BTCC, Rockingham, 20th September 2009

Last Sunday I took my son and his best friend from school to see the penultimate round of the British Touring Cars Championship at Rockingham. This was our first visit to the circuit and I found it a novel experience. Laid out in a gently banked oval, the track was built to cater for the type of racing associated with the famous Indianapolis 500, often called 'Indy Car' racing. The infield contains the corners and chicanes, which means that the spectator can only view the racing from the grandstands that form a crescent around the outside edge of one side of the oval. It is possible to access a viewing area above the pits and this does offer an exciting perspective; however, this is standing room only and is limited in terms of numbers. There is no chance then, to move around the circuit positioning oneself at interesting sections of the circuit throughout the day. Despite this we did manage to find a position in the stands by the afternoon that gave a good overview of the racing but still allowed for some sense of the formidable speed of the cars as they exited the straight and entered a long left-hander, called simply 'Turn 1', before negotiating the hairpin at Deane into the infield. What makes BTCC so exciting for fans of the series is that the pit lane is opened between races, allowing access to the drivers and a close-up glimpse of the cars. For my son and his friend, autograph hunting and freebie collecting (caps, posters, etc.) is all part of the fun. The first touring cars race of the day (there are three per meeting) was won by Stephen Jelley in the Team RAC BMW320si. The second was won by the ever popular Jason Plato in a Chevrolet Lacetti, while the third saw Jelley on the top of the podium once more, achieving his first two wins in BTCC. Mat Jackson was third and second respectively and looked to be heading for victory in the final race when he was shunted off the track by Giovanardi in his Vauxhall Vectra VXR. The racing in BTCC is always close and exciting and makes for a great day's motor racing. Also competing in their respective championships were Porsche Carreras, Formula Renault and my favourites, the G50 Ginettas. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable day, very much helped by the late September sunshine…