It has all the passion and drama of motorsport, only without the motors: on October 11, the Bristol Pedal Car race will see a number of teams racing around the UWE Frenchay Campus in a bid to resurrect pedal car racing as an annual event for the city.
Those with a long memory might be able to recollect that Bristol has hosted a number of pedal car races over the years. In fact, if the organisers of the event are correct, Bristol 'invented' them. The first pedal car race took place in 1960 and was organised by Bristol University's School of Mechanical Engineering. Taking place on a circuit around College Green, teams raced for 24 hours in a bid to demonstrate both their endurance and engineering prowess.
Over the years, the event grew in size, moving to Whitchurch aerodrome (now Hengrove park) and attracted colleges and training institutions from across the country, including apprentice aero-engineers working at Rolls Royce in Filton.
However, after a fall in interest and another move to Durdham Downs, Bristol's last documented pedal race took place in 1987.
Twenty eight years later, event organiser (and Bristol pedal car racer of yore) Rob Harris felt that the city's status as 2015 European Green Capital was the perfect inspiration to revive the pedal car race in the city.
Originally, Harris had grand plans – to bring back the race as a 24-hour competition on a circuit around Bristol Harbourside. Sadly, this proved too ambitious a goal and the event was unable to secure the funding to host an overnight race of such scale.
Bristol 24-Hour Pedal Car Race
Undeterred, the Bristol Pedal Car Race has found a last-minute home within the UWE Frenchay Campus car park, for a four-hour reduced race. While not quite as impressive as the original idea, it's hoped that the 2015 race will be used as a platform to build on for future years.
You can find out more about the origins of the pedal car race on the Bristol Pedal Car Race website.
Bristol Pedal Car Race. October 11, midday-4pm. UWE's Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, BS16 1QY.
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