Colvin Denholm hangs up leathers on his motor racing career

Colvin Denholm has been a regular fixture zooming round the track at East Fortune both as a driver and a passenger in a sidecar.

However, he is stepping away from the high-speed, adrenaline-pumping sport, with more relaxed family holidays on the cards.

The 61-year-old had already planned to call it a day before last month’s event but was taken by surprise when friends, family and his rivals on the track honoured his commitment to the sport.

He said: “It has been a huge part of my life.

“My daughter Naomi and my partner Ruth had got me a hoodie made up with pictures and ‘Congratulations 42 years’ racing, 1982-2024’.

“Being a sidecar festival, there were a lot of guys there that I used to race with in the 1980s and they were signing it.

Colvin Denholm, pictured alongside son Ross, has called it a day from sidecar racing

“It was really good and brought a tear to my eye.

“I have retired various times and came back but this time it is for real.

“This time just feels right.

“I got a double win at the weekend and everybody was saying ‘why are you retiring now?’ but I have gone out on a high.”

Colvin, who works as nightshift maintenance at Windymains Sawmill, near Humbie, had marshalled at the popular circuit but “never, ever” thought he would take to the track.

Once the opportunity came up, the interest quickly turned into a passion.

He said: “It was the usual with sport. There was a buzz from the speed and the adrenaline rush.

“Once you get results, you think, ‘I’m not too bad at this’ and you keep going.

“I have raced at most of the circuits all over Britain and did the Isle of Man TT in 1989 and 1990 quite successfully.

“I finished 14th at the Isle of Man in 1989 and 16th the following year, with a driver from Aberdeen called Bob Munro.”

A serious injury at Knockhill in Fife, when Colvin was competing in solo racing, saw him hang up his leathers in 2019 after suffering a concussion, as well as two broken fingers and four broken ribs.

However, he made a comeback when he was presented with the chance to get back

on a sidecar two years ago.

Since then, he has raced alongside his son Ross and daughter Naomi.

He revealed he had been contemplating calling it a day and said: “I thought we would have a family holiday.

“We have not had one in 15 years other than weekends away racing.

“We went to Gran Canaria in March and I feel we have been missing out.

“It is time; it just feels right.”