The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and the TOCA support package have pitched up at Thruxton prior to a bumper weekend of motorsport action around the Hampshire speedbowl.
The famous WWII airfield was a hive of activity on Friday as the on-track action got underway with the Renault Clio Cup, British F4, Ginetta GT4 Supercup, Ginetta Juniors and Porsche Carrera Cup all holding practice sessions around the 2.4-mile circuit.
Meanwhile, the BTCC paddock has been gearing up for a second bite of the Thruxton cherry with Britain’s fastest racetrack having already hosted Rounds 7, 8 and 9 on a hugely successful weekend back in May.
Reigning champion Colin Turkington leads the standings as the UK’s premier racing series rolls into town for Rounds 19, 20 and 21, with practice and qualifying set to take place on Saturday.
The Northern Irishman is 36 points clear of team-mate Andrew Jordan, with the duo having accounted for ten victories out of a possible 18 this campaign in their new BMW 330i M Sports.
Jordan stood on the top step twice during the series’ previous visit to Thruxton, but Josh Cook also bagged a win and the BTC Racing ace from Bath should be quick again at a track that often favours Honda machinery.
The Halfords Yuasa Racing pair of Matt Neal and Dan Cammish will also hope to be among the front-runners come race-day, while the top six in the championship are covered by just 70 points as we head towards the business end of the season.
Meanwhile, Rob Smith and his EXCELR8 Motorsport Team caught the eye ahead of this weekend by popping to a local Kwik Fit centre in Andover to give the Draper Tools MG6GT a final once-over – and the video is well worth a watch on our Thruxton Circuit Facebook page.
Temperamental weather made track conditions difficult on Friday but a positive forecast for the weekend is set to encourage another huge crowd, with fans able to enjoy spectacular views from the circuit’s iconic banking and unparalleled hospitality in the state-of-the-art Thruxton Centre.
Off-track, there will be something for everyone with a variety of activities around the venue including skid pan rides for all ages, an extensive display of driving experience supercars and racing cars and a fantastic trade village to explore.
Tickets are available on the gate, starting at £17 for Saturday (qualifying) and £34 for Sunday. Teen tickets (13-15) are £5 for Saturday and £10 for Sunday, while Under-12s go free.
For further information, visit thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc or call 01264 882222.
For more information on Thruxton’s race meetings and driving experiences, visit www.thruxtonracing.co.uk
For season or individual race meeting accreditation, please e-mail: press@barc.net
