The Motor Racing Spectator

Having just about recovered from a sleepless weekend in a tent at Brands Hatch, it was back to Mallory Park for the second of only 5 car meetings at the circuit in 2013. This was another Motors TV raceday with the broadcaster showing all 12 races live in the afternoon. BARC were the organisers in charge and an eclectic mixture of series filled the card. Legends (scaled down replicas of 50's American cars fitted with Yamaha motorcycle engines) had 3 races with double-headers for Classic Formula Ford 1600, MG Metros and Sports/Saloons. There were single races for the Midget & Sprite Challenge, Jaguar Saloon & GT championship and somewhat bizarrely a 30 minute, 2 driver Citroen 2CV race!  Definite highlights of the days racing were Legends and Classic Formula Ford. Mallory Park is the spiritual home for Legends and they certainly entertained in all 3 races. For many years they supported the late lamented Eurocar package on the Mallory mile oval but the addition of the tig...

Many thanks to Steve Bounds for these great photos from the DTM meeting at Brands Hatch. Winner:Mike Rockenfeller - AUDI 2nd:Bruno Spengler - BMW 3rd (on the road...)Gary Paffett - MERCEDES Adrien Tambay - AUDI Marco Wittmann - BMW Joey Hand - BMW

"And now for something completely different". My last visit to Brands Hatch had been in 2008 and the last time I'd seen the DTM was in 2007 so a long overdue visit to the Garden of England (Kent by the way...) was in order. The DTM or German Touring Cars is a window for the mighty German car manufacturers to showcase their wares across Germany and, on occasion, other European countries. The DTM have been coming to Brands Hatch every year since 2006 and                                                      provide a grid of 22 cars between them. The cars are both aurally and visually spectacular with 4-litre V8 engines and were well worth the trip. I was a little disappointed to realise after I had booked my tickets that due to cost cutting measures the DTM don't practice on Fridays this season so it was Saturday morning when the...

After the sadness of the previous evening at Donington it was off to the glamorous town of Corby and my first visit of the season to Rockingham. Just like Marmite, you either love it or hate it but there is no denying that "Europe's Fastest Circuit" is a bit different to what you're used to as a spectator. I took the train to Corby on a gloriously sunny Bank Holiday morning, arriving at 9.10 and walked to the track. The northern ring road of Corby isn't the most salubrious of places and there surely can't be a stranger location of a circuit anywhere in the UK! The gigantic main grandstand loomed into view and 40 minutes after leaving the station I arrived (sweating profusely..) at the ticket booth. The second round of the British GT championship was the headline event with a 2 hour race but the day only featured 4 other races, 2 each for the Volkswagen Cup and Ginetta GT5 Challenge. This package last year also featured Formula 3 and Formula Ford which have...

Historic motor sport is in the midst of a boom at present, so the 3rd "Donington Historic Festival" was extended to three days this year with 18 races scheduled across the weekend. Sadly however, the final 2 races on Sunday were cancelled following the fatal accident on the exit of Coppice corner involving Mini Cooper driver Christian Devereux, 5 minutes before the end of the 60 minute Masters Pre'66 Touring Car race. Motor Sport is dangerous, we all know this, but it is always a shock when such an accident occurs. What I will say about the crash is that I feel that safety in historic and vintage racing should be improved. For years I've been bemused by the fact that I have to stand behind enormous catch-fencing and gravel traps, while drivers of historic and vintage cars can drive around without seat belts ( in open top vintage cars) , wear open faced helmets and race cars that don't contain the latest crash safety features. But nobody forces drivers to race ol...