CLUB CORNER
F1000 Club
Originally set up to offer opportunities for low-cost rallying, this club is now one of the
sport’s breeding grounds, with two alumni making it into the World Rally Championship
The concept of the F1000 club is simple: take a field of lowcost 1,000cc rally cars driven by enthusiastic 14 to 17-yearolds and introduce them to competition on a collection of
single venues around the country.
Originally formed to run a senior series, the F1000 club
focused in on the younger generation in 2009 with the
creation of what is now the UK Junior Rally Championship.
Since then, many of its participants have progressed from
here into other Rally series, as well as onto the racetrack.
“The original aim was to create a cost effective and enjoyable
way to go rallying for anyone,” explains championship
co-ordinator Tony Bilham: “It was set up by Tristan Dodd
and he then spotted the opportunity to use the concept to
bring on junior talent.
“They had this kind of thing in Europe – which is probably
why they got all these good drivers by the time they were
old enough to drive – but at the time there was nothing
like that out there in this country.

“When it started there were only five or six cars, but it just
grew and grew. The series runs in Scotland as the Ecosse
Challenge, and we share some events together. On combined
events we have had over 30 entries. So, Tristan created a bit
of a monster!”
The original concept has remained to this day, with
limitations on engine size, the use of a control tyre and
very minimal modifications allowed to the cars – just the
mandatory safety installations with little else that can be
changed.
Bilham rallied in the early days of the senior championship
and supported his son through the junior category before
signing up to help on the technical side and eventually
ending up running the championship.
“The idea of it is talent not budget,” he adds. “Anybody can make
somebody shine if they have enormous amounts of money to
throw at a car, but we have people competing in Micras, Citroen
C1s and latterly some Skoda City Gos and VW Ups.

The aptly named Max Speed in his yellow C1

Lyndon Darkes

Caption

42

Revolution - March 2022