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Going racing

The Sebring Sprite was born on the track, and plenty are still raced today. Whether you fancy a first sprint in your road car or a grid at Goodwood, here's how to get started and where Sprites can compete.

Three ways in

Choose your kind of motorsport

Most owners start with sprints and hillclimbs. They're the cheapest way in, you don't need a test, and you can use the car you drive on the road.

01

Sprints & hillclimbs

One car on the course at a time, against the clock. Friendly, low-risk and ideal in a road-going Sprite. Venues range from Prescott and Shelsley Walsh to airfield sprints.

  • RS Inter Club licence, about £82 a year
  • No driving test needed
  • Helmet required; overalls and gloves for modified cars
02

Circuit racing

Wheel-to-wheel racing, usually a qualifying session and two short races per meeting. Needs a properly prepared car with roll cage and safety kit.

  • Motorsport UK Go Racing pack, £115
  • ARDS driving test, around £290
  • Then apply for your Race Club licence
03

Historic & invitation events

Goodwood, Le Mans Classic, Angoulême and similar events are by invitation or selection. History, provenance and the right paperwork count as much as pace.

  • Build a race record in club events first
  • An FIA Historic Technical Passport may be required
  • Period-correct specification matters

Where Sprites compete

Series and championships

These are the main UK championships where Sprites, Midgets and Sebrings take part. Regulations change from year to year, so always check the current rules with the organisers before you build or enter.

Sprints & hillclimbs

HealeySport Speed Championship

Run by the Healeysport Centre of the Austin Healey Club. Sprites have their own class (Class 1), with a Libre class for modified cars. Around 14–15 rounds a year, mixing outright "scratch" events with "target time" events, where you're rewarded for beating your own target, so it's a great place to start.

Needs: Austin Healey Club membership · RS Inter Club licence

HealeySport website
Circuit racing

Lackford Engineering Midget & Sprite Challenge

Run with the Classic Sports Car Club, this is the only UK race championship just for "Spridgets", running since 1977. Classes range from fully modified race cars to lightly modified road cars, plus a class for Swinging Sixties-spec cars. A typical round is a 20-minute qualifying session and two 20-minute races.

Needs: Race licence (Go Racing pack + ARDS)

Midget & Sprite Challenge
Historic racing

Equipe GTS

A series for pre-1966 FIA-type production sports and GT cars, in five engine classes up to 2700cc, at leading UK circuits and some European venues. FIA papers aren't demanded. Check with the organisers which Sprite and Sebring specifications are accepted.

Needs: Race licence · period-specification car

Equipe GTS
Historic racing

HSCC Historic Road Sports

The Historic Sports Car Club's championship for period road-going sports cars, where Sprites and Midgets have long been regulars. A good next step for a well-prepared historic Sprite.

Needs: Race licence · HSCC membership

HSCC website

Which car, which series?

Aluminium or fibreglass?

Not every series accepts every kind of Sprite. The big dividing line is bodywork: to homologate a Sebring coupé or fastback for FIA historic racing, the bodywork has to be built in aluminium, as it was in period. Fibreglass is only accepted for the bonnet. Fibreglass replicas are welcome in plenty of club series.

SeriesStandard-bodied SpriteFibreglass Sebring replicaAluminium Sebring (homologated, with HTP)Notes
HealeySport Speed ChampionshipSprints & hillclimbs✓ Yes✓ Yes✓ YesFibreglass Sebring replicas compete and win – 3242 WD took the Sprite class in 2025.
Midget & Sprite Challenge (MGCC)Circuit racing✓ Yes✓ Yes Race & Road Modified classes✓ YesSebring bodies are listed as eligible historic bodies.
CSCC Swinging SixtiesCircuit racing✓ Yes✓ Yes✓ YesThe Sebring bonnet and fastback are on the approved list; material isn't restricted.
HSCC Historic Road SportsHistoric racing✓ Yes✗ No? AskFor production road cars; one-off specials are excluded.
Equipe GTSHistoric racing? Check? Check✓ YesPeriod-specification cars. Confirm Sprite and Sebring specs with Equipe.
FIA & HTP events (e.g. Masters, Le Mans Classic)International historic? With HTP✗ No✓ YesNeeds an FIA Historic Technical Passport: bodywork in the period material, so aluminium for a Sebring coupé or fastback.

✓ accepted · ✗ not accepted · ? check with the organisers. Rules change every year, so always confirm with the series before you build or enter. Read about homologation papers and HTPs.

Getting started

Your first season, step by step

Thinking about it? Ask in our Facebook group first. Lots of members have done exactly this and are happy to help.

Ask the community

  1. Go and watch. Visit a sprint, hillclimb or race meeting, walk the paddock and talk to Sprite owners.
  2. Join a club. The Austin Healey Club (HealeySport), the MG Car Club or the Classic Sports Car Club all run events where Sprites are welcome.
  3. Get your licence. For sprints and hillclimbs, apply online for an RS Inter Club licence. For racing, buy the Go Racing pack and book an ARDS test.
  4. Prepare the car. Check the series regulations. Tyres, brakes, fluids and a sound battery come first, then any safety kit your class requires.
  5. Get the kit. A helmet that meets Motorsport UK rules is essential. Fireproof overalls and gloves are required for competition cars and recommended for everyone.
  6. Enter your first event and tell us how it went!