drivers must meet all MSA requirements to race but they must be novices to Big Healey circuit racing.

"I really want to encourage new drivers to this championship in its revised format" said Jeremy (pictured right at Thruxton). "it is a big step to start one's racing career in a Big Healey but it is a very competitive classic sports car that is welcome across the racing calendar. The Race Championship is a very good proving ground and is an inexpensive way to get started. I hope my offer will tip the balance for those drivers on the brink of motorsport but hesitating about the commitment to a championship".

"This generous offer applies throughout the year and at all the meetings in the Championship calendar. Eligible drivers may enter in our Invitation Class in the first instance but will need to commit to full registration if they wish to do more than one race" said Joe Cox, Austin Healey Club Competition Secretary. "For full details as to how this offer applies, drivers should contact me in the first instance to establish their eligibility and I will help them to get on board"

Jeremy has registered for the championship after an absence of some years while he concentrated on European Historic endurance and long distance events. " I am pleased to see that the Austin Healey Championship is one of the first to take the significant step into longer 40 minute races. They offer such good value and in times of economic strictures this is what we want. The days of the 15 minute sprint race are numbered even at club level, in my opinion" he said.

"I am pleased to have Jeremy on board again" said Joe. "He is a significant and accomplished World Class Big Healey driver at the top of his game. This gesture to new drivers is typical of the spirit of our championship and I am grateful to Jeremy for taking this initiative"

Joe Cox can be contacted at www.healeysport.org or joe.cox2@btinternet.com or on 07710 028163

Denis Welch MotorSport www.bighealey.co.uk or sales@bighealey.co.uk or 01543 472214

New Championship format for 2009 - HealeySport are pleased to announce that they are the first one marque race championship to break the mould of club racing in the UK and move away from the 15 minute per race format to offer improved value for money to their drivers. The new 2009 Championship will comprise 7 rounds over 6 weekends of 30 or 40 minutes races including one double header event of two 20 minute races. Compared to the previous years' Championships which have consisted of 9 rounds held over 8 weekends with 15 minutes racing at each event. The benefits are clear in that the drivers will get more time on track with less travel and weekends away. So, if you have a competition prepared Big Healey or Sprite and are interested in taking part, download the regulations and BARC/AMOC registration forms from the Regs page, contact Joe Cox on joe.cox2@btinternet.com and read on ...

2009 Race Championship We are also pleased to announce that the new headline sponsor for the 2009 series is Robin Lackford Motor Engineering. Robin Lackford is a keen competitor in the series with his eye-catching, red, Class E Frogeye and runs his Classic Car restoration and Race Preparation business from Cowfold in West Sussex (check out his company website www.robinlackford.co.uk). Class sponsors will be Fraser Macnamara (The Classic Car Solicitors) for classes A, B, C & E. Class D sponsors will be Harris Coaches.

The 2009 championship will include 7 rounds between April and October competed at the top UK motor sport venues of Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Snetterton and Cadwell Park. This one make series is open to any Healey driver who wants to take part in full circuit racing, be it with a road standard or modified Big Healey or Sprite. Cars can be entered into one of five classes, two for Big Healeys and three for Sprites, catering for the level of modification applied to each car from standard road going spec to fully modified. Points are awarded for practicing, achieving fastest lap times in qualifying and during the race and for the drivers finishing position in class. At the end of the season the driver with the most points in each class is the winner of the class and the driver with the most points across all classes becomes the Overall Series Champion. 2008 Overall Champion was Paul Campfield (pictured left in his Class E Sprite). Class B (Modified Big Healey) winner - David Smithies is pictured above.

This website holds the racing calendar, results, rules/regulations and picture gallery for the UK Race Series. For more information about the UK Race Championship click here (or click on 'UK Racing' on the starting grid above).

The Sprint and Hill Climb Challenge The 2009 challenge is a fourteen round series with a Big Healey class sponsored by Denis Welch Motorsport and a Sprite class sponsored by Frogeye Spares Ltd. In addition to the class awards, Cape International sponsor the award for the overall Sprint and Hill Climb champion. Last year's overall Championship winner was Paul Baker (pictured right at Gurston Down) in his Sebring GT Sprite.

The 2009 series begins with a return to Gurston Down and is followed by hill climbs at Shelsley Walsh, Prescott, Loton Park, Harewood and Wiscombe Park. In addition there will be sprints at Goodwood, Curborough, MIRA, Three Sisters, Anglesey and Llandow.

Each venue provides a different set of challenges to test the Healey driver's skills and abilities to the full. This series is open to any Healey driver with some or no motor sport experience and a car that can be either road standard or modified; half the races are handicapped to take into account the different abilities of the driver and their cars, so everyone has an opportunity to win a race. Although competitive, there is a strong sense of camaraderie amongst the thirty or so drivers who regularly compete.

New Beginners Guide to Sprinting and Hill Climbing - If you are interested in taking part and want to find out more, click on the link to check out the 'New Beginners Guide to Sprinting and Hill Climbing' alternatively, you can email Allan Cameron on allanclancam@hotmail.com

You may well have seen the BBC Top Gear show's view of hill climbing with a challenge between a 1961 yellow Frogeye and a fully modified Peugeot. If you haven't - check out this clip - view clip (helps to have broadband). If you fancy a go against these old guys, who as the clip says '... like soil floating in their beer ...' then contact Allan Cameron (he's the one with the tweed jacket and handkerchief) on the contact details at the bottom of the page.

To see the Sprint and Hill Climb events calendar, results and photo gallery click here (or click on 'Sprint and Hill Climb' on the starting grid above).

Check out the latest race reports by clicking on RACE for the UK circuit race reports or SPRINT for the sprint and hill climb reports.

HealeySport Presentation Dinner Dance and Award Presentation - 22nd November 2008

The weekend of 22nd/23rd November saw the annual gathering of the Austin Healey Club competition members at the Hilton Hotel Swindon for the annual dinner dance and distribution of the championship, class and discretionary awards for the 2008 racing and sprint and hill climb season. Over 110 drivers and their partners enjoyed a fabulous evening in the ballroom with four cars on show.

Allan Cameron presented the awards to the Sprint and Hill Climbers ably assisted by Jayne Foster from the Frogeye Spares Company who sponsor the Sprite Class and by Karen Norton from Cape International for the Big Healey Class, which is sponsored by Denis Welch Motorsport. The group picture was taken with Alan Haste's Healey Silverstone in the foreground.

The Race Series awards (sponsored by Rawles Motorsport) were presented by Joe Cox, assisted by Deborah Cluett from Rawles Motorsport and the Austin Healey Club President, Colin Stokes. The Race Series prize winners are seen below gathered around Paul Campfield's championship winning Frogeye Sprite.

For a full list of the prize winners, click on the links - Sprint and Hill Climb Series or Race Series (In PDF Format)

If you want to download the latest Adobe Acrobat PDF reader click on the following link

Click here to view all the official pictures from the 2008 Dinner Dance and Award Ceremony taken by John Tewson. If you would like copies of any of the pictures in the gallery contact Paul Baker on the email address at the foot of the page.

2009 HealeySport Race Series Calendar

Looking for a present for someone keen on Racing Healeys - Phil Broster (Official HealeySport Race Series Photographer) has produced an outstanding calendar for 2009 featuring full colour action images from the 2008 Austin Healey Club (HealeySport) Challenge race series.

The spiral bound calendar consists of 12 single sided, A4, month to view pages, with front cover. They are available for £12 each, plus postage and packing for UK customers. Overseas orders are very welcome with postage and packing at cost.

To buy your copy of this unique calendar email Phil Broster at: phil_scoop@hotmail.co.uk. Payment can be made by cheque, Postal order or Pay Pal.

The Le Mans 24 Hour Classic - 2008

The Le Mans Classic is held every two years with the last event held on 11-12-13 July 2008 at the world famous 24-hours circuit of Le Mans, where 5,000 classics and 50,000 people came together.

Eleven Austin Healeys took part in the 2008 Le Mans Classic, with five cars classified by age in Grid 2 (1949-1956) and six in Grid 3 (1957-1961). The top Healey in Grid 2 was the 100S (RWD132) of the British trio Peter Thornton, Jeremy Welch and David Garrett who finished an excellent 8th overall which unfortunately became 30th once adjusted. They just beat the 100M driven by Mike Thorne and John Todd by 40 seconds after racing for nearly two and a half hours. However, once the times had been adjusted the Thorne/Todd car moved up to an excellent sixth place overall, out of a total grid of 69 cars.

In Grid 3, the Dutch trio of Rinus Sinke, Jaap Sinke and Hans Van de Kerkhof yet again brought their yellow 3000 home first amongst the Healeys in a very creditable 7th place on scratch (up from 13th place in 2006) and 21st once compensated. The Perou/Duval/de Stoppani 3000 was 9th overall which was a great improvement on their 2006 placing.

To find out more - click here to see the full Healey results on our International page or click here to go to the Healey Meets Le Mans 2008 website. Also, check out the report and results of the 2006 event by going to our International Race homepage on this site.

The Syd Segal Memorial Trophy Race - Thruxton - 23/24 March 2008

To celebrate forty years of motor car racing at the Thruxton Aerodrome and Race Circuit, Healey Driver International was invited by the BARC to produce a grid of racing Healeys (100/4, 100S, 100/6, 3000 and Silverstones) for this most important and spectacular two day meeting. Our race was The Syd Segal Memorial Trophy Race and comprised a 45 minute scratch race on Monday 24 March (Easter Monday) in the headline slot during the mid-afternoon session, with qualifying practice on Sunday 23 March. Twenty drivers came from overseas and around the UK to take part in this spectacular event.

To read the report and see the pictures from the event click here

Horneland Rally 7- 8 March 2008

In March 2008, 10 UK crews picked up the gauntlet to take part in the Horneland Rally, a superb route, mostly intended, all around the countryside and rally tolerant villages of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

To read Mike Spindle's excellent report and see Jan-Peter Ambaum's pictures click here.

Viking Marathon Rally - Norway - September 2007

Hill climber and Rally man Mike Spindle has taken time out from developing new products to complete the Viking Marathon rally in his Healey 3000, ably navigated by Andy Belcher. Click here to read his humorous yet descriptive report into how to get a Big Healey round this tough rally.

Goodwood Revival Meeting - September 2007

Top Healey reporter, Phil Broster, made his second visit to this world famous event and recorded it for us to savour. Click here to read his report and see his atmospheric photographic collection.

The site will be updated continually during the year with details of the events, race results, points awarded and pictures as soon as possible after each race.