Author: Chris Ashby

A bumper crowd numbering thousands of eager spectators headed to Croft Circuit this past weekend (4-5 August) to lap up the sunshine, an irresistible feast of 1940s-70s retro-themed entertainment and the highest quality historic racing at the ninth annual Croft Nostalgia Festival.

Visitors were treated to Nostalgia’s time-honoured combination of top-tier historic motor racing from the Historic Sports Car Club, alongside an irresistible blend of off-track attractions from classic cars to military displays, aero-acrobatics, evocative music and period dress – as well as a selection of showcase track parades and vintage stalls, for those looking to bestow themselves with period regalia.

The venue’s outfield was bulging at the seams with rows upon rows of pristine classic cars, with everything from BMWs and Bristols to Volkswagens and Vauxhalls – and, this year, a celebratory display marking the 50thanniversary of the Mk1 Ford Escort.

Crowds lapped up the vintage shopping opportunities surrounding the showpiece classics on display, while the festival’s centrepiece marquee jived to the tune of The Daisy Belles, The Evernotes and George Formby (aka Colin Bourdiec). Afternoon tea and its accompanying dance is a popular staple at Nostalgia, and this year was no exception, with lessons for those less confident of their footwork when it comes to Swing ensuring no willing participant was left behind.

Wartime spirit and camaraderie was in evidence across the event – and not only in the music and entertainment on offer. An ever-increasing and comprehensive range of militaria and military machinery was showcased from tanks to personnel carriers and jeeps of all shapes, forms and functions. An unmistakable Supermarine Spitfire took up pride of place, and there is no more iconic and evocative silhouette than that of the famed World War II fighter.

A fully-functioning 14-cylinder Bristol Hercules aero engine, the like seen in Avro’s iconic Lancaster Bomber, as well as the unmistakable Merlin from the aforementioned and equally unmistakable fighter plane fired up regularly over the course of the weekend – the former airfield reverberating once more with the sound of World War II aero engines..

Further aero interest came in the shape of the Twister Aerobatics team, which drew eyes to the skies at lunchtime on both days with a dazzling pair of displays, while the on-track action either side of lunch was every bit as exciting – with no fewer than 18 races over the course of a packed weekend schedule.

Saturday set the scene on-track with practice and qualifying preceding an afternoon of racing action, but Sunday provided a packed timetable of the highest order.

The single-seaters never fail to provide spectacular racing and plenty of heroics and the Historic Formula Fords comprised the biggest field of the weekend split over three action-packed encounters, with Cameron Jackson securing a stunning win double in his Lola.

Recognisable classics from TVR to Triumph and Austin to Alfa Romeo lined up on the grid in the HSCC’s enthralling 70s Road Sports & Historic Road Sports races. Charles Barter strode to a pair of victories in the former in his Datsun 240z while John Davison sealed both encounters in the latter, wielding a Lotus Elan S1.

The prized HSCC Guards Trophy was taken by Charles Allison in his Chevron B8, while another ever-competitive centrepiece, in the Historic Touring Cars, proved, as usual, no less competitive in the battle than its modern-day counterpart. The Ford Lotus Cortina transpired as the throwback tourer to beat ahead of the Hillman Imps, Austin A40s and Morris Minis, with Richard Belcher winning races one and two.

“It’s been a fantastic weekend at the Croft Nostalgia Festival,” said Circuit Manager Tracey Morley. “I’d like to thank everyone involved in making the event the success it was, and of course to the thousands of spectators we were delighted to welcome through the gates here at Croft.

“Each year we enjoy some of the best historic racing you’re likely to see in Britain, and it’s always accompanied by a super atmosphere away from the track itself – with the Festival offering so much to see and do for families and people of all ages.

“With its tenth anniversary next year, plans are afoot to go one better still and celebrate in style. We really want to push on for 2019 and we feel sure that it’ll be even bigger and better still than the weekend we’ve just enjoyed.”

The FIA World Rallycross Championship served up a memorable maiden event at Silverstone this past weekend (May 25/26/27) as Johan Kristoffersson clinched victory in front of thousands of adrenaline-fuelled British fans.

Having previously competed at Lydden Hill when the championship hit UK soil in recent years, the fourth event of the season for the series was the first to be staged at the Northamptonshire-based venue – and it didn’t disappoint.

Taking centre stage as part of the Speedmachine Festival, the FIA World Rallycross Championship provided unmissable viewing as fans soaked up the on and off track action.

Away from the racing, street food and drink gave plenty the opportunity to refuel whilst live music performances from Dizzee Rascal and Razorlight, to name just a few, further added to the spectacle in the evening.

In addition; manufacturer test drives, markets stalls, eSports, demonstrations, passenger laps in drift cars and pit stop challenges were all there too.

On Saturday, searing temperatures saw a host of high-octane encounters wow the bumper crowd. The first round of qualifying heats saw wins go the way of Kristoffersson, Andreas Bakkerud, Petter Solberg, Kevin Hansen and Mattias Ekstrom; however Solberg emerged as the man to beat after setting the fastest time overall in his Volkswagen Polo.

The second block of qualifying heats saw Anton Marklund, Robin Larsson, Jerome Grosset-Janin, Timmy Hansen and Ekstrom take the wins on track, with Hansen setting the fastest time. That therefore left former champion Solberg as the overnight points leader.

Thunderstorms overnight ensured that track conditions were dramatically different from the day before, subsequently improving as each session passed.

Kicking off the third round of qualifying saw British fans treated to some home hero glory as Albatec Racing’s Mark Higgins powered his Peugeot 208 to victory. There were more cheers in the second race of the day as Andrew Jordan made it two British wins on the bounce, piloting his Ford Fiesta to the chequered flag.

Larsson, Kristoffersson and Timmy Hansen won the remaining races in the qualifying block, with reigning champion Kristoffersson notching the fastest time.

In truth, the rest of the day belonged to Kristoffersson as he was in irresistible form, winning his race in the final set of qualifying races and again topping the timesheets.

Kristoffersson was the victor of his semi-final, bringing Bakkerud and Kevin Hansen along with him. The second semi-final saw Loeb, Ekstrom and Niclas Gronholm make their way to the final which Kristoffersson dually dominated to take his third win of the season, extending his lead in the overall standings as well. Bakkerud and Loeb rounded off the podium.

In the RX2 class, Sweden’s Oliver Eriksson was the winner whilst Tanner Foust took the spoils in the opening round of the Americas Rallycross Championship.

Enthusiastic spectators turned out in force to enjoy a sensational seventh round of the 2018 Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Thruxton Circuit as epic track action fuelled a high-octane day of tremendous two-wheeled racing.

With the vast numbers packing the grandstands and banking being treated to a veritable visual and acoustic feast as the nation’s premier motorcycle masters gave no inch in several breathtaking battles, Thruxton affirmed its reputation for riveting racing with two dazzling Superbike races around the UK’s fastest circuit.

Leon Haslam and Josh Brookes were the day’s top trophy winners, the pair strengthening their title aspirations with sublime performances in race one and two respectively.

While victory for Haslam is the first of his illustrious career to be achieved at Thruxton, Brookes’ success in race two is his eighth around the ‘Hampshire speedbowl’ to bring the charismatic Australian level with Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne at the top of the circuit’s all-time winners’ list.

In race one, JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Luke Mossey led initially off the line from second position, but after building up a sizeable advantage he’d be reeled in by the chasing pack as the fight for victory swelled to seven evenly-matched riders over the second-half.

With the iconic heavy-braking Club chicane – positioned at the end of the full throttle slipstream-inviting back straight – setting the stage for many of the race’s awe-inspiring overtakes, the leading order changed with nearly every lap as the riders ducked and dived for position.

This was especially true of the leaders as Jake Dixon on the RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki and Leon Haslam riding for the Bournemouth-based JG Speedfit Kawasaki team tussled all the way to the wire, the latter pulling off a decisive pass on the final lap to snatch his seventh victory of the season.

“It is always tough coming here,” a delighted Haslam enthused. “The JG Speedfit boys have done a mega job this weekend. It wasn’t easy from row three but the battle with Jake was fantastic. You’re always trying to play a game of chess and hopefully at the end you come out on top, which we did. I have always struggled here so to get my first win here is fantastic.”

The biggest cheer of the day, however, was to be saved for the man in third position as a gutsy ride from Peter Hickman saw him dig deep to go from hospital bed to podium in little more than two hours. The Smiths Racing BMW rider was admitted to Royal Hampshire County Hospital overnight and placed on an IV after being diagnosed with a kidney infection but after missing warm-up he was back on his BMW S1000RR in time for race one.

Despite the physical nature of Thruxton, Hickman steadily worked his way into contention from 11th on the grid to get involved in the lead group during the latter stages before pouncing for third on the final corner when Brookes and Honda’s Jason O’Halloran came to blows. With their clash demoting one another to fourth and sixth respectively, pole sitter Glenn Irwin also scythed between them for fifth.

A race of attrition for many of the front-runners, title showdown contenders Bradley Ray, Danny Buchan and Michael Laverty came down together at the Club chicane, while Andrew Irwin – who qualified on the front row alongside his brother Glenn – also failed to reach the chequered flag.

With the race two grid determined by the fastest laps from the first race, Mossey held P1 at a standstill but it was Dixon who snatched the hole-shot into the opening turns to assume a lead he’d retain for six of the encounter’s 20 laps.

However, after missing the podium in race one, a determined Brookes began to make his presence felt as he picked his way past his rivals culminating in him moving to the front on lap seven at Club. From here he wouldn’t be caught, the McAMS Yamaha rider producing an imperious ride to affirm his status as a ’Master of Thruxton’.

“It has actually been a difficult weekend for us, we normally expect to race well here,” he said. “We played our cards wrong in race one but we had a stronger package in race two and I am thrilled we at McAMS Yamaha can celebrate another victory, it is so important to score these points with the title at stake.”

Behind Brookes, Hickman starred once more with an adrenaline-fuelled ride to second position, in turn collecting a large haul of points and earning immense admiration from both spectators and his fellow riders.

“On Saturday I woke up feeling really bad,” he explained. “I went to bed straight after qualifying, next thing I know the paramedics are round because I was in and out of consciousness. I was taken to hospital in an ambulance and I was there until midday today. I was not 100% but I have been on an IV last night and this morning and I felt OK. I was just happy to make the podium. It was the weekend we needed apart from the ill bit!”

Dixon notched up a second podium of the weekend in third place, heading off the threat of Haslam who was forced to settle for fourth place this time. Tarran Mackenzie completed the top five from O’Halloran.

Devizes’ Tommy Bridewell registered a strong double points finish on the Ducati Panigale prepared by Winchester-based Moto Rapido. After finishing 11th in race one, Bridewell stormed to a popular seventh place in race two.

While Superbikes wrote the headlines, a packed itinerary of racing on the support programme nonetheless allowed a cavalcade of two-wheeled talent to enjoy their moment in the spotlight over the day, with the Dickies British Supersport Championship, Pirelli National Superstock 1000 and 600 Championships, HEL Performance British Motostar and the Hyundai Construction Equipment British Sidecars with Molson ensuring the action came thick and fast for fans.

Beyond the captivating competition on course, audiences attending Thruxton took the opportunity to savour the many family-friendly activities and exhibitions on offer across the venue. The BMW Bahnstormer pop-up showroom lured visitors with its display of Baron von Grumble’s HP4 race Superbike alongside a stunning Smokin’ Customers R 100 R along with Bahnstormer’s R Nine T Track, while the numerous merchandise stands and the ever-popular paddock access and pit-walk autograph sessions ensured day-long entertainment.

Visitors were also treated to accessing the state-of-the-art Thruxton Centre, the venue’s contemporary new centrepiece which is available now for hospitality and conferences bookings.

Thruxton Circuit will resume racing action on four wheels on 18-19 August with action from the Classic Sports Car Club (CSCC).

For more information on Thruxton’s race meetings and driving experiences, visit www.thruxtonracing.co.uk