Great and British Motorsport Festival
Encyclopedia
A Great and British Motorsport Festival is a package of motor races organised by the BARC
and promoted by Dunlop
. The events are a new addition to the motorsport calendar and appears at the Snetterton
, Brands Hatch
, Pembrey
, Silverstone
, Thruxton
, Croft
and Donington Park
racing circuits. Despite the title of the events, a race meeting is held at the Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.
Challenge and the new Dunlop Sport Maxx initiative, for road legal cars only, providing a stepping stone into the BTCC.
drivers.
BARC
Barc or BARC may refer to:Institutions* Beltsville Agricultural Research Center* Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, an Indian nuclear research facility* Bradford Amateur Rowing Club* British Automobile Racing ClubVessels and vehicles* Barque...
and promoted by Dunlop
Dunlop Tyres
Dunlop Tyres is a British company owned 75% by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and 25% by Sumitomo Rubber Industries, which bought the right to sell Dunlop-branded road tyres....
. The events are a new addition to the motorsport calendar and appears at the Snetterton
Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit
Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Norfolk, England. Owned by MotorSport Vision, it is situated on the A11 road some 20 km north-east of the town of Thetford and 30 km south-west of the city of Norwich...
, Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
, Pembrey
Pembrey Circuit
Pembrey Circuit is a racing circuit outside Pembrey village, south Wales. It is deemed to be the home of Welsh motorsport, providing racing for cars, motorcycles, karts and trucks...
, Silverstone
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
, Thruxton
Thruxton Circuit
Thruxton Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near the village of Thruxton in Hampshire, England which is used to host a number of motorsport events including British Touring Cars and Formula 3 racing....
, Croft
Croft Circuit
Croft Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near Dalton-on-Tees in North Yorkshire, England. The tarmac circuit is just over long and is based on the lands of an airfield, but has long since moved on from being a basic airfield circuit...
and Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
racing circuits. Despite the title of the events, a race meeting is held at the Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.
Format
The race meetings are held over two days, with the Saturday being devoted to free practice sessions and qualifying, with the occasional race to close the day. Sunday is devoted to racing as well as other strategies to increase spectator attendance such as coach rides around the circuit.Championships
A number of championships will feature on every Great and British event. These are the Radical UK Championship which is for Radical SR8 and SR3 cars' which features two 50 minute races with a driver change part way through each race. The Radical Club Championship, which features two 20 minute races for Radical SR4 and Prosport machinery. The other permanent championships are the MINIMINI (BMW)
Mini is a British automotive marque owned by BMW which specialises in small cars.Mini originated as a specific vehicle, a small car originally known as the Morris Mini-Minor and the Austin Seven, launched by the British Motor Corporation in 1959, and developed into a brand encompassing a range of...
Challenge and the new Dunlop Sport Maxx initiative, for road legal cars only, providing a stepping stone into the BTCC.
Guest Races
Each event will also feature a number of championships that will only appear at selected events. These include the Westfield Sports Car Challenge, Classis Clubmans, Mini Miglia/Mini Seven Championships and races from the Classic Touring Car Club. The Belgian event also features races for the Belcar and Dutch Supercar Sports Car Championship. In 2007, a new saloon car package will join the bill which is intended to be a nurturing ground for aspiring Touring CarTouring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...
drivers.