The Watergate Bay Sprint

16th - 17th September ‘23

Watergate Bay Sprint, Cornwall.

Watergate Bay Sprint hosts exclusive Nichols Cars N1A supercar viewing in collaboration with Rally Prep.

One of the most eagerly anticipated British-built supercars, the Nichols Cars N1A will take pride of place on the Rally Prep stand at this weekend’s Watergate Bay Sprint [16/17 September], offering one of the first opportunities for private viewings since its launch this summer.

The Can-Am-inspired supercar pays homage to one of the most iconic racing cars of all time: the original McLaren M1A thanks to co-founder Steve Nichols’ connection with the iconic brand. He was lead designer at McLaren during the late 80s and was responsible for the design of the MP4/3 which carried Alain Prost to three victories and led the team to finish second in that year’s Constructors’ Championship behind Williams.

The following year Nichols came up with the MP4/4. In the hands of the late Ayrton Senna and Prost, the car set new records with an incredible 15 out of 16 race victories, including 11 firsts and second finishes, taking Senna to his first World Championship.

The racing pedigree of the N1A is apparent across every meticulous inch of the impressive design which not only gives a nod to the rich motorsport heritage of Steve Nichols’ past but also takes inspiration from the latest generation of modern-day materials and engineering.

Underneath its Formula One-grade, graphene-infused carbon fibre body, sits a 7.0-litre all-alloy V8, which has been developed and upgraded by Nichols Cars offering a total power output of 650 bhp through the rear wheels and it weighs in at just 900 kg. A six-speed manual gearbox is the perfect accompaniment, as is the hand-fabricated independent front and rear suspension with double wishbones and anti-roll bars as standard.

Inside, the cockpit reflects the stripped-back approach of a racing car, highlighting the dashboard with dials that hark back to the golden era of motor racing, whilst premium-grade materials and fabrics ensure a luxurious feel. Featuring an Ayrton Senna-inspired gear knob, the N1A’s fully reclined seating position is like that of the MP4/4, giving drivers a chance to experience exactly what Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost saw.

The first 15 cars will be an individually numbered series, each one celebrating a specific victory of Steve Nichols’ McLaren MP4/4 Formula One car.

This awe-inspiring machine will be available to view via appointment throughout the weekend at the ground-breaking Watergate Bay Sprint, which sees over 100 vehicles each day tackle the closed-road course along the Cornish coast near Newquay.

To book an exclusive appointment to view, please email: john.minett@nichols-cars.com

Images courtesy of Matthew Pople.

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The sensational Watergate Bay Sprint, near Newquay in Cornwall takes place for the fifth time this weekend [16/17 September] and promises to be the best ever edition of the popular motorsport event.

Regarded as one of the “must see” motorsport events in the country, Watergate Bay Sprint will once again welcome around 100 cars and drivers from across the country to the hillside above the beach resort, to tackle the closed-road circuit and compete for class awards or the coveted Fastest Time of the Day.

Running as a Hillclimb in 2018 and starting from Watergate Bay itself, the event was the first closed-road motorsport speed event to take advantage of the passing of parliamentary law in England, which enabled roads to close for competitive motorsport.

It would then switch to a Sprint in 2021, starting on the Newquay side of the B3276 at Trevelgue with cars tackling the road towards Watergate Bay offering a fast and flowing section mixed with a technical element that includes a tight ‘90-left’ turn before powering towards the finish, which continues once again in 2023.

In a bid to drive continuous improvement, the organisers, consisting of a partnership between Truro and District Motor Club, Plymouth Motor Club, Newquay Auto Club and Camel Vale Motor Club have introduced several new initiatives for the fifth anniversary to keep fans entertained and to ensure the longevity of the event.

Continuing to innovate its offering, the Sprint will be one of only a handful of motorsport events in the country to allow Electrified Vehicles to compete. Whilst EVs are popular on our roads, their use in motorsport is minimal but the new category has seen four vehicles entered to see the boundaries broken for this exciting class.

This goes hand in hand with the introduction of a series of environmentally positive measures for this year’s Sprint, as does a new partnership with Carbon Offset Cornwall which will ensure around 50 trees are planted in the county, helping with woodland biodiversity, and habitats, with those trees helping to absorb the carbon created from the running of the event.

Also new for 2023, is the appearance of the Ralli 22 Club which will bring an exciting range of rally cars from the past, including the Group B, Group A, and classic era. Conducting demo runs throughout the weekend; the thrilling machinery will certainly be a fan favourite as they blast along the track or at close quarters in the paddock.

An impressive entry list of around 100 cars each day boasts everything from standard road cars to full-blown race cars with crowds flocking to the venue last September and organisers have once again ensured a superb viewing location, with access to the paddock included to enable fans to get up close to the cars and drivers.

Once again, local charities will benefit from the weekend’s activities, as profits will be donated to the Cornwall Air Ambulance with £30,000 already raised for good causes since the inaugural event in 2018.

A substantial trade display area offers plenty to see and do during the weekend discounted advanced tickets are available until Thursday 14th September at midnight. They cost £10 per day for adults saving up to £4 on the weekend gate price with those under fourteen going free. Tickets will still be available at the gate.

To purchase advanced tickets and find out more, click: HERE

The action will start from 9.00 am on each day and the spectator car park must be accessed by travelling along the B3276 from the Newquay Airport side – Watergate Bay. Car parking is available at a discounted rate of just £3.50 per day [cash only].