Aintree motorsport club honoured in competition

AN AINTREE organisation which helps to keep the town's connections with motor racing alive has been praised in a national motorsport competition.

Aintree Circuit Club was named as one of six motorsport organisations which reached the finals of the MSA Club of the Year 2012 competition, after their work in organising motoring events in the north west, notably the Ormskirk MotorFest, was praised by the judges at the Motorsport Industry Association.

Mike Ashcroft, the club's chairman, said: "The club is delighted to receive this reward from the MIA and came very close to winning at our first attempt.

”Our motorsport display in Ormskirk alongside the themed market certainly attracted a lot of attention and promoted the sport and motoring in a very positive way as well as providing something different for visitors to the town centre."

The overall winner was the South of Scotland Car Club, but Aintree Circuit Club has been presented with £100 for reaching the finals of the contest.

The club, which has organised the Ormskirk MotorFest for the past two years, helps to promote Aintree's historic connections with motor racing, including the five occasions when the town's circuit hosted the British Grand Prix.

MIA spokesperson Helen Jones said: ”We received a number of entry forms from MSA clubs who took part, and due to the high standard of applications, this initially proved difficult for our judges to decide upon an overall winner.

“The judges were so impressed with the quality of the top six, that they feel all should be publicly commended.”

To find out more about the club, visit their website at www.aintree.org.uk or call 0151 525 9314.

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Ormskirk MotorFest 2013 event confirmed for August 25

PLANS to bring hundreds of cars and bikes to West Lancashire for a motorsport spectacular have got into gear after a 2013 Ormskirk MotorFest was confirmed this week.

Aintree Circuit Club and West Lancashire Borough Council have both confirmed that following the success of the motoring event in bringing thousands of people into the market town a 2013 event will take place in the town centre and at Coronation Park on Sunday, August 25.

Mike Ashcroft, chairman of Aintree Circuit Club, told Life On Cars: "We're delighted that we've been able to get the council to ratify next year's event and to agree the date, which means we've got a head start on making the 2013 MotorFest a big success.

"The extra months of preparation we've got will help to make it an even better event than the first two MotorFests, because we can improve on what we offer visitors and we can attract an even higher quality of entries, and get some great racing cars and bikes onto the streets of Ormskirk."

The 2011 and 2012 MotorFest events helped to give Ormskirk its two best ever trading days, with this year's event bringing 15,000 people into the town centre to see more than 300 classic cars and bikes and to witness the spectacle of F1 cars taking to the town's one-way system as part of a series of parades around the town.

West Lancashire Borough Council also confirmed to Life On Cars that a date had been given the green light, and that it was keen to make the 2013 event a success.

A spokesperson for the local authority said: "The council is delighted to confirm that we will be working with Aintree Circuit Club on MotorFest 2013. The event will be held on Sunday, 25 August.

"The first two Motorfests were hugely successful and more than 15,000 people visited Ormskirk. We are confident the 2013 event will also be a fantastic event. We are talking to the Circuit Club about exciting plans for MotorFest 2013 but at this stage it is too early to talk about the details."

The council also said it is seeking sponsorship to help make the 2013 MotorFest a success. Any organisations, companies or individuals who are interested in sponsoring the Motorfest should contact the Council’s Technibal Services Manager Colin Brady on 01695 585125.

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Plans for Skelmersdale karting track mooted by charity

PLANS are being revved up to turn a disused industrial site in Skelmeradale into the bigest indoor go-kart track in the north west.

The scheme, which has been submitted to the borough councill's planning department proposes turning a vacant unit at Pimbo Point, on Potter Place into a karting venue.

As well as for private and corporate users it will also be used for the training and education of young people.
The Mary Poppins Foundation charity are the applicants and intend to run the site on a non-profit basis.

The charity states: “The primary business of the company is to provide a brand new bespoke designed go kart facility.

”Our company will assist young people in education aged between 14–19 years old, and other local people of various age groups, with a view to helping them into future employment.

“Our company will also develop and deliver courses in conjunction with local community groups to help improve the quality of life for local people.”

“All machines will be brand new and our track will be the biggest indoor one in the north west region.”

The karts used will be four stroke, Honda 200cc 6.5 bhp engines, fitted with additional silencers and mufflers to help reduce noise output and improve CO2 emissions.

In addition, track ‘furniture' will help to minimise the noise heard outside the building during karting sessions. The charity would also use the venue as a training facility for young people in the town, aged between 14 and 19, with additional classroom and training facilities.

The proposals, if approved, would also create around 30 jobs.

Council planners believe the proposal will be given approval, particularly as it using a site which has been vacant since 2007.

In a letter to the foundation, West Lancashire borough planner Jonathan Harrison wrote: “Although the proposal is in principle contrary to Policy DE5 of the West Lancashire Replacement Local Plan and Policy EC1 of the West Lancashire Local Plan Publication Document, subject to a thorough justification being put forward it is likely that the proposed change of use would be recommended favourably and the benefits of bringing this vacant unit back into use would prevail.”

The application is due to be considered by West Lancashire Borough Council's planning department later this year.

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