The Swift Sport Challenge has been launched by the 750 Motor Club for next season as the latest entry-level series with initiatives set to help keep costs down.
The new category will use Suzuki Swift Sport Mk1 models from 2006-2011, featuring a 1.6-litre engine, with two cars set to race this weekend at Silverstone in the Hot Hatch Championship in the hands of brothers Ryan and Scott Parkin.
The cars will have a further outing at the Birkett Six-Hour Relay ahead of 2025, where either a standalone series will be created, or they will remain as a class within Hot Hatch depending on uptake.
“We wanted to do something that was low-cost and accessible for people and, if you look around the marketplace, there has been a shift in the sense there is more of an appetite for people to race slightly lower performance cars,” said 750MC competitions manager Giles Groombridge.
“You look at the success of the 116 Trophy, EnduroKa, CityCar Cup, C1s, it shows there is a change in the market where it’s not all about performance – it’s about the fun factor, accessibility and cost.
"We chose the Swift because the price point for buying a donor car and converting it is no different from any of those other series, only you have a car which is higher performance – it is a genuine hot hatch.”
Both cars remain road-legal and will be driven to Silverstone this weekend, while further avenues are being looked into to help limit the cost for competitors, including a ban on pre-race testing, standard sealed engines, and limited control tyres.
As with the Type R Trophy that was created in 2021, the 750MC is aiming to provide a foundation package for those wishing to race in the Swift Sport Challenge with costs approximately £10,000, but confirmed details are due in October.
“We’ve got some ideas to really make it as low-cost as possible,” added Groombridge.
“We’re looking at bonus points or advancing people up the grid if they keep the car road-legal, perhaps a grid penalty for those who do test before the race. The idea is just to make it as level a playing field as possible.”
