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What is Ross Motorsports?
Ross Motorsports is the website of the Ross and District Motor Sports Club, a Herefordshire-based club that runs grassroots motorsport around Ross-on-Wye under the tagline "Motor Sport for all". Its calendar mixes tarmac autotests at the Ross Livestock Centre, evening 12-car navigational exercises (NavEx) starting from the club's base on Kyrle Street, plus touring assemblies such as the Bluebell Run, car trials and historic tours. It is a club and events hub rather than a retailer or commercial operator.
What the club actually offers
- Tarmac autotests – short, low-speed handling tests against the clock, held at Ross Cattle Market. The site describes a series of four to five tests for £18 entry, and states that all types of vehicles can be entered, which makes it unusually accessible for newcomers.
- 12 Car NavEx – evening events of roughly 50 miles and three hours on public roads, limited to 12 cars, where a driver and navigator solve navigational clues. The site notes that virtually any standard car is suitable.
- Bluebell Run, car trials and historic tours – touring and trial formats for members who prefer regularity and road-based challenges to outright competition.
Who it suits
Someone in or near Herefordshire who wants to try motorsport cheaply and locally, especially with an ordinary road car. A typical first step is the autotest: a reader with a standard hatchback could enter, spend a few hours at the cattle market and get a feel for timed driving without special preparation. The NavEx suits pairs who enjoy map-reading and puzzle-solving more than speed. For spectators and families, the touring events are the most approachable.
Practical points before entering
Events are listed with regulations and entry forms, so check the specific event page for eligibility, licence requirements and vehicle rules rather than assuming the general description covers everything. The site's calendar showed gaps in some months, so confirm dates before travelling. For broader context on UK club motorsport, Motorsport UK is the governing body.
How do I enter an Autotest event at Ross & District Motor Sports Club?
The entry route shown for the club's Tarmac Autotest is simple: each event listing links to Regulations and an Entry Form. Open the listing for the date you want, read the regulations, then submit the entry form. The listed events are 12:00–4:00 pm at Ross Live Stock Centre, Ross-on-Wye HR9 7QQ, with 4–5 tests and all types of vehicles accepted. Entry is stated on the page as £18.
What to check before entering
- Regulations first. They carry the eligibility, vehicle, timing and entry conditions; the calendar summary is just an outline.
- Your car's class. "All types of vehicles can be entered" is the club's wording, but class placement and any preparation rules come from the regulations.
- Arrival time. The 12:00 pm start is the event window; plan to be on site earlier for signing-on and scrutineering.
- Entry confirmation. The page doesn't describe how entries are acknowledged, so confirm your place through the club's published contact route.
A practical example
A first-timer with a standard road car should download the regulations for a chosen Saturday, check the class list against the car, complete the entry form, and bring the car, licence and any required documents to the Cattle Market well before noon. The short test format (4–5 tests) and afternoon timing suit a half-day out.
For the club's other formats, see Ross Motorsports: the 12 Car NavEx on public roads is a two-person, clue-solving evening event where "virtually any standard car is suitable," a lower-cost way to try club motorsport before an Autotest.
What is a 12 Car NavEx and how does it work?
A 12 Car NavEx is an evening navigational exercise on public roads for a maximum of 12 cars. Each car has two people: a driver and a navigator. The navigator solves a series of navigational clues to work out the correct route, and the crew follows it while staying on time. On the Ross Motorsports calendar, these events are listed as running from 7pm to 10pm, covering about 50 miles over roughly three hours, and virtually any standard car is suitable.
How an event typically runs
- Start and paperwork: crews sign on, receive instructions and are briefed before the first car leaves.
- Clues, not a map: instead of a simple route card, the navigator gets puzzles, map references or tulip-style diagrams that must be interpreted into a route.
- Timing: crews are usually set off at intervals and must reach checkpoints within a time window, so smooth navigation matters as much as speed.
- Controls: marshals at checkpoints record your arrival; penalties are typically added for being early or late rather than for outright pace.
- Finish: results are worked out from penalties, and novice crews are usually made welcome.
What it demands
The driver's job is to follow clear instructions precisely and drive legally and predictably on public roads. The navigator's job is the harder one: reading clues quickly, keeping the map or instructions in order, and warning the driver in good time. A calm, well-lit cockpit and a navigator who can read in the dark make a real difference.
Is it for you?
It suits people who enjoy puzzle-solving and map reading more than raw speed, and it is one of the cheapest ways into club motorsport because a standard road car is enough. It is less suited to anyone wanting wheel-to-wheel action or high-speed competition.
As a next step, look at the club's event pages and regulations before entering: Ross Motorsports lists its NavEx dates and entry details. If you are new, enter as a navigator first to learn how the clues work, then swap seats.
Which Ross & District Motor Sports Club events are suitable for beginners or standard road cars?
The most accessible starting points are the club's 12 Car NavEx evenings and its Tarmac Autotest series. The NavEx is explicitly described as suitable for "virtually any standard car," while the Autotest listing says all types of vehicles can be entered.
How the two compare
| Event | What you do | Vehicle suitability (per club listing) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Car NavEx | Driver and navigator solve navigational clues to follow a route on public roads, about 50 miles over roughly three hours in the evening | "Virtually any standard car is suitable" | Beginners who want a low-cost, road-legal introduction; a friend or family member can navigate |
| Tarmac Autotest | 4–5 timed tests on tarmac at Ross Cattle Market | "All types of vehicles can be entered" | Drivers who want car-control practice in a closed setting without preparing a special vehicle |
Other events to consider
The club also lists a Bluebell Run (a touring assembly), Car Trials, and Historic Tours. A touring assembly is generally the gentlest format for a first event in a road car, since it is about following a route rather than outright speed. Car Trials involve driving set sections, often on grass or uneven ground, so they tend to suit cars with decent ground clearance and are less ideal for a low-slung standard road car. Historic Tours are aimed at older vehicles.
A practical next step
If you have a standard road car and a willing passenger, enter a NavEx first: it uses public roads, needs no special preparation, and the two-person format means a newcomer is not navigating alone. If you would rather drive solo and learn car control, book onto a Tarmac Autotest and check the regulations and entry form linked from the event listing before the day.
For club contacts, entry forms and the events calendar, see Ross Motorsports.
How much does it cost to take part in a Tarmac Autotest?
A Tarmac Autotest with Ross & District Motor Sports Club is listed at £18 entry, covering the 4–5 tests described for the event. That is the price shown in the club's own event details for its cattle-market autotests, not a general estimate for autotesting elsewhere. See Ross Motorsports for the current regulations and entry form before you commit.
What that £18 buys, and who it suits
The entry fee covers the competition itself: a short afternoon of four to five timed tests on tarmac at Ross Live Stock Centre in Ross-on-Wye. The club states that all types of vehicles can be entered, which makes this an unusually low-cost way to try car control in your everyday car rather than a prepared competition machine.
It suits three kinds of people particularly well:
- First-timers who want a cheap, low-commitment taste of motorsport in their own car.
- Local drivers who can reach Ross-on-Wye easily for a Saturday 12:00–16:00 session.
- Drivers without a specialist vehicle, since the club explicitly welcomes all vehicle types.
What the fee does not cover
Treat £18 as the entry cost only. Budget separately for fuel and travel, any wear on tyres and brakes from repeated tests, and any club membership or competition licence requirements that the regulations specify. Those items are not priced in the event listing, so check the regulations rather than assuming the total outlay is £18.
A practical next step
Open the regulations and entry form linked from the event listing, confirm your car meets the eligibility and safety requirements, and enter early if you want a place. If you are weighing it against the club's other formats, the 12 Car NavEx runs on public roads over roughly 50 miles and about three hours, and the club notes that virtually any standard car is suitable — a good alternative if you prefer navigational challenge to timed driving. For broader context on autotesting in the UK, Motorsport UK is the governing body worth checking for licensing basics.
What is the Bluebell Run touring assembly and who can join?
The Bluebell Run is a touring assembly run by Ross & District Motor Sports Club: a social, road-based drive rather than a timed speed event. The club's own site lists it alongside Auto Solo, Car Trials and Historic Tours under its "Motor Sport for all" banner and points visitors to a dedicated Bluebell Run page for details, so it is one of the club's regular touring activities rather than a one-off.
Who it suits
Touring assemblies are generally aimed at members and guests who want an organised drive with a set route and a sociable atmosphere, without the car-control tests of an autotest or the navigation puzzles of a NavEx. The club frames its whole programme as "Motor Sport for all", which suggests the Bluebell Run is pitched at everyday road cars and less experienced crews. Treat that as a reasonable reading of the club's positioning rather than a confirmed entry rule.
What to check before entering
- Eligibility: whether you must be a club member, and whether passengers and under-18s are welcome.
- Car requirements: whether any standard road car is accepted or whether there are age, type or preparation limits.
- Format: start and finish points, route length, whether it is timed or untimed, and whether a navigator is needed.
- Cost and paperwork: entry fee, plus any Motorsport UK permit or signing-on requirements.
Next step
Open the Bluebell Run page on Ross Motorsports and read the event regulations and entry form before committing. As a comparison, the club's NavEx events are explicitly described as suitable for "virtually any standard car" and run over about 50 miles in an evening with a driver and navigator, which gives a sense of how accessible its road events tend to be. If you are unsure which format fits you, contact the club through its listed Ross-on-Wye address and ask directly about the Bluebell Run's entry criteria.
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