Second national award for proud Dukeries Motor Club

Awarded in recognition of their outreach programme to inspire the next generation of motor racing enthusiasts and recover from the effects of the global pandemic, club members attended the annual Motorsport UK Night of Champions prize giving ceremony at the end of January at the Royal Automobile Club in London.

Dukeries Motor Club’s secretary Bob Draper and president David Baugh rubbed shoulders with a star-studded guest list included Sir Jackie Stewart, newly appointed FIA Vice-President for Sport, Robert Reid and a who’s who of British motorsport champions with a range of special award winners.

This is the second time the club has won the Club of the Year Award, the last time was 18 years ago in 2003.

Club chairman Paul Rees said, “We are very excited to have achieved this recognition twice in a relatively short period of time.

“This is very much the culmination of the hard work put in by members of the club over the last two very difficult years and will spur us onto new challenges in the future.”

“We have some exciting things planned for 2022 which will definitely need the support of the club and its members and we all should be proud of the success of the club and the bright future for us all.”

The night featured a celebration of last season’s British champions across a wide range of disciplines, including circuit racing, rallying, drag racing, autotests and rallycross, among others.

The club receiving accolades as Motorsport UK Club of the Year 2021.

For over 65 years, the Nottinghamshire club has followed its founding value of organising events for its members and other motor club associations, with the aim of 'promoting, encouraging and organising motor sport'.

It is one of the region’s leading motor clubs with an excellent reputation for organising events.

Just before winning the award, Dukeries Motor Club successfully organised the 62nd consecutive Dukeries Rally at Donington Park on 5th December.

Overcoming the difficulties of running a single venue stage rally in limited daylight and adverse weather, the Club attracted MAXUS as its new title sponsor.

They opted to use some of the gravel roads on the circuit in-field, with its volunteers carrying out set up of a considerable amount of stage furniture over the previous two days to set up for a strict 9am start time alongside the MSV Donington Park team.

The Dukeries Rally was renowned for its days in Clumber Park, Clipstone Forest and the Sherwood Pines Complex before moving to its new home of Donington Park in 2015 saw the start of a new era which it last visited in 1970 before the circuit was re-built.

But it is not just car clubs that Dukeries Motor Club collaborates with on events.

Mansfield Rugby Union Football Club has been the home to the Club of the Year for 31 years and faces similar challenges with membership recruitment and retention.

By working together on available resources and campaigns, within the community including its local Scout Group, not only is their approach to safeguarding aligned, new ideas for club and local community events are in the pipeline.

It has also supported the British Armed Forces Rally Team (BAFRT) through some of its military personnel members and competed in their 2021 Conningham Cup Championship, which the club membership secretary won.

Dukeries Motor Club facilitated several BAFRT entries into the Nottinghamshire 2021 Flying Fortress Stages Rally to help them prepare for the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The long-standing club continues to push itself and has a solid calendar of events planned this year. It hosted its Members Track Day two weeks ago.

Two club nights are organised every month, with the second event hosting an activity, from supporting members through the Motorsport UK Marshal Accreditation process or inviting Clubman Motorsport to give a presentation on safety equipment and the new requirements for fire extinguishers in rally cars.

In addition to its established Donington Rally in March, the Flying Fortress Stages in June and the Dukeries Rally at the end of the year, the motor club is also planning its first-ever Targa Rally in July by collaborating with another local car club that has more experience in organising Targa Rallies.

The club meets at Mansfield Rugby Union Football Club twice a month, every second and fourth Thursday, Club evening start from 8pm and new members are always welcome.