HAMPSHIRE TRACK GEARS UP FOR
BRITAIN'S TOP RACE CHAMPIONSHIP
The countdown has begun: there are now less than three weeks
to run before Britain's biggest motor racing series - the
Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) - headlines
at the Thruxton circuit in Hampshire on Sunday 4 June.
Thruxton is the fastest circuit in Britain - with top speeds
nudging 150mph - and so the BTCC's annual visit to the famous
airfield venue is always one of the highlights on the calendar.
A thrilling, action-packed race meeting is guaranteed as the
BTCC's teams and drivers battle for the UK's most prestigious
motor sport prize.
After Sunday's latest rounds at Oulton Park, Cheshire, reigning
champion Matt Neal in his Team Halfords Honda will arrive
at Thruxton leading the current standings, but chasing him
hard will be the likes of SEAT's Jason Plato, Team RAC's Colin
Turkington and Vauxhall's rising star Tom Chilton. Also among
the front-runners will be two local drivers to Thruxton -
Hook-based Robert Collard, in his Team RAC MG, and Southampton's
James Kaye, in Swindon team Synchro Motorsport's Honda Civic.
Thruxton's BTCC event never fails to draw a huge race day
crowd for several reasons: it is steeped in BTCC history;
it is the South-West's only chance of the year to see the
stars of the BTCC in action; it is ideally located next to
the A303 dual carriageway and is accessible from cities in
a huge catchment area that include Andover, Basingstoke, Brighton,
Bristol, Cardiff, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Reading and Southampton.
The circuit is also popular with many fans travelling down
the M3 from the London area.
Thruxton's owner, the British Automobile Racing Club, has
already reported that pre-event ticket sales are significantly
up, even by previous years' high standards - and part of that
is down to the increased television coverage the BTCC now
receives. All ten of 2006's championship's race meetings,
including Thruxton, are shown live on ITV1, the UK's most
popular commercial terrestrial TV channel.
Race day admission for children aged 15 and under is FREE
and adults can still book tickets in advance at the discounted
price of just £20.00 via Thruxton's website www.barc.net
or the ticket hotline 01264 882200. That includes access to
the BTCC's star drivers for autographs and giveaways during
the hugely-popular morning Pit Lane Walkabout session. On
Sunday, the BTCC will be in race action three times. And there
will be a further seven races from supporting series put on
by high-profile manufacturers BMW, Porsche, Renault and SEAT.
"Thruxton is always one of the BTCC's most exciting
race meetings," says BTCC Series Director Alan Gow. "The
circuit's high speeds make it a fearsome place for the drivers
and its lay-out is a classic. The drivers really need to take
a ‘brave pill' before racing around there.
"For the spectators, the viewing areas are second to
none - there's nothing quite like being in the grandstands
watching the front-runners trying to out-brake one another
at 150mph into the chicane. Or, particularly for the many
families who attend, finding a spot on the huge grass banks
that overlook a large part of the circuit, notably the opening
sequence of corners where's there's always plenty of drama.
Thruxton is a terrifically exciting sporting venue and the
BTCC always looks forward to racing there."
|
