
A race to remember
Anglesey lies off the north west coast of Wales. On a cold, wet and windy November night, it may not be the first choice of destination for many. But if you were at the island’s eponymous race circuit on the weekend of Remembrance Day, you might understand the draw…
From up on the spectator bank – where on a clear day the views stretch across the Menai straight and on to the imposing mountains of Snowdonia – LED lights pierce the darkness. The air is filled with the sound of buzzing four-cylinder engines and screeching tyres. As cars pass you, rooster tails of spray are kicked up into the air, illuminated red by tail lights, like the glow from an afterburner of a jet fighter taking off from the adjacent RAF Valley.
This is Mission Motorsport’s Race of Remembrance, and taking part in this incredible event is Morgan’s way of honouring the work of the British armed forces, commemorating the fallen, and bringing brighter futures to those returning to civvy street.
James Cameron, the man behind the event, explained its concept: “Mission Motorsport is a Remembrance service with a race attached. It helps people who are leaving the forces, particularly those who are wounded, injured or sick, to find new futures and support their families.
“The automotive industry needs quality people, and the military has these people in abundance. When they leave the forces, some go off like a rocket and are great successes, but if we allow some to become underemployed, or unemployed, or under a bridge and homeless, or a suicide statistic, then we as a country are falling short. At the event today we have more than 30 beneficiaries, all meeting their individual recovery goals. They’re here to have their horizons broadened and be uplifted.
“It’s absolutely fantastic to have Morgan here. It’s contributing to the variety, and the cars just fit perfectly in this race. They’re so distinctive, very evocative, and very British.”
Morgan had two teams entered. Aero Racing One was a four-car relay team driven by Craig Hamilton-Smith, Tony Hirst, Jon and son Tom Richards, and Phill Thomas. Driving a mix of Plus 4 models, they finished an impressive 18th, from 44 starters.
Paul Voakes and Ian Payne shared Voakes’ Plus 4 Clubsport in Aero Racing Two, taking the chequered flag in 25th position. In the 12 hours of racing, they completed 313 laps, a remarkable 657 miles of flat-out racing, with no major mechanical issues. It’s a testament to the inherent reliability of the highly developed Clubsport machine.