Tag: BMCRC

The British Motorcycle Racing Club, known as BMCRC or ‘Bemsee’, has held its first event of the year at Brands Hatch. This was the first of nine rounds which are to be run at MSV tracks around the country.

Michael Clark went along to the meeting to capture the action and start off his 2025 motorsport photography season. This is a “postcard” of his images from Round One.

The BMCRC is a very active club and has one aspect that the motorsport photographers out there might be interested in. All of the nine rounds this year will have a Friday test day included, preceding the main weekend meeting. This is good news for the amateur photographer on a budget; test days are usually free to get in. You won’t get the excitement of the race day, but you can practice your photography at a slower pace.  

The highlight round of the series for me is the Cadwell Sidecar Revival 2-3 August. I have been to the Sidecar Revival a few times as a spectator photographer, and it is always an enjoyable day out. Watching and photographing the classic sidecars on two wheels around Cadwell’s Hall bends is a sight to behold. 

Back on topic, the BMCRC was founded in 1909, this being its 116th year filling grids with two- and three-wheel machines. And I must say the grids were very full at this meeting. With fifteen different series from the grass-roots no-frills 250 MZ to the Thunderbike Ultra class, there was something for everyone. The BMCRC also has a rich heritage, being the oldest Motorcycle Club in the World. Holding its first events at the iconic Brooklands race track.

Many British motorcycle champions started their race career with the BMCRC and with associated race series that ran alongside BMCRC meetings. Phil Read and Barry Sheene are two iconic stars that spring to mind.

I will digress here slightly and talk about finances. I was chatting with some fans at Oliver’s Mount, and we got round to appearance money. The cash that was available only a generation ago has all but disappeared from modern grass-roots motorcycle racing. To go racing these days, you need a significant amount of cash in hand.

An example is, the 1976 MCN SuperBike Championship the prize money was £15,000. Mick Grant, Rodger Marshall, and Ron Haslam competed for the huge prize fund. Bonus payments for leading on lap 3 and 6 and the fastest laps kept the racing close. Considering the average prize of a house in the UK in 1970 was £4,480.03, winning this championship could be life-changing. That life-changing money in 1976 would eventually go to Barry Sheene.

Out on the historic Brands Hatch Indy circuit on a cool spring day, a future British Champion could be part of the BMCRC grid. Maybe Michael has captured one in these great photos; only time will tell. I just hope that in these difficult times, the full grids continue, with the racers enjoying their sport and the spectators enjoying the racing. 

The next round of the BMCRC Championship will be at Oulton Park 4-5 April 2005.