Trackside – Ten must-see British races
16 April 2007 With decades of success in every racing discipline imaginable, it’s no surprise that we have the pick of all the best racing action too! Keith Collantine picks the ten best race weekends you can see this year.
Germany may have won the championship but Britain is the form team heading into the last race of the year. Can they become the first nation to win their home race? The picturesque Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit is a great venue for the season finale. There’s also a great line-up of support races including a Thoroughbred Grand Prix for older F1 cars plus Formula Palmer Audi and Formula Ford racing for up-and-coming drivers. FIA GT Championship, Silverstone, Northamptonshire, May 6th Some of the hottest cars in the world race in the FIA GT championship: There’s Maserati MC12s, Lamborghini Murciélagos, Aston Martin DBR9, Ferrari 430s and Porsche 997s. Racing hero Nigel Mansell will be making a one-off appearance at the British round. Don’t miss it. German Touring Car Championship, Brands Hatch, June 10th The most exciting touring cars in the world come to Britain. The flame-belching V8 monsters from Mercedes and Audi are always spectacular, and British drivers Gary Paffett (’05 champion), Jamie Green, Adam Carroll, Paul di Resta and Susie Stoddart will be racing. The race is held on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit, where spectators can see almost of all the circuit form most vantage points. Formula One World Championship, Silverstone, July 6-8th With sensational rookie Lewis Hamilton challenging for race wins, and British talent Jenson Button, David Coulthard and Anthony Davidson gunning for glory, the British Grand Prix is packed with home talent. It’s already shaping up to be a great season with three drivers tied for the lead of the championship. The ultra-fast Silverstone circuit is a great a venue as any to watch the world’s finest racing cars – especially at the 150mph Becketts bends.
Leave it to round one winner Maro Engel to explain how good the British F3 championship is this year. He told us: “The British championship has overtaken the European series. It’s a stronger championship this year with a lot of experienced drivers and quick drivers.” Nigel Mansell’s sons Greg and Leo are racing in the junior series this year. Each British round has two races and there’s GT action too The super-fast Thruxton circuit is a great venue to see this event. British Touring Car Championship, Knockhill, Scotland, September 2nd The BTCC is enjoying a stellar year with a wide variety of talents and machinery competing. Each event features three rounds of door-banging mayhem, so you get your money’s worth. The tight, twisty confines of Knockhill in Scotland always produces exciting racing. But if you can’t wait that long, they’re at Rockingham in Northamptonshire this weekend. 750 Motor Club, Snetterton, Norfolk, September 29-30th International racing is great - but there’s nothing like good old fashioned British club racing. The 750 Motor Club has a packed schedule for the Snetterton round in September. There’s close Formula Vee single seater racing, tin-top action in the Stock Hatch, MR2 and SaxMax championships, and more. It adds up to one of the best value racing weekends in the calendar.
It’s Britain’s answer to Le Mans! Now in its third year the 24 hour sports car race at Silverstone is rapidly becoming an annual favourite. One of the largest and most diverse entry rosters in British competition makes for a fascinating race. Last year’s winners piloted a BMW Z4 and there were also Porsche GT3s, Mazda RX-8s, Honda Civics and loads more in the mix. Racing through the night is a spectacular sight to behold, and this is the best place to see it in Britain. Rally of Great Britain, Wales, Novermber 30th – December 2nd The last round of this year’s World Rally Championship is also one of the best, as the top off-road drivers tackle the forests of Wales. So grab a thick coat and a thermos and go and get coated in mud by a Subaru Impreza. What could be better? Race of Champions, Wembley Stadium, December 16th Yes, you read that right. Not content with having taken years to get the football pitch built, in December the organisers will tarmac it to create the perfect venue for the Race of Champions. International racing stars from F1, rallying, touring cars, American racing and more will compete for the Champions trophy in GT cars and rally cars. What races are you going to this year? Are you competing in a race this year? Let us know. Racing round-up Formula One, Bahrain Felipe Massa became the third different F1 driver to win in three races, holding off Lewis Hamilton by a few seconds. Hamilton became the first ever driver to score three consecutive podiums in his first three races, and is in a three-way tie for the championship lead with team mate Fernando Alonso and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. GP2, Bahrain Luca Filippi and Nicolas Lapierre won the first two rounds of the series for drivers set to make the jump to F1. Briton Mike Conway raced hard from 24th to fifth in the second race. Champ Car, Long Beach Defending champion Sebastien Bourdais hit back from his problems in last week’s race by winning in dominant fashion on the streets of Long Beach. Oriol Servia stepped in to take the place of the injured Paul Tracy and thrilled the Forsythe team by taking second. Championship leader Will Power passed Alex Tagliani for third on the final lap, as did Briton Justin Wilson who finished fourth. External links Brands Hatch Auto Trader is not responsible for the content of external links. Auto Trader links Trackside – Jaguar XKR unleashed |
British F3 & British GTs, Thruxton, Hampshire, August 26th
Britcar 24 Hours, Silverstone, September 8-10thPage 1
