“I like to drive quickly – a lot of people do – but I’m not a boy racer.”

Those are the words of Graham Waite, a committee member at the Forest of Dean Motor Club and someone who has been competing in cars for many, many years.

Cheltenham born and bred Waite moved back to Gloucestershire – and more specifically the Forest – some 10 years ago and is one of a hardcore group of members who are doing all they can to raise the profile of the Forest of Dean Motor Club, a club that have been around for 50 years.

He’s not alone, of course. Chairman Bob Morgan, his co-driver Adrian Williams, with whom he regularly competes, are two more along with the likes of Martyn Walby, Graham Goode, Neil Fuller and Phil Jones and club stalwarts Paul Willetts and Neil Henderson.

“We’re trying to enthuse people to come along,” said Waite, of the club whose HQ is at Winner Garage in Cinderford.

And anyone who does join up will certainly have to be willing to roll up their sleeves because the club organise the Wyedean Rally every November and co-promote the Dixies Challenge with Forresters Car Club in Newport.

They are pretty big events and the Wyedean, in particular, has a great history as it has been going for over 40 years and is one of the big events on the Gloucestershire motorsport calendar.

Cars can reach terrific speeds but, and this is the important bit, the drivers are reaching those speeds in an organised setting.

As Waite says: “I like going fast but I like doing it on gravel roads where you can slide the car.”

And he’s certainly a big fan of rallying.

“You’re competing against people but it’s not a race,” he said. “In a race you can be barged over and you can be out of it through no fault of your own.

“If you crash in rallying it’s your fault.”

Waite knows what he’s talking about, of course, and back in the 1980s and early 90s competed five times in the Lombard RAC Rally which was the name given to the flagship event for the sport in this country back then.

“I did the first one in a Skoda in 1987,” said Waite, who lives in Oldcroft, near Lydney, with his wife Sally. “Then I drove a Toyota Corolla. It was tough, four or five days and nights.”

And while it may have been tough, Waite certainly had his moments.

“In my second year we were leading the 1600 class but then I rolled the car on the third day at Penmachno in Wales and crashed out,” he said.

There are disappointments in every sport, of course, but there are many special moments as well and Waite has certainly packed in plenty of experience over the years.

“I’ve competed all over,” he said. “I used to compete in the Historic Rallies in a pre-1967 Volvo Amazon 122.”

That was until two years ago when he retired it because of a change of rules by the MSA which meant he was starting events at the back rather than at the front.

Not that that was the end of the road for his Amazon.

“I decided I’d take part in the Scenic Tours which meant that instead of doing 100mph I’d just be going for a nice drive,” he said.

Except that his second Scenic Tour drive was anything but.

“It was in Kent and the car just caught fire,” said Waite. “I had my wife Sally in the front and our dog, Larry the Lurcher, strapped up in the back. We were okay but we just concerned about getting the dog out.”

That was in June 2016 but if you thought that would be it for Waite and cars, you’d be very much mistaken.

These days he’s driving a BMW 2002 – an early 70s car – on the Scenic Tour as well as doing stage rallies in a Toyota Corolla.

He’s come full circle because he used to drive a Corolla back in the day although this one he borrows from a friend, Mike Reynolds, who owns a cottage in the Forest.

He’s had plenty of success over the years and still has many good days.

“Beating the Porsche 911s with a Volvo Amazon was quite rewarding,” he said with some under-statement. “When you’re competing in your class and do well you get a buzz. It’s an adrenaline thing.”

And that’s the message he wants to get across to anyone interested in cars. By all means drive fast but do it in the right way. Join the Forest of Dean Motor Club – and do it properly.