Local authorities throughout the country will shortly get the power to put motor racing  on UK streets, the prime minister declared today.

At present, an Act of Parliament is needed for motorsport to occur on a closed highway, however the new legislation means local authorities should be able to give authorization for road races to proceed, and also to shut the roads in question and to suspend speed restrictions.

Birmingham Superprix

David Cameron declared the plans whilst opening up the Williams F1 squad’s new factory in Oxfordshire. “We have got a good history of motorsport within this country and so we’re getting British motor racing back again to British roads, to help local neighbourhoods,” he said. “As a part of our long-term financial strategy, we’re supporting our world-leading motorsport business to help careers, improve skills which help us to construct a far more resilient overall economy.”

In addition to producing thrilling racing which will in a roundabout way help the UK’s healthy motor racing business, the government hopes the new legal guidelines may also provide advantages for any communities holding these events.  Their local economies could jointly reap the benefits of a boost as much as £40 million over 5 years.

The alteration in legislation will increase the probability of the recently proposed London Grand Prix, being held around the closed roads of the London capital in the form of the Monaco Grand Prix, which will see F1 cars soaring down the Mall, through Parliament Sq. and past Buckingham Palace. F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has in the past showed his support of the concept, stating that it is “no joke”.

But that isn’t all. Mr Cameron points out the current large turnout for any Tour de France stages that were held in Great Britain – thought of as more than 3.5 million – as evidence that there’s a hunger for road racing, and motorsport business professionals think that there might be sufficient demand to have as much as 20 important motorsport functions on The UK’s streets every year.

Which means potential rounds of the popular BTCC and World Touring Car Championships could possibly be held on closed streets all over the United Kingdom, bringing back again recollections of the well-known Birmingham Superprix races in late ’80s and early ’90s. It might also lead to tarmac stages of Wales Rally GB getting held on roads from the Welsh countryside, or possibly in Cardiff city Centre.

What’s more, it might give rise to a number of more local motor racing functions, for example independent rallies and sprint races, organized in small towns as well as on country roads.