St Annes racing family hope motor club finds new home in Lancashire

Leewood Motor Club has operated out of Manchester since the 1970s and specialises in Autograss car racing, which takes place across the UK and Ireland on 400m grass and mud circuits.

Leewood MC has been based beside Manchester Airport for the past 20 years but is seeking a new home in Lancashire, where many of its members live.

Drivers can take part in National Autograss Sport Association competitions from the age of 10, and with separate men’s/ladies’ championships it is a sport for whole families to participate in.

And there is no better example than the Carr family from St Annes, who have enjoyed great success in the sport.

Charlotte Carr, her husband Ian and his brother Stephen have all been crowned as Leewood champions in recent years in the F600 class for bike engine buggies.

Ian’s son Josh took up the sport as well, then Ian and Charlotte’s eldest daughter Lauren was named rookie of the year for 2018.

Their youngest child Elizabeth was to have started racing this year but that has been put on hold by the pandemic and the club’s search for a new home.

Charlotte told The Gazette: “It all started around 10 years ago, when Ian and Stephen joined Leewood Motor Club because they wanted to take part in a motorsport which was not expensive to get involved in.

“They scoured the internet and found a Fiat Cinquecento with a trailer ready to race for £300.

“They tried a number of classes before deciding on F600, then I got involved as well as the children.”

Elizabeth’s debut has been put on hold until 2021, when Leewood could be based closer to home.

Leewood Motor Club’s Steve Hayward told The Gazette: “We are actively looking for a new venue, farmland of about 15 acres, in the Lancashire area.

“We race around eight times a season between spring and autumn.”

Anyone interested in getting involved or learning more is invited to contact Steve via email at:

[email protected]

More information is also available on the club’s Facebook page.