Pembrey Circuit, Carmarthenshire yesterday unveiled the major redevelopment undertaken at the venue over the winter along with the programme over events taking place there during the 2017 season.
On hand to try out and give his views on the new circuit layouts was Formula One racer turned TV pundit Karun Chandhok along with a number of other racers.
Also present one the day was Double R racing team chief Anthony Hieatt. Double R regularly bring some of the motor racing world’s rising stars to Pembrey for testing and driver development and Anthony has welcomed the revisions being made.
Warren Hughes is an accomplished driver in various global championships and coaches up and coming drivers. He was full of praise for Pembrey and the new layout and said, “It has made the circuit more interesting for drivers and spectators alike and it’s one of the best for a driver to learn because it throws in so many technical challenges which they will find at other international circuits.”
These revisions, the first major change to the circuit since its launch in 1989, will provide additional challenges for drivers as they race and test there and mean that event organisers will be able to offer racers two different circuit layouts over a single weekend. Alongside the changes to the race circuit, revisions have also been made to the layout of the venue’s rallycross course.
Circuit director Phil Davies has made the alterations with a six-strong team and only called in a specialist firm to lay the top surface, saying, “It has cost us about £300,000, but it would have been higher if we had not done so much ourselves.
“Over the last 27 years we have hardly called on any funds from local or Welsh Government but the circuit brings in hundreds of thousands pounds a year for the local economy.” By Robin Roberts
