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Location | Hampshire, England |
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Time zone | GMT (UTC+0) BST (April–October, UTC+1) |
Coordinates | 51°12′37″N1°36′2″W / 51.21028°N 1.60056°W |
FIA Grade | 3 |
Owner | British Automobile Racing Club (1974–present) |
Opened | 1950 |
Major events | Current: BTCC (1979–present) BSB (1996–2019, 2021–present) TCR UK (2024) Former: FIM Endurance World Championship Thruxton 500 (1960–1964, 1969–1977) British F3 (1977–2008, 2010, 2014) British GT (1994–1996, 2000–2005, 2007–2008) BOSS Formula (1996, 1998–2000) Formula 3000 (1985) Formula Two (1968–1984) Formula 5000 (1970–1971, 1974–1975) |
Main Circuit (1968–present) | |
Length | 3.793 km (2.356 miles) |
Turns | 12 |
Race lap record | 1:01.960 ( Earl Goddard, Reynard 95D, 2000, F3000) |
Main Circuit (1952–1964) | |
Length | 4.437 km (2.757 miles) |
Turns | 8 |
Race lap record | 2:00.000 ( Tony Rolt, Connaught Type A, 1953, F2) |
Original Circuit (1950–1952) | |
Length | 3.042 km (1.890 miles) |
Turns | 6 |
The Thruxton Circuit is a 2.356 mi (3.792 km) motor-racing circuit located near the village of Thruxton in Hampshire, England, United Kingdom, about 30 mi (48 km) north of Southampton.
It has hosted motorsport events including the British Touring Car Championship, British GT Championship, British Formula One Championship, British Formula Three, and GB3 Championship. It is often referred to as the "Fastest Circuit in the UK" where drivers can reach speeds of over 190 mph (300 km/h) and has earned the reputation of being a true driver's track. To illustrate this, Damon Hill drove his Williams Formula One car around the circuit at an average speed of 147 mph (237 km/h) in 1993. There is a reasonable similarity between the Thruxton layout and the original Silverstone layout used until 1990.
The site also houses the headquarters of the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC). [1]
The site was originally constructed in 1942 as RAF Thruxton, a World War II airfield which was home to both the RAF and USAAF and was used for troop-carrying aircraft and gliders, including operations during the D-Day landings. Also, the paratroopers who took part in the successful Bruneval Raid (Operation Biting), in which German radar equipment was seized on the coast of France, took off from here.
The circuit, which follows the line of the airfield's perimeter road, was established in 1968. From 1950 to 1965, motorbike races had taken place on the runways and perimeter road. [2]
Thruxton Circuit was resurfaced in 2000, resulting in lap times dropping considerably compared to the previous year.
Owing to planning restrictions, the circuit can only run 12 days of motorsport each year. Currently, three are devoted to motorbike racing, with a weekend dedicated to the British Superbike Championship, Britain's premier motorcycle racing category; with the third day being used for club racing.
The remaining days are devoted to car racing with weekends being used for the TOCA British Touring Car Championship, the British Formula 3 and British GT Championship package and the Dunlop Great and British Festival, which features rounds of the British Truck Racing Championship, the International Truck Racing Challenge as well as the staples of the festival, including the Radical endurance races. Two separate one day meetings are run for amateur championships of the BARC, one of which is titled the Thruxton Classic, which features races for Classic Touring Cars, Classic Formula Ford 1600 and Formula Ford 2000. The remaining day is allocated to other organising clubs, such as the 750 Motor Club and Historic Sports Car Club. Owing to the relative infrequency of race meetings, Thruxton continues to be a popular part of the motorsport calendar. [3]
The all-time outright unofficial track record is 0:57.6 seconds, set by Damon Hill in a Williams FW15C, during a demonstration run in 1993. [4] As of September 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Thruxton Circuit are listed as:
Thruxton has a medical centre in line with Motor Sports Association standards.
The MSA circuit licence requires a minimum of two doctors and two rescue units for a race meeting. Most meetings are operated with three rescue units plus a medical car, along with ambulances and first aiders.
During race weekends, a radio commentary service called Radio Thruxton operates in the FM band on 87.7 MHz. This has commentators at key points of the track as well as a pit reporter, who conducts interviews with the race winners.
Outside of motor racing, the circuit offers a driving school for aspiring racing drivers. It has featured as the venue for BBC Three's 2005 series Stars in Fast Cars .
As a result of its racing associations, the name "Thruxton" has been used for:
The Thruxton Hospitality Centre was opened in June 2018 by Nigel Mansell and Murray Walker. The £2million flagship building is the latest addition to the circuit, forming part of the track's modernisation project. The new building is a 1415m² facility with more than ten conference and function rooms as well as hospitality suites, a restaurant and bar, an exhibition space and catering facilities. A first floor terrace and balcony provides a view of the first-corner and across the venue.
Aside from hosting major motor racing events, Thruxton Motorsport Centre offers driving experiences. Next to the main circuit is the 1,200 yd (1,100 m) long Thruxton Karting Circuit.
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit located near Castle Donington in Derbyshire, England. The circuit business is now owned by Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision organisation, and the surrounding Donington Park Estate, still owned by the Wheatcroft family, is currently under lease by MotorSport Vision until 2038. It has a capacity of 120,000, and is also the venue of the Download Festival.
Rockingham Motor Speedway is a former racing motorsport venue in Rockingham, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom, near the town of Corby. It hosted professional and club races, as well as testing, track days, driver training, exhibitions and conferences. It claimed to be Europe's fastest racing circuit, and was the first banked oval constructed in Britain since the closure of Brooklands in 1939.
Silverstone Circuit is a motor racing circuit in England, near the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. It is the home of the British Grand Prix, which it first hosted as the 1948 British Grand Prix. The 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone was the first race in the newly created World Championship of Drivers. The race rotated between Silverstone, Aintree and Brands Hatch from 1955 to 1986, but settled permanently at the Silverstone track in 1987. The circuit also hosts the British round of the MotoGP series.
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