There are an estimated 5,000 motorsport events held in the UK annually, from club events and open days through displays and motor shows to the F1 British Grand Prix.
In this article we focus on five of the major dates in the motoring calendar, including important details for making the most of each event.
Goodwood Festival of Speed
Rapidly gaining in popularity with both British fans and international visitors, the Goodwood Festival of Speed has been a fixture in the British motoring calendar every summer since 1993. The multi-day event combines open displays and special attractions with a series of track-based races catering for lovers of all forms of motorsport, from MotoGP to NASCAR. Much of the popular attention focuses on the 1.2 mile Hillclimb, which attracts vehicles of every shape and size to test themselves against the twisty course. From racing bikes to kit cars, the climb is a focal point of the event and even attracts competitors from the F1 and MotoGP worlds. We recommend purchasing a grandstand ticket to get the best views!
The Festival is themed each year, with legendary Italian biker Valentino Rossi part of 2015’s “Flat Out and Fearless” showcase. The theme was taken up by displays of the latest Formula 1 race cars from the likes of Ferrari, while each year also features a crazy sculpture specially designed for the event. The Festival is also a great chance to rub shoulders with the great and good of world motorsport, with many of the sport’s most legendary names popping in for sessions or just to look around.
We highly recommend spending a couple of days at the festival to make the most of your time there; catering, parking and local accommodation are all excellent, but book early to make sure of a good spot – some attendees of course camp on site, and can take advantage of the nearby health club and spa as part of their trip. Sited close to Chichester, the Festival is located on a sprawling estate that affords both space and the feeling of being part of a massive shared celebration of motorsport.
Formula One British Grand Prix
Britain’s current focal point for major motorsports events is of course Silverstone. A number of prestigious events are held there annually across a range of sports, but the flagship occasion remains the F1 British Grand Prix. Each July the circuit hosts three days of testing, qualifying and race day, all attracting feverish crowds eager to glimpse the world’s most iconic drivers and stars close-up.
Following its major revamp several years ago, Silverstone is one of the fastest circuits within the sport, making for a thrilling spectacle; yet the F1 weekend is not just about the drama of the race – the three days of racing also include music concerts, with popular headline acts, five stages, and a full entertainment programme throughout the weekend included in the cost of admission.
Petrolheads and racing nuts can even camp on site, at the Woodlands just a few hundred metres from the track. The facilities are kept clean and are well-equipped; excellent retail outlets, food vendors and even sit-down restaurants are on site, meaning that once you arrive there’s no need to leave! In between the racing action, there’s big screen entertainment available.
However it’s the main racing action that’s the big attraction of the weekend; with vocal, partisan crowds cheering on British stars such as Lewis Hamilton, the atmosphere is electric; Hamilton and fellow Brits Coulthard, Herbert, Hill and Mansell have all claimed victory on home turf over the past quarter century. Thanks to the unpredictable weather, incredibly fast circuit and national fervour all thrown into the mix, thrills and spills galore are pretty much guaranteed.
Getting to Silverstone is very simple, with the course well served by road and rail. The nearest train stations can be found at Northampton, Milton Keynes and Banbury, while the A43 quickly links road users from the M1 and M40. Public transport options also include Megabus, while those travelling in groups could take advantage of both campsite and easy road access by hiring a minivan for the weekend; suppliers such as Nationwide provide lots of good options.
British MotoGP
Throughout its 60 year history, Silverstone has also been home to some of the world’s most prestigious motorbiking events. The recent facility revamp means that it has become one of the most exciting and certainly fastest tracks for the MotoGP world championships; the British leg has been held at Silverstone during two periods since its inception in 1977. However, in 2018 the circuit will be superseded as the home of the British event by the newly-built “Circuit of Wales” venue. Some £375 million has been invested in the creation of a purpose-built facility some 25 miles north of Cardiff, though the track is not yet complete.
Ahead of the sport’s shift to its new Welsh home, the Circuit of Wales owners have stepped in to promote interim MotoGP events at Silverstone, and are aiming to blend the fantastic weekend of bike action with entertainment aimed at all the family; this will include live music (as with the F1 GP), full use of the campsite and associated facilities, and much more. The organisers are promising a Welsh style welcome for bike and motorsport lovers of all ages.
2016 sees the 40th anniversary of Barry Sheene’s inaugural world championship triumph; home fans will be hoping that the likes of Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith can step up and win the event to echo Sheene’s triumph and also launch their own careers into the stratosphere. With sporting icon Valentino Rossi, a six time winner of the British event, aiming to add to his dominance with yet another victory, fans are set for a great weekend of action. The track will feature a number of races, including the Moto2 and Moto3 events, as well as the premier attraction which rounds off festivities.
Cholmondeley Pageant of Power
It’s quirky, it’s madcap and it’s absolutely filled to the brim with stuff any self-respecting motorsport and car enthusiast should see; set in the stunning grounds of Cheshire’s Cholmondeley Castle, the annual pageant of power has been running in its current form since 2008, and has grown into one of the UK’s favourite family motoring events.
Most of the action is centred around the 1.2 mile track, where over 100 cars and bikes, both contemporary and historic, will compete in a series of exciting events. The event regularly attracts vehicles dating from the 1940s right through to the latest supercars. There are event classes for rally cars, scramble bikes, classic cars and much more! However, it’s not just land-based motorsport that pulls in the crowds; jet skis and powerboats take to the water, while there are aerial displays, flyovers and races above the enthusiastic crowds. Visitors thrill to three days of action and also have the chance to get up close and personal with many exhibits and cars, from militaria to production vehicles. The Cholmondeley Pageant is an excellent family attraction, with lots of stuff for the kids and grown-ups to enjoy including aerial adventure courses and ‘dream rides’ in classic cars.
For those staying longer than a day, the estate campsite offers pitches for tents, motorhomes and caravans, while there are plenty of great guesthouses and hotels close by. Facilities on site are good, and there are great value hospitality packages for both individuals and groups.
British Touring Car Championships
Approaching its 60th year of competition, The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) traditionally features ten rounds of competition from late Spring to early Autumn, held at a range of venues across the UK. World-renowned circuits such as Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Oulton Park host multiple-event weekends which are packed with action and thrills from start to finish. High-intensity action, strong British interest and the unpredictable climate all add to the occasion.
Unlike many motorsport events, there’s an open paddock policy at many BTCC events, allowing fans to get much closer to drivers and cars than is usually possible. Moreover, the price of admission usually includes numerous extra incentives, such as a complimentary pit walk, free entry for all under 15s, free on-site car parking and roving grandstand access. Other attractions on offer across the championships include aerial displays, funfairs and children’s entertainment, big screens and much more.
The BTCC also traditionally offers short circuit layouts to provide the maximum possible entertainment, together with much shorter numbers of laps than grand prix events – 16 to 25 laps per race are typical. Each event also includes three separate races to maximise the excitement and competition; with excellent grandstands and viewing areas in place at all tracks, the fans have a chance to witness world class motorsport action at a fraction of the cost of other annual events.
