Pedal car racing
Pedal car racing is a circuit racing endurance sport in the United Kingdom, in which teams of up to six drivers race single-seater human powered sports cars in races of up to 24 hours in length. Four team members share the driving, with each completing as many laps as they can before handing over to the next driver. Therefore, the races are very similar in style and tactics to endurance sports car races across the world.
Origins
The races grew from the National Scout Car races, which started in 1939 and resumed after the war in 1950 with several large scale races. The University of Bristol students started the National 24-Hour Pedal Car Race in 1964, racing around College Green in Bristol. The race was moved to Whitchurch airfield and the 1967 race was captured on film by British Pathe.British Pedal Car Championship
First run in 1998, the British Pedal Car Championship is a series of endurance races taking place between late March/early April and September/October every year in the UK. Typically, there are 7 or 8 races totaling just over 60 racing hours, including the Shenington 24 hour race in June, where double points are awarded.The championship has evolved into 7 or 8 rounds from its early days, and is now held at mostly Kart tracks around the country, usually starting at Wombwell and ending at Curborough, with the prestige 24-hour race held in June at Shenington.
The championship is organised and run by the British Federation of Pedal Car Racing.
The races in the current race calendar are:
- Evesham - 6hr Endurance
- Hereford - 6hr Endurance
- Shenington - 24hr Endurance
- Blackbushe - Sprints
- Blaskbushe - 100 mile / 5.5hr Endurance
- Curborough - 6hr Endurance