An annual 200-mile overnight motor challenge setting off from East Devon this weekend, renamed in honour of club members who have died, will raise funds for the Devon Air Ambulance.
Exmouth Motor Club is gearing up for its 200-mile navigational challenge on Saturday, November 26, marking the event’s 20th birthday.
The rally was renamed the Exmouth Memorial Rally in 2020, in memory of past club members, Barbara Carter and Peter Barnard.
Daniel Pidgeon, Exmouth Motor Club spokesman, said: “The event started back in 2002, initially known as the Barbara Carter Memorial and started from Exeter with 24 entries, with Darren Dixon and Peter Barnard, a former navigator for Barbara, taking the honours in a Peugeot 205 GTi.
“Sadly, in early 2020, Exmouth Motor Club lost Peter Barnard, who was one of our biggest members and represented the club all over the country on events. So later that year the club renamed their popular rally to honour both members and hope the new name, the Exmouth Memorial Rally, honours both for many years to come.
This year’s challenge will include several roads from the original event 20 years ago, and some new stretches of lanes and highway.
Entries have come from across the county – and as far away as Germany – with around 60 vehicles expected to take part
Daniel said: “The club has worked hard to compile the 200-mile route which uses several of the original roads used back in 2002 and some new one’s that the club have never used before.”
He added: “This year we are raising money for Devon Air Ambulance, with all the money made on the event going to the charity.
“The air ambulance is something which is really needed in the area, and we hope that we can raise a good amount of money for them from the event.”
The annual navigational rally will set off on the evening of the November 26, and take place overnight and into Sunday, November 27, to celebrate its double decade digits.
The 2022 200-mile Exmouth Memorial Rally will take in a host of country lanes, starting in East Devon at Greendale Farm Shop, on the Sidmouth Road, near Farringdon, to Honiton, then onto Mortenhampstead, before returning to the start point.
The public can see the cars – including some classic vehicles – at the start of the event from around 7pm on the Saturday evening, and on their return at 7am the following morning.
Crews will plot their route onto OS Landranger maps just two hours before setting off to find the hidden controls around the countryside.
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