Special Weekend of Motor Racing in Scarborough

There's elite motorsport in Scarborough this weekend.

Oliver's Mount plays host to Norasport Supermoto Round 6.

It's the only public road racetrack in England.

The Race Director of Norasport Supermoto is David Dearden.

He says Scarborough is a special venue:

 

 

" It's an iconic place. I remember coming as a kid in the late sixties, early seventies, and then later on in my life I came and raced here. Won a couple of races here over the years and did quite well, and I always thought that there was the opportunity to turn into a Supermoto circuit. And then of course, Andy Hayes, who now controls Oliver's Mount, competes in our Supermoto championship.

"So Andy do things that I don't think any other circuit owner would, and three years ago we put our first SUPERMOTO meeting on. It was quite a good success. Last year we built on that and now this year we've gone all out. We've built a brand new off-road section and it's gonna be pretty amazing."

David added there's been plenty of work done to improve the circuit:

 

 

 "If people know Oliver's Mount, we've converted the existing pit area into an infield track section. They use the traditional start and finish straight, and then we've built a huge new off-road complex at the top end of the circuit, which for the first time this year, people will be able to come down and view from the top of the track.

"And the paddock is up in the top field where we're gonna have a bit of a festival atmosphere up there. We love Scarborough. We try and spend as much money in the pubs here when we come as well and all the different restaurants. They have an amazing group of volunteers here at Oliver's Mount who come and give their, uh, their time up for nothing to help.

"You can see the guys now, you can hear them in the background building the track with us. They just come and just local guys come and help us do it. So it's really good."

There's live music and bar facilities at the hilltop facility.

There's full details of the event at the official website.

Andy Hayes is Oliver's Mount Racing Director and he's excited about the event and the future:

 

 

 "It's round six of the Supermoto Championship and it's great to bring that to Scarborough.

"This is the third year in succession. It's been here over August, bank holiday weekend, so we're really trying to make it a tradition. The August Bank holiday weekend will be Scarborough, sunshine, seaside and Supermoto, and you can Supermoto doesn't run our traditional circuit it doesn't use the, all of the usual full street circuit. It we use the paddock, we use some off road and we use. Start, finish straight in the F bends complex. So over a period of time we are developing this circuit to probably be, we're probably roundabout now already the best Supermoto circuit in the country, but we want to go beyond that.

"We've got plans to go further in the future and actually make it probably one of the best in Europe in which case we might be able to start attracting international. Races here rather than just British championship races. I think we've really turned a corner. Probably if we go back three years ago the future was really looking bleak, but we had the make or break meeting Goal Cup 22 and that went really well. Full series of meetings in 23, 24, and effectively 25. I think we've really turned a corner.

"I think we need to stop moaning about the past difficulties we've had. I think we really need to look to the future with optimism. The council, north Yorkshire Council have done a great job of helping us out with the Jackson Lane difficulties, and there's a lot more to come on that front as well. And things like.

"The British Supermoto Championship, getting that here, and if we can make it even better and make it international in the future yeah I think it's all looking really good for the future and also to just build on the council again, certainly the local councillors and the head of tourism at North Yorkshire Council are fully behind and supportive of what we do here, and they've really recognized how unique this place is to the whole country, let alone Scarborough."