Tickets gifted in exchange for review
My son and husband absolutely love going to see the British Touring Cars in action, and travel around the country to follow their favourite drivers competing in the BTCC. So when Thruxton Circuit invited us to experience a Sunday race day, it was too good an opportunity to miss, and a chance for me and Freddie to see what all the excitement was about!
It just so happened that the weekend of rounds 7, 8 and 9 of the BTCC taking place at Thruxton was at the same time as a short break away we had planned in Dorset, and as our accommodation was just a 45-minute drive from the track, it was perfectly timed and located for our visit. As is customary for a day at the racing, we were all up early on the Sunday morning ready to make our way to the circuit, and at 7am, we were winging our way through the Dorset and Hampshire countryside towards the Andover circuit.
Let’s explore Thruxton
The boys had been before to Thruxton back in 2019, but it was still exciting as we approached the circuit to see the hive of activity and the crowds starting to arrive. After parking the car, we got our things together, we were free to roam the track prior to the start of the meet. This began with a chance to stroll across the track itself which the boys were really impressed with, followed by the chance to walk down the pit lane. We struck really lucky at this point as it just so happened that Olly and Greg’s favourite team, Team Dynamics, were doing some work on the cars in the pit lane, so we got the chance to get close to the Honda’s of Gordon Shedden, and their favourite driver Daniel Rowbottom. The photo opportunity was perfect!
See touring cars and garages up close
We headed for the infield and the paddock area, where all of the teams were based. At Thruxton, access to the paddock is limited to particular ticket holders only, so were very fortunate to be able to get in and around the race teams. One of the things that really stood out to me was how close you can get to the cars, garages and drivers, and everyone was really friendly and happy for spectators to watch the working teams in action. We took the chance to wander around the paddock and have a look at the garages of the BTCC teams, as well as the cars competing in the support events too.
We were a little early for the first race, so we headed next to the trade stand of artist PopBangColour who hand designed the front of the programme cover for the weekend’s event. The boys were pleased with their programmes, and even more so when the artist himself, Ian Cook, signed the covers for them! Ian’s trademark style is single continuous line drawings, and the programme cover is itself an incredible work of art. We also bumped into BTCC driver Rick Parfitt Jr (driver for Team HARD and son of the Status Quo guitarist) who was happy to pose for his trademark rock and race picture!
Enjoy the Pit Lane Walkabout
After a quick spot of breakfast, it was almost time for one of the highlights of any BTCC Sunday – the pit lane walkabout and autograph session. This is where the pit lane is opened up to spectators, and all of the touring car drivers happily pose for photographs and sign posters and programmes. It was good-natured, and for 30 minutes, you get the chance to stroll around the pit lane, selecting the drivers you wish to meet and joining their queue of fans.
We managed to see several drivers, including Shedden and Rowbottom from Team Dynamics; Adam Morgan and George Gamble of Ciceley Motorsport and finally Dan Cammish, and current reigning champion Ash Sutton of Motorbase. There were huge queues to meet some of the drivers like Jason Plato and Colin Turkington and it was amazing how fast the half-hour went by! With the boys clutching signed posters, the pit lane was cleared, and we headed for the outer part of the track.
Skid Pan Drifting Experience
With racing due to get underway at 10:50am, we decided to head for the Thruxton Skid Pan. We had been invited to have a go on this, so without knowing a lot about what to expect, we headed for the small area of track just behind the main entrance to Thruxton.
We met Colin, who offered to give us a drifting experience on the skid pan, and Greg didn’t need any encouragement – Colin switched the water on and drenched the pan, and then put the pedal down, putting the sporty Mini into a handbrake spin, and then giving an expert demonstration of how to make a car drift. He finished with a couple of skid turns, and then Olly was soon jumping in the passenger seat for a turn! We all agreed that it was very cool, and the boys certainly enjoyed the chance to see up close how car stunts are pulled off!
Watching the cars on the track is so different to the TV
It was soon time for the first BTCC race of the day, and we headed for a prime viewing spot on the bank adjacent to the start/finish straight. It was a great first race, with the pole sitting driver Josh Cook of BTC Racing leading from start to finish, with Jake Hill in the WSR Motorsports BMW battling well to hold second place, and Ash Sutton taking third place. We had a great view of the cars coming out of the last corner and flying down the straight. I was so surprised at how fast the cars travel in reality; when I have watched on TV it looks quick but sitting so close it felt even faster!
After the race concluded, there was still plenty to see both on and off track. On track, the support races continued, and there were other championships contesting their races, including the Mini Challenge, the Porsche Sprint, the British Formula 4 championship, the Ginetta Juniors and the Ginetta GT5’s. Off the track, we were able to wander around the trade stalls, where the boys both bought themselves some new racewear for the day, and we were also able to return to the paddock area, where we spent some time driver and car spotting, as well as enviously eyeing up the driver RV’s!
Lunch in the Thruxton Centre
The circuit had invited us for lunch at the Thruxton Centre. The centre is relatively new to the circuit, having opened in 2018 and has a large café and restaurant area on the ground floor, and corporate hospitality and office space on the upper floors. We were able to have a meal in the restaurant, and the food was fantastically portioned.
Greg enjoyed a Sunday roast with all of the trimmings, whilst the boys enjoyed sausage and chips and pasta. The food was really tasty and generous portion sizes meant that we were all well set for the rest of our day.
Back to the action
The second BTCC race of the day soon began, and it was another exciting race, with an identical podium to the first race, despite some changes of position. We were right by the chicane at the end of the lap when Cook and Hill were battling it out for first place, and a huge cheer went up when Cook retook the lead from Hill with a fantastic manoeuvre!
After the second race, we headed back into the paddock for some more driver spotting, and we managed to bag a few more signatures in the boys’ programmes. By now Freddie’s legs were getting tired, so we decided to head for the outside of the Thruxton Centre for the final BTCC race of the day. We had a great spot just at the end of the pit straight, and once we got ourselves settled in position, we had a look to see who was starting the third race on pole. In the touring cars, there is something called the reverse grid, where drivers who finish the second race in places 6 to 12 go into the hat, and whoever is drawn out goes onto pole, with the rest of the drivers lining up in the reverse positions from the previous race. The popular Jason Plato was drawn out on pole, but this also meant that our favourite driver Dan Rowbottom was drawn to start third, giving him a great chance of a podium finish (he had finished in 5th place in the two earlier races).
The third race was exciting again, with Plato, unfortunately, having a bad start, quickly being caught by Adam Morgan (who started in 2nd), and whilst Rowbottom (or Rowbo as he is known) made a great attempt to stay in the top three, he was caught and passed by Turkington and Sutton, however he battled on to take 4th spot and collect some very valuable championship points.
Enjoying the podium celebrations
We headed to the winners podium to watch the final trophy presentation, and as Morgan, Turkington and Sutton received their awards, the boys got covered in champagne as the bubbles flowed and the celebrations began! It marked the end of a fantastic day, and the fun didn’t end there – as we headed wearily for the car, our parking spot meant that we had one final treat in store, as Greg got to drive around the final couple of corners of the circuit as we headed out of the track to make our way home – he of course had to give the obligatory wave to the grandstand as we made our way around and out!
Cannot wait to visit again
Our day out at Thruxton was fantastic, and the BTCC in general is a great family day out. With reasonably priced adult tickets and under 12’s going in free, they really do try to encourage the younger generation of fans to return. The accessibility of the cars and teams, and the friendliness of the drivers means that you really can feel part of the action. Coupled with the facilities that Thruxton offers to visitors, such as the Thruxton Centre restaurant, the Skid Pan and ticketed access to the paddock, there really is so much to do to keep you and your family entertained all day. It was my first time at the racing, and I will definitely be coming back with my boys to another day out at the BTCC!
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