The AC Marque has a huge sporting history, from Brooklands in the early 20th century to the Goodwood Revival 2022. You name it, and AC have been there, Monte Carlo Rally, Le Mans 24 hrs, World Sports Car Racing, they have always produced winning cars. The AC Owners Club has organised many events each year for members to use their cars as they were designed, including Hill Climbs, Auto Tests, Races and Sprints. The Club's most prestigious event has been their Goodwood Sprint, which in the past has attracted a paddock full of ACs. Sadly as the value of the cars has increased at about the same rate as their owners have aged, the ACOC Sprint has needed to invite other like minded clubs to take part in order to keep the event viable.
Our traditional November date had suffered from bad weather for a couple of years, so we tried something different and took the September slot a week before the Revival Meeting. We now realise that in September many of our regular competitors are still racing in other series, or preparing for the Revival itself. For that reason and influenced by the Covid pandemic, our numbers have been down for the past 2 years causing a financial loss, as the VSCC and other Clubs had meetings which clashed with our September date. By going back to November we may have to take a chance on the weather, but will be assured of a much better list of entries.
This year the event was rather low key due to the death of Her Majesty the Queen, but we still managed a great turnout of Acecas, and in the past we have seen Aces, Mk IV Cobras, Brooklands Aces, 3000MEs, PVTs, 2 Litre cars and vintage ACs. It is a shame that unlike the Bentley Drivers Club so few sons and daughters of AC Owners take part, as that is how we could ensure the future of such events. It would also be a shame to lose our only remaining competitive event and with it our reason to belong to Motorsport UK, which keeps us up to date in the 21st Century.
I believe the plan is to give our Sprint one more try in 2023 by reverting to our November slot at Goodwood, and maybe to share the organisation with another Club. If we can make it work as it has so many times in the past, then we can decide about 2024 and future events. If it doesn't work then I fear we will have to cancel future sporting events which will put the ACOC on a death spiral. To keep an event running is so much easier than starting from scratch, and once we lose the kinetic energy we have built over many decades, it is unlikely to ever resume.
For that reason, I would ask all those who love their cars to come along, encourage your friends, sons, daughters or grand children to get involved and enjoy our wonderful AC cars as they were designed and not as museum pieces.