OULTON PARK BTCC
When: May 21 Where: Oulton Park, Cheshire Web: oultonpark.co.uk At the start of spring, there is no better place to be in the motor racing world than watching the British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park.
Strong promotion by the circuit’s owner Motorsport Vision always brings a bumper crowd and the weather is usually great.
Oulton Park has excellent camping facilities too, and it attracts a huge number of people who like to enjoy their weekend under canvas. That adds to the festival feeling and it also means that the circuit stays busy well after the racing engines stop.
The circuit itself also offers some excellent viewing opportunities, with some stunning views over the valley from Cascades to Knickerbrook. The hardy spectators can traipse out to the Island Hairpin, which is a real flashpoint for overtaking for the British Touring Car Championship battlers, or visit the back of the track and watch the drivers as they take on the challenge of the high-speed Druids corner.
As well as the main attraction, the support races pack out the day’s action and the parkland venue never fails to offer up superb battles throughout the day.
When: July 28-30 Where: Silverstone, Northants Web: silverstoneclassic.com The biggest historic event of them all is the Silverstone Classic. No other classic racing festival can match the sheer scale of the three-day epic on the Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit.
If you just want to see some of the finest historic racing categories in the world in action, then Saturday will surely satisfy even the most determined fan with 12 hours of racing. From 9am to 9pm, the Grand Prix Circuit plays host to grids of 50 cars and more, wrapping up with a race, traditionally for Group C cars, into the dusk of the evening.
Friday is all about qualifying, while Sunday offers another nine hours of racing with a strong saloon and touring car flavour. Weekend headliners are Historic F1, FIA Masters Historic Sports, Pre ’66 GT Cars and Super Tourers, while the 2017 bill includes Historic Formula Ford 1600 as the category celebrates 50 years of racing.
However, the racing is only part of the story of this simply vast event. Dozens and dozens of classic car clubs show thousands of cars, there are air displays, trade malls and hot air balloons and, importantly, some big name live music performances on Friday and Saturday evening.