Members of Caithness Autocross Club rounded off their successful 2021 season by presenting more than £2000 to good causes locally.

The Caithness FM Toy Appeal, the Laurandy Centre in Wick, Thurso Community Development Trust and Caithness Palliative Care Fund each received £525 from drivers' entry fees collected throughout the year.

Committee member Gordie Donn said that giving back to the community is a key aim for the club, which is in "a really healthy position" with increasing numbers of juniors coming to the fore.

The cheques were handed over at the club's 10th and final round of 2021 at Sortat Farm, Lyth.

“We're a non-profitable club and we try to give a minimum donation of £2000 per year to local charities," Gordie explained.

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“It just shows the success of the club, and we always make a point of having the juniors passing over the trophies.

“We've got Norse Stone donating £500 towards the club for building a junior car, and they'll hand that over at the first autocross next year.

“The club is going so well that people want to advertise with it.”

After nine competitive rounds starting in May – five held at Towerhill and four at Bilbster Mains – the last meeting was a fun event.

It featured a “grand prix” with a staggered start, consisting of six heats followed by semi-finals and a final. Gary Elder was the winner.

There was also a quarter-mile drag race, with winners not recorded.

“Donald Henderson and family kindly donated a field to us,” Gordie said. "It was a great big field and it was just a complete fun day.

“We had multiple cars going off in a safe manner and marshals were in place. It was a fantastic day and the juniors just loved it.”

James and Tracy Anderson, who allowed the club to use their ground at Towerhill, and Danny Miller, who did likewise at Bilbster, were invited to nominate two of the groups to receive a share of the £2100. They chose the Caithness FM Toy Appeal and the Laurandy Centre respectively.

The club committee selected the other two organisations.

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“The club hasn't always given to charity because they never really had the funds – they didn't have the numbers at it. But I think the mainstay of the club is giving back to the community,” Gordie said.

“The club is in a fantastic place. We have a dozen juniors or so and we're encouraging more all the time – we've got at least another three or four coming next year.

"The club is in a really healthy position."

Gary Elder set the fastest times in seven of the nine competitive rounds during 2021, with Gary Buchan and Jake Anderson setting fastest times in the other two.

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