Saloon car racing in Malta

Some time before the announcement in the Budget speech that a motor racing track would be built in Malta, some saloon car racing enthusiasts spoke to me describing their desire to practise their sport in Malta, which does not seem to be included in the present plans.

...the satisfaction of a hobby depends also on its popularity- Anthony Licari

I promised to write about their sport through their eyes in the form of a discussion as I know little about its organisation while I find it enjoyable. Here is the information I was given, a break from the daily routine of socio-political matters.

Rally cross is a kind of motor sport where special rally-prepared saloon cars are driven on half asphalt and half gravel in a very small track that could easily be built in an area such as the White Rocks complex or the Magħtab landfill.

This sport is non-existent in our country and could also be a source of a new tourist niche because several events could take place in Malta (like the X-games in the US). The Maltese climate would be helpful in a pleasant organisation of this sport. It would also give a big exposure to Malta as a tourist attraction and could be used in the marketing strategies of the Malta Tourism Authority and other tourism-promoting entities.

Saloon car racing enthusiasts explained that there is in Malta a certain discrimination against their favourite sport because practically all other sports are practised on the island and now other motor sports excluding theirs. While I consider this a good argument, I sought others that would favour the acceptance and introduction of this initiative.

As one may imagine, I enquired more about the locality where the track for this purpose could be set up, considering that Malta is a small island. They must have already heard this question before because they were ready with an answer.

Saloon car racing, they said, did not have to be practised on a large area like in some countries. It can be very limited in size to respect the limitations of the country. The element of competition related to this sport is not the distance covered over a small number of laps but over a large number of short laps.

I believe that this explanation can be proved by a reference to small racetracks that exist in different parts of the world. I did not ask for proof and examples as I was talking to genuine people and, if first steps were to be taken to put this idea into practice, the authorities would certainly seek its applicability to a Malta situation.

A sports complex was recently mentioned in the Budget speech and plans were made for many different sports disciplines to have their own area. These include football pitches, basketball grounds, tennis courts etc. but saloon motor sports was not mentioned. Why is this?

In such a large area and ample space as the White Rocks in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq it is surely easy to construct a proper racetrack and one that could satisfy the specific requirements of the eager saloon car racing enthusiasts waiting for such a track.

I was also told that, unfortunately, some enthusiasts have a tendency to race on normal roads. This causes danger for themselves and for others. If they had a racetrack, they would practise this passion in a place strictly meant for it.

I know that some readers will say that Malta cannot have a place for every passion as human nature possesses so many. Well, I guess that the satisfaction of a hobby depends also on its popularity.

My interlocutors added that the existence of yet another sport in Malta would provide young and not-so-young people with another way of spending their free time, which could be spent on less positive activities.

This sport has no sex imposition and many ladies participate. Also, it attracts both drivers and many spectators.

With reference to spectators, tourism was mentioned and this racetrack would be mentioned as one of Malta’s attractions. One cannot calculate the number of tourists such a track would attract but any increase in tourist numbers is welcome.

Racing enthusiasts at the moment travel to Sicily to practise their sport or to be spectators without travelling far. I was told that racers taking their cars abroad on trailers do so at considerable expense. The availability of this sport would reduce the need to go abroad.

The commercial aspects would include shops selling material related to this sport, which also generates business.

All in all, enthusiasts of this sport who spoke to me are quite convinced that the global advantages resulting from the introduction of this sport by far outweigh any controlled disadvantages one may think of.