Veterans of Scottish Motorsport Association

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Reunions

2024 Reunion Report

The Club met once again to enjoy our Reunion Dinner, this time at a new venue for us, the New Lanark Mill Hotel in the village of New Lanark, a former 18th century cotton spinning mill village located on the banks of the Falls of Clyde.

The venue for our two previous gatherings were unable to give us a suitable date for our 2024 so this alternative was found and proved to be very popular.

VSMA Chairman Chris Paton was pleased to welcome 76 members to this our 10th reunion.

The day started in the early afternoon as there was work to do setting up for the AGM and also finalising the table plan for dinner.

As always there was a good mix of rallying and racing buffs and a few hill climb fans joining together for an excellent meal and several refreshments.

Following it’s popularity of last year we again had the “all ladies” table to sit alongside the normal “all men” table.

Again having proved very popular last year we had the on-screen display of photos, this time being those submitted by members attending the event.

We were delighted to annouce our guest speaker Pat Smith whose Motorsport career began in 1959 and continued until 1975 having been involved in Rallying as a Co-Driver.

Pat competed in 35 International Rallies with mostly female drivers, from the Portugese with Nancy Mitchell in 1959 to the Scottish with Margaret Lowrey in 1975.

She won five Ladies Awards and was a member of the BMC Works Team in 1960 in a 850cc Mini with Tish Ozanne.

She competed in 4 Montes, 3 Tulips, 2 Alpines, 4 RACs and 6 Scottish Rallies ’66, ’69,’70, ’72, ’73 and ’75.

Six successful Economy Runs with Margaret Lowrey.

Pat finished 18th in 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally with Jean Denton in a British Leyland Special Tuning prepared Morris 1800 entered by Woman Magazine.

Pat gave us a spell binding account of her adventure competing on the gruelling 1970 World Cup Rally from London to Mexico. On display were many items of memorabilia as well as reproductions of the route maps which were included in the souvenir program (see below).

An important guest was Linda Cowan who had contacted the Association with the kind offer to provide a trophy to be awarded annually to a Scottish Motor Sport enthusiast, of any discipline, who had made an outstanding contribution to motor sport. The trophy will be named the Andrew Cowan Achievement Award.

Chairman Chris Paton was pleased to annouce that in consultation with Linda, the board unanimously decided the first recipient of the award should be our Honorary Vice President, Jimmy McInnes. 

Once again there was a souvenir programme with a centre spread detailing the guest speaker’s background story.

Click on the image below to view the Programme.

A straw poll conducted during the event showed that there is the support to hold the event annually and therefore we are planning to hold our 11th reunion in October or November 2025. When a firm date is set and a venue decided we will make an announcement.

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Other Events

Golf Outing 2025

 

Golf Outing

Strathaven Golf Club

Tuesday 20th May

 

All members are invited to take part in the first VSMA Golf Outing which has been arranged at Strathaven Golf Club on what will hopefully be a bright and sunny day on Tuesday 20th May with the first tee off at 11.00 am. This is viewed as a social gathering and a bit of fun for everyone but will have a prize for the winner and I daresay a booby prize for the tail ender. It will be a Stableford Competition so your handicap on the day will be used and those without an official handicap will be assessed as potential bandits and be handicapped accordingly !!

 

The programme is :

10.00 Coffee, tea and bacon rolls

11.00 Golf – first tee off

16.00 Two course meal

17.00 Presentation

 

The entry fee including all catering is £85. All players first drink at the bar will be complimentary on behalf of the VSMA.

To place your entry and make payment click on the following link.

VSMA webcollect  (You need to sign on to webcollect using your email address and password)

Any questions contact Mike How on 07966-325094 or michael.how@blueyonder.co.uk

 

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Tour

Spring Run 2025

Announcement.

Spring Run 2025. Tuesday 15th April – Friday 18th April 2025.

The Spring Run 2025 will be based at Pitlochry.

Accommodation has been arranged at the Dundarach Hotel, Pitlochry, PH26 5DJ, as follows:

3 Nights DBB Double Room, £552

3 Nights DBB Single Room, £366

The hotel requires a deposit of £250, which will be deducted from your final bill on leaving.

The run will start at Alexandra and travel to Pitlochry via a lunch stop at the Falls of Dochart, Killin.

There will be visits to:-

The Water Mill, Pilochry

Blair Castle and Gardens

The House of Bruar

There will also be Quad Biking and Clay Pigion Shooting at Dunkeld.

The entry fee for the run can not been finalised until all the venues confirm our booking but you can book your place and pay the £250 hotel deposit by clicking the following link. VSMA WEBCOLLECT.  (You need to sign on to webcollect using your email address and password).

 

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News

Events 2025

Motorsporting Events 2024 (click on the Calendar links)

British Hill Climb Championship 2025 – Calendar

Scottish Sprint, Hill Climb & Speed Championship 2025 – Calendar

SMRC race meetings 2025 – Calendar

Asset Alliance Group Scottish Rally Championship 2025 – Calendar

Scottish Tarmack Rally Championship 2025 – Calendar

East Ayrshire Car Club Events 2025 – Calendar

Monklands Sporting Car Club Events 2025 – Calendar

FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™ RACE CALENDAR

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News

The Scottish Rally Championship 1990 – 1999

The Scottish Rally Championship 1990 – 1999 by John Fife.

The second book on the history of the Scottish Rally Championship has now been published and is on sale – in ideal time for Christmas presents!

It follows on from the previous 1980-1989 book and covers the decade 1990 to 1999. If the 1980s were a ‘golden’ period in Scottish rallying, the 1990s burnished that reputation during which time three world titles were won by two Scottish drivers and one Scottish co-driver.

All three rose to prominence during this decade and continued to compete in Scotland before international success took them further afield.

This book differs from the previous volume in three main respects following ‘complaints’ received after publication of the first book. These ‘complaints’ were all received from buyers of the first book who wanted longer reports, more stories and more pictures!

This book has therefore complied with those wishes/demands/threats! Each of the 80 plus individual rally reports from the 1990s decade is longer and more detailed, there are more stories and even more photographs – again, many of which have never before been published.

The popular ‘McRae’ section has again been included which also features many previously unpublished photographs. This has resulted in a bigger book with more pages – and all due to customer demand.

There were also requests for more ‘personality pages’ and three have been included in this latest book. They are all there on merit, but where would I stop? Everyone who competes in the national championship is a ‘personality’ in their own right!

Do you think more should be included in the next book – the 2000s – or should there be a separate book devoted to such meritorious individuals?

Click on the image below to order your copy.

 

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Tour

Tour – 2024 Autumn Run

VSMA Autumn Run Report 2024.

Click on the pictures to expand, press ‘Esc’ to return.

Our 2024 Autumn Run began with entrants meeting at the New Lanark Visitor Centre on the 6th October. There was an area set aside for members to park and a great opportunity to scrutinise some of the interesting vehicles participating in the days event. A great venue to meet and chat before heading off on a route prepared by our chairman, Chris Paton.

Luckily the weather was kind and although the sun remained behind cloud, there was no need to utilise the alternative route provided in case we encountered any ‘monsoon conditions’!  Fifteen crews set off on the near 70 mile journey through the upper Clyde valley which delivered some stunning views of the Lanarkshire hillsides, travelling along fabulous road surfaces. (Eat your heart out Glasgow!). The route then turned west and into Ayrshire via the spectacular Mennock pass where a couple of crews spotted an Eagle take to the sky after it caught a large fish in the Mennock Water which runs alongside the road.

Gemmell’s Garden Centre was a welcome sight for relief and sustenance for many of us. A table reservation allowed run participants a chance to discuss and compare stories. Some managed to go off-piste, whether meant or unintended we just don’t know! Never a navigator error!! A delicious and vast selection was available from the café and some retail therapy available for all to partake in. This allowed for lunch prior to our next route which took us to what can only be described as ‘The Best Secret Man cave in Scotland’.

A great photo opportunity ensued as we were treated to an amazing collection of cars and motorcycles. A photo opportunity of Ian Gemmell with the Hillman Avenger he’d had great success in. No doubt a lovely trip down memory lane for you Ian. Another of the cars found a connection as Nancy sported matching attire (picture of her posing beside the yellow car).

Some fabulous artwork along the back wall of the car room portraying some of the cars. A stunning collection of vehicles not just four wheels but motorcycles, one of which was World Champion Stunt Rider Kevin Carmichael’s limited edition, chassis no. 000 Triumph.

The cars and motorcycles were only part of the secret as everyone was in awe of the entertainments room. An F1 simulator, more terrific art work, a kitchen area designed with a ‘Snap-on’ tool cabinet theme and seating covered in racing overalls. Every corner of the room featured different motorsport artefacts. It truly was an Aladdin’s cave of motoring memorabilia done in a fun way. Such a superb end to our days trip.

So much to see in this hidden gem. (Sadly, visits are by invitation only and it’s whereabouts must remain a secret.) A huge thank you to Ian Gemmell who arranged the visit and also many thanks to Willie who welcomed us to ‘The Best Secret Man cave in Scotland’.

Report and pictures by Margaret Smillie.

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