Born in 1964 on the site of a WW2 RAF base, Darley Moor Motorcycle Road Race Club has epitomised the essence of motorcycle club racing for six decades.
Its fair to say that most of the top British motorcycle racing talents of the last 60 years have, at some point, cut their racing teeth at Darley Moor. The annual Stars At Darley Meeting was the place where fans could get up close to the stars of the sport.
Riders who were, or were to go on to be World Champions would line up against the clubmen to put on show for the spectators; Barry Sheene, Bill Smith, Paul Smart, Ron Haslam, Tony Rutter, Carl Fogarty and Michael Rutter to name just a few. Today the Stars still attracts some of the fastest riders in the sport like TT legend John McGuinness.
In recent years the track has helped young aspiring World and British Champions to hone their skills, including Cal Crutchlow, the Lowes twins and Tommy Bridewell.
2024 saw Darley Moor club celebrating its 60th birthday and all involved were reminded that the circuit remains a very special place. As the only Club owned track in the UK, Darley Moor continues to be a ‘must do’ venue for any aspiring ‘Clubbie’ racer. The annual six round club Championships provide a very affordable and competitive starting point for any rider looking to try their hand at two wheeled motorsport. A close and friendly club atmosphere is always at hand to wrap a caring arm around any struggling novice rider and help with advice and even the odd spare part.
Darley Moor is truly the last of a kind, a reminder of a time when Club Racing was about the rider, where racing was about talent not budget and where fans and riders shared a passion for speed and competition. It was where greatness was born and nurtured. Darley Moor was unique and remains so.
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