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FROM GRASSROOTS
TO GOODWOOD
I
t all started around 10
years ago when I was
given the choice to either
go to the British GP with McLaren or
be hosted by the team at Goodwood
Festival of Speed through my work.
Well, I was never going to choose the
latter, as the British GP was a
no-brainer! I mean, what was this
Goodwood all about anyway?
I was swiftly put in my place by
those “in the know” – this was the
event of the year. I was told that it is
the only event to attend if you want
to see everything in the automotive
and motorsport industry.
So that year we attended the
Festival, and words cannot really
describe how I felt that weekend. It
was incredible - the sights, sounds,
smell and atmosphere reminded me
of why I fell in love with this industry
in the first place. Simply put: it was
glorious! I will never lose the memory
of seeing my father talking to his idol,
John Surtees.
I had only just started my degree
in Motorsport Engineering, as I had
a dream that one day I would build
my very own race team. The goal? To
compete at the world famous Good-
wood Festival of Speed!
It became an obsession for years
after this, as there was so much to
think about. How could I get a team
together? What car would we build?
Who would drive it? How could I
get Lord March to notice us to get
that illustrious invite to his glorious
Festival?
In 2008 the team was formed, and
the foundations for what was the
AMT (Apprentice Motorsport Team)
were established.
We offered team places to all of
the apprentices that were on the
Volkswagen Group Apprentice Pro-
gramme, with all of them having to
endure a strict audition process. This
was to make sure that we had the
people with the right spirit on board
the team.
The team started well, running a
Skoda Fabia Group N Rally car in var-
ious events and scoring good results
along the way.
I guess in life sometimes you do
need a lucky break and this was just
that. Skoda said we could be part of
their display, and Goodwood Fes-
tival agreed to let us run our car at
the 2010 Festival of Speed. I couldn’t
believe it, as in such a short time
we had made it. We were going to
Goodwood!
Leading up to our appearance at
Goodwood, I contacted Shaun and
asked him if he wanted to have a go
at rallying. He quite literally jumped
at the chance and, in return, some of
our apprentices from the programme
were sent to different rounds of the
BTCC.
After that happened, everything
was flying by in a blur. There we
were in a whirlwind of double page
spreads and front covers, with our
story in magazines. It seemed that
everything was just clicking into
place with the preparation, the team,
the weekend and working with the
media. I had a feeling that it was the
start of something special, as it was
all working so well.
READ PART 2 OF “FROM
GRASSROOTS TO GOOD-
WOOD” IN THE MOTOR-
SPORT DAYS ANNUAL
2017”.
054
R O A D
T R A C K
R A C E
S U M M E R 2 0 1 6
VRD MOTORSPORT’S DAVID VARDY SHARES HIS EXPE-
RIENCES OF STARTING A MOTOR RACING TEAM FROM
SCRATCH.