British Kart Championships and Rali Ceredigion Pride Hubs
Racing Pride recently had the opportunity to host Pride Hubs in collaboration with Motorsport UK, spreading our message of LGBTQ+ inclusion across motorsport at the British Kart Championships and Rali Ceredigion.
One Pride Hub was held at the Wera Tools British Kart Championships event, which took place on 27th July at Shenington Kart Racing Club.
The Pride Hub team at Shenington included Richard Morris, CEO of Racing Pride and Motorsport UK LGBTQ+ Expert Committee Chair; Racing Pride Ambassador Jessica Alexander; Motorsport UK LGBTQ+ Expert Committee member Josh Bennett; and Motorsport UK Head of Sustainability Jessica Runicles.
It was a highly appropriate team for the event. Richard Morris grew up racing at Shenington Kart Racing Club, and was a member there 2005-2016 before moving into single seater racing, prototypes and, most recently, GT cars. Earlier in 2024 Jessica Alexander, meanwhile, became the first known openly trans driver to win a Motorsport UK karting championship title at Warden Law. Jessica is also a British Prokart Endurance Champion and a former British Universities Karting Champion. Jessica drives for Apollo Karts.
Our most recent Pride Hub was hosted recently at Rali Ceredigion in Aberystwyth, Wales. This was a combined FIA European Rally Championship and British Rally Championship event taking place between 30th August – 1st September.
At Rali Ceredigion our Pride Hub was situated in the Rally Engage area, attached to the international service park. We were pleased to share our stand space and work alongside Girls on Track UK, with the combined team again including Richard Morris and Jessica Runicles, this time joined by Racing Pride Member Saoirse Fitzpatrick, and Girls on Track Regional Activator for Wales Ceris James.
Rally Ceredigion is the largest and most significant international rally to take place in the UK since Wales Rally GB. The opportunity to champion LGBTQ+ visibility, education and community through to the fans attending motorsport events was not lost on our team, who particularly enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere and community feel at Rali Ceredigion. This was notably apparent in the large numbers of families who visited our Pride Hub stand.
Rali Ceredigion and the British Kart Championships round at Shenington marked our first Pride Hub appearances at karting and rallying events; representing a significant opportunity to reach, and be present for, new communities within our sport. Our team and members found the experience hugely rewarding, emphasising the importance of LGBTQ+ advocacy across different disciplines and levels of motorsport.