I’ll admit I’m not known for my sprinting ability, but thankfully this isn’t a sprint in the usual sense of the word!
Here, I’m referring to the Aintree Spring Sprint, organised by Liverpool Motor Club, which took place on 30th May 2026 at Aintree Motor Racing Circuit, which sits within the Aintree Grand National racecourse, owned and managed by Jockey Club Racecourses Ltd. Built in 1954, Aintree was the UK’s first — and only — purpose-built three-mile Grand Prix motor racing circuit. It hosted five World Championship Grands Prix in 1955, 1957, 1959, 1961 and 1962, as well as several non-championship Formula One races.
Sprints, or time trials, are one of the oldest forms of motorsport, dating back to the 1890s. Cars start one at a time, competing against the clock, with the fastest overall time taking the win. Of course, it’s not quite as simple as that. Obviously, someone driving a classic Mini is unlikely to beat a Porsche or a 2-litre single-seater, so the cars are split into classes of similar vehicles.
In the morning, each driver is given two practice runs at intervals of around an hour. Although the times are recorded, they do not count towards the results. The competition then begins in earnest, with two, three or often even more timed runs per driver, each competitor trying to set their fastest run of the day.
Over the winter, I had been planning to step down from my role as BMMC National Communications Coordinator, so when the opportunity came to volunteer for Liverpool Motor Club as Competitions Secretary for car events, I rather foolishly put my hand up. That meant I felt obliged to volunteer as a marshal for the first sprint of the year — something I’d been meaning to do for several years anyway, albeit now with extra motivation.
Living close enough to Oulton Park to qualify for a residents’ pass has made me less inclined to travel farther afield as often as I once did. Thankfully, the sensible sign-on time at Aintree meant I didn’t have to set the alarm too early. I even had time to grab a breakfast of champions on route — Maccies of course — before arriving in good time for the Chief Marshal’s briefing at 8:30am. It was good to see a few familiar faces at sign-on too, including fellow BMMC members Kris Brown and Russ McAdam, along with Chief Marshal Bill Gray.
After the briefing, we were assigned to our posts, and I found myself at Country Corner with Kris and another marshal. We headed trackside to prepare for the 100-plus cars signed on for the day’s activities. Equipment checked, light panels tested and marshals briefed, we were ready for a hot day with plenty of sunscreen and water close at hand.
The action soon got underway, with two practice runs per competitor followed by the first timed runs before the lunch break. There was an eclectic mix of machinery on show, from Porsches and Aston Martins to Renault Clios and Morgans, all competing across various classes representing 12 different championships.
After a quiet and relatively incident-free morning, we reached the lunch break ready for refreshments and the chance to stretch our legs — also known as a toilet break! I was pleasantly surprised to see so many spectators enjoying the day. Perhaps the weather helped, but some had clearly come prepared, setting out picnic tables and lunches in the glorious sunshine.
Refreshed and back on post after the break, wallets topped up with a contribution towards our expenses from the Chief Marshal and we were ready for the next round of timed runs. Water bottles replenished, we settled in as the sun continued to beat down on us in our Probans.
A couple of spins and one car running out of fuel caused several red flags during the next two sessions, resulting in a handful of drivers being granted re-runs after their attempts were interrupted. The competitors were generally well behaved, which allowed the organisers to add a fourth timed run before the end of the day. With several drivers already deciding to stop, we moved quickly through the final runs, finishing with 642 starts and 63 new personal bests. The full results can be found here.
Everyone mucked in the help clear the circuit, removing hay bales and other safety equipment, before we all headed home for a well-earned rest.
Overall, my first sprint event was an enjoyable day on the bank. I’ll certainly be back and would encourage anyone looking for a change of scenery this summer to give it a try.
Contributed by Dave Smithson
