Lowe’s ‘all time high’

Sunday 05 May 2019

Martyn ‘Snakey’ Lowe can sit back and enjoy the final Summer Autocross meeting of 2019 today, as he has already won the Championship, but he'll be keen to go out with a win though, after he sealed the title whilst dropping to runner-up position at the last meeting.

This is the first time Martyn has ever won the Autocross, despite having raced in the event for 15 years. He beat last year’s winner and favourite for the title, Leeroy Sebire, who is in contention for second place, along with the likes of Billy Rive, Luke Nicholls and Jamie Queripel.

What is it that’s made this year so remarkably different from the rest for Martyn? “It comes down to the car, really. I have a new car this year, a Honda Prelude,” commented Martyn. 

Martyn, along with the other drivers, upkeeps the car himself. He undertakes no training for the Autocross, reiterating that it is all down to the quality of the car, “It all comes down to your car: what you’ve got and how you prepare it.” 

Although he has no training schedule, Martyn has a strict routine to prepare his car for each race: “I have routine checks that I do to make sure that things you can’t predict, like brakes, [are in good order]. You’ve got to prepare as best as you can to make sure nothing breaks.” This takes up the best part of each Saturday morning before each race.

Pictured: Martyn Lowe and his two biggest fans - his sons Cody and Freddie. 

The Autocross began back in 1969, and originally took place in St Sampson’s Harbour as part of the week-long North Regatta. When the club moved to Chouet Beach the following year, the format changed to what it is now: a series of heats, culminating in three finals – the ‘A’ Final, the ‘B’ Final and the ‘Race of the Rest’. 

The first two from each heat go into the ‘A’ Final, the next two go into the ‘B’ Final and the rest are put into the Race of the Rest, allowing drivers of all abilities to take part in two races. Regardless of one’s position in the ‘B’ Final, more points are attributed to those in the ‘A’ Final than the ‘B’ Final. 

More than 50 awards are given out at the annual presentation night at the end of the season: in addition to the Champion and Runner-Up in all points tables, there are plaques given to the Best Newcomer, Unluckiest Driver, Most Consistent, and there is even a Plonker of the Year accolade. 

The Autocross attracts a big crowd, no matter the weather. “Even when the weather’s not nice, you still have your die-hards up there in the wind and rain under their umbrellas. You walk along the top and you think: you must really enjoy this because I’d quite like to go home!” joked Martyn.

Martyn’s two biggest fans are his sons Cody and Freddy who have not missed a single race since they were born: “They both love coming to watch and have done since they were born. They love the ‘crashes’, as they call them: cars being spun and roll overs.” Such roll overs are inevitable with cars racing up to 60 miles per hour on a beach, but Martyn insisted the accidents do not play on his mind or worry him. 

Despite the fact he does not actually need to place well this weekend, the Guernsey man will not be resting on his laurels: “I will still go to win it. I don’t go in it to finish second.”  It will likely be a similar story for Ashleigh Le Page, who has also already won the Women’s Summer Autocross with one meeting spare. 

Once the Summer season is over, Martyn will aim for victory in the upcoming winter championship, which he only took part in this year to ensure his car was ready. He will then aim to retain his Summer title next year. 

Pictured: Martyn Lowe. Image credit: Ian Richardson.