September 6th saw the first running Oxford Motor Club’s ‘Motorsport Valley’ Scenic tour. Our first such event since way back in 2017 with ‘Cars to the Claydons.’
The event would take crews on an 85 mile route through South Northants, West Oxfordshire, and briefly into Gloucestershire.
The forecast was changeable in the lead up to the event but thankfully a glorious (non- heatwave impacted) day of weather greeted the crews who assembled at the start venue at Motorsport UK HQ in Bicester Motion.
Despite a last minute scare due to a potentially closed road within three miles of the start (Thankyou Thames Water), Leg 1, headed North, as planned through quiet lanes towards Brackley before heading west to the charming villages of Somerton, North Aston and Duns Tew. After heading to Enstone via the Alpine F1 factory, the route continued west, passing Diddly Squat farm & Cornwell Manor, then briefly heading North towards Moreton-in-Marsh before cutting west through Longborough to our halfway halt at the Cotswold Barn.
Suitably refreshed, the crews then headed off on Leg 2 which took them south through Upper and Lower Swell, then onto Lower Slaughter and the ever bustling town of Bourton-on-the-water. After Bourton the roads became quieter again as the route wound its way through wide open views of sun-bleached fields before taking crews through Cornbury Park toward Leafield. It was then just a short hop, passing through small villages on quiet roads to the finish at the Kingsley Café for further refreshments.
A huge thank you to all the Marshals who came out and helped, both before the event and on the day. Without you the event would not have run.
With good feedback from all the crews, we’re already busy planning for a bigger and better event for next year.
Simon Phillips