The Cambridge University Automobile Club or CUAC is a motor club for members and alumni of the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

. It is recognised by the

Motor Sports Association Motorsport UK, formerly known as the Motor Sports Association (MSA), is a national membership organisation and governing body for four-wheel motorsport in the United Kingdom. Legally, it is a not-for-profit private company limited by guarantee. ...

(MSA, previously RACMSA). CUAC is also a member club of the London Counties Association of Motor Clubs (LCAMC) and the Association of Eastern Motor Clubs (EAMC).

History

The Cambridge University Automobile Club was founded in 1902. It is said to be the second oldest British car club still in existence (with the Royal Automobile Club, founded in 1897, being the oldest). Certainly, for many years it has been the second oldest club recognised by the MSA as engaged in motor sport. In 1946 the club organised the first motor race in Britain after the end of the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

at nearby Gransden Lodge airfield. Its members have competed in speed trials, rallies, economy runs and kart races. In 1983 members of CUAC contested a fuel economy run in Austin Maestros against members of the Oxford University Motor Drivers Club ( Oumdc).

Roles and responsibilities

CUAC is run by students, with one exception; in line with the university’s rules governing societies its chief treasurer has to be a member of the university faculty.

2023-24 Committee

The society's current executive committee comprises 11 positions: President: Luke Shillaber
Secretary: Adam Ormondroyd
BUKC Team Captain: Jack Hepworth
CUAC Championship Secretary: Adam Ormondroyd
Social Secretaries: Yaseen Al-Khazali
Webmaster: Yaseen Al-Khazali
Junior Treasurer: Adam Ormondroyd
Veterans Secretary: Francisco Gómez Medina
Partnership Secretary: Hader Aziz
Safety Officer: Luke Shillaber
Welfare Officer: Yaseen Al-Khazali

Membership

Any member of the university can become a member of CUAC. Membership gives discounts on attending most CUAC events, and is required to represent the University.

Activities

Weekly meetings

The CUAC committee meet at various pubs in Cambridge on Sundays during the university’s term time (and occasionally outside of term time).

Rallying

CUAC has in the past run several road rallies involving navigating from checkpoint to checkpoint on public roads within a time limit. The onus of the competition is on decoding the navigation clues as quickly as possible, rather than fast driving. Previous annual rallies have included the Mindwarp and the Ariel. CUAC and the Oxford University Motor Drivers Club ( Oumdc) have also taken turns at organising a Varsity rally between the two universities. Unfortunately, economic and university pressures have in recent years kept regular CUAC races confined to kart circuits.

Notable Rallies

The 1996-7 CUAC Karting Championship was jointly won by two drivers: Steve Brumpton and Carolyn Pursell. The 2001 CUAC Mindwarp Rally was cancelled due to the ongoing foot and mouth crisis.

Karting

CUAC runs its own series of karting races, collectively known as the CUAC Karting Championship, and sends a team representing the University of Cambridge to the British Universities Karting Championship. CUAC and the Oxford University Motor Drivers Club ( OUMDC) take turns at organising the Varsity Kart Race between the two universities. The 2019 varsity race was won by Cambridge University. The 2020 and 2021 races were cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

CUAC Karting championship

The number of rounds in the CUAC Karting Championship tends to vary from year to year with demand. Races take place most frequently at the nearby Red Lodge and Rye House circuits, but there have also been visits to Whilton Mill ( Daventry), Daytona (

Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city and the largest settlement in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of its urban area was over . The River Great Ouse forms its northern boundary; a tributary ...

) and

Buckmore Park Buckmore Park Kart Circuit is an MSA approved outdoor kart racing circuit located just off junction 3 of the M2 in Chatham, Kent, England. Until his death on 10 March 2017, it was owned by John Surtees, the only person to have won world Grand P ...

(

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

). Inter-college 'cuppers' races are also organised each year.

British Universities Karting Championship

CUAC enter the University of Cambridge team in the

British Universities Karting Championship The British Universities Karting Championship (BUKC) is an annual University-based kart racing competition in the United Kingdom. History The BUKC, originally called the Inter Universities Karting Championship (IUKC), was formed in 2001 by stu ...

Annual events

CUAC’s annual events include attending the Cambridge University Students' Union’s Societies Fair, a

Freshers A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. Ara ...

’ Squash for new members and an Annual Dinner usually held in Easter Term.

References

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External links

Cambridge University Automobile Club Official site

Oxford University Motor Drivers' Club
*

Automobile associations in the United Kingdom

Automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...