Photographing the Stuff the Turkey Ron Aiken Memorial AutoSolo
Report by David Harbey
31 December 2025
I seem to have been reading that people have finished their motorsport photography for months now. Clearly, they have not heard of the Stuff the Turkey AutoSolo on 28th December. It’s organised by Cannock and District Car Cub and is held at Curborough Sprint Course near Lichfield.
But what, I hear you cry, is an AutoSolo then? Well, it’s basically an autotest but with no reversing – MotorsportUK say – A great entry into motorsport, an AutoSOLO is a test of your precision and car control, with slalom sections and longer turns. Courses are on a sealed surface (closed car parks, for example), marked out by plastic cones or pylons, often numbered to help with navigation.
The aim is to complete the course in the correct direction, as quickly and accurately as possible. If you hit a marker, you incur a time penalty and driving in the wrong direction results in a ‘fail’.
Completed mostly in first and second gear, the risk to your road car is negligible. You can have multiple competitors taking it in turns with the same car. Some organisers also allow passengers in the vehicles.
I’d been to Curborough for a couple of sprints – essentially a flat out run without cones – and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and easy photography opportunities. If you are looking for some panning practice, it’s the place for you. The Sprinters Rest café is also highly regarded.
It was my first time at an AutoSolo and, aside from the temptation to make a late entry in Mrs H’s Clio, it all made sense as the day progressed. The results were available after the event on the CDCC website.
Competing in the Stuff the Turkey AutoSolo
In hindsight, I discovered that PistonClick had a man on the inside; competitor, John Heatrick to be precise. He is usually found trackside as part of the orange army marshalling at numerous events around the country. John decided it was time to see what all the fuss was about on the track. He put together a few words for us about his experience at the Auto Solo event from the viewpoint of a competitor.
“Wow. What a day. My first ever competitive stint behind the wheel of a car (which has been a long time coming). I took part in the Cannock and District Car Club ‘Stuff the Turkey’ Auto Solo at Curborough. My BMW 330Ci was absolutely faultless all day (although a tad large for some of the gaps between the cones)”.
“The Auto Solo consisted of two tests with six runs of each. On Test 1, I improved every session from a 53.1 to a 47.9. Test 2 brought the biggest improvement from a 56.3 to 48.6. I managed to finish 9th in class (out of 24) and 14th overall (out of 55 entries)”.
It was clear from the spectator banks that John’s BMW was slightly larger than many of his fellow competitors where Nissan Micras and Mazda MX5s predominated. His 14th overall finish was well deserved – and the BMW sounded great as he accelerated down the short straights. There was also an M3 Touring for variety …
Winners at the Stuff the Turkey AutoSolo
Overall winner was Michael Dolby in the MX5 by a decent margin from Tom Bishop in his Micra and Sam Harbour in another MX5.
As grassroots motorsport with a minimal investment in equipment and a premium on skill rather than sheer power, AutoSolo has much to commend it. You can find more information here – https://www.cdcc.org.uk
