Brands Hatch is revving up for its first major event of the year next weekend (25/26 March), when the British Truck Racing Championship (BTRC) headlines a feast of family entertainment on and off the track.
Featuring five-tonne trucks racing at speeds of up to 100mph, and with drivers not afraid of a little contact, the BTRC is one of the most exciting forms of motorsport. A thrill-packed eight-round schedule, with five races scheduled for main raceday Sunday, guarantees an adrenaline-filled weekend for all of the family.
The BTRC grid will expand this season, with reigning champion Ryan Smith set to battle four-time champion Mat Summerfield and ten-time champion Stuart Oliver for supremacy in the top Division One class. There will be an equally intense fight in Division Two, where West Kingsdown’s Steven Powell is aiming to regain the title he last won in 2015. He’ll be fighting established aces plus a continental contingent that includes drivers from as far afield as the Netherlands and Finland.
Powell, who is also involved behind the scenes of the championship, said: “We’re expecting at least 25 trucks to take part over the weekend, so it should be a great event, and being my home round it’s good to have friends and family here. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into the Division Two fight; I won it in 2011 and 2015, so a third title would be fantastic, especially if I can do it by the time we come back here in November.”
In addition to eight BTRC races there’s a packed support bill that includes the ever-popular Pickup Trucks and Legends Cars, the pocket-sized hot-rods that consistently provide breathtakingly-close action. There’s touring car entertainment from the Kumho BMW Championship, the Scrapco/Avon Intermarque Championship and BARC SE Tin Tops and BARC SE Saloons, where West Kingsdown ace Rod Birley is aiming for his 600th race victory.
Birley, who’ll race a Honda Integra on the opening day and an ex-World Rally Championship Ford Escort on the next, said: “It all started in 1973, just before my 18th birthday. My first race was in a Hillman Imp and the engine was bought by George Bevan, who’s sadly no longer with us, but his son Peter and grandson Jonathan have built the Honda Integra, so it may well be that I get the 600th win with that family association. If not it may be with the Escort which I started racing in 1999 and has had over 300 wins, the vast majority of which have been at Brands Hatch.”
Off-track entertainment for all of the family
The entertainment isn’t just on the track, with the spectator areas packed with fun for all of the family. These include Monster Truck thrill-rides and Mini Monster Truck rides for children. Team Maximum Lock will be providing breathtaking stunt drifting demonstrations, whilst there are driving experiences, including Brands Hatch’s renowned YoungDrive experience for 11-17 year-olds, and go-karting sessions for anyone aged over eight.
Younger race-goers will love our big top circus tent with a variety of activities including circus skills, a bubble station, arts and crafts, and face painting. There’s a free adventure playground, plus a fairground with an assortment of exciting rides, a trade village and even a special Metropolitan Police truck!
The venue will also be filled with a huge display of up to 80 show trucks, many of which are festooned with lights and custom paintwork, which will close the event in style with a parade lap of the track on Sunday evening.
Tickets for Truck Racing at Brands Hatch are available in advance from £19, or £12 to 13-15 year-olds, with free entry for under-13s. For more information call 0843 453 9000 or visit www.brandshatch.co.uk