My big, fat racing adventure
A trip to the countryside

Oulton park is a great little track in the British countryside.

We started off our European adventure by taking in some British Touring Car action at Oulton Park, up neart Wales, past Silverstone, where we watched Saturday qualifying for several classes, including the headlining British Touring Cars. The BTCC is just like nascrap, except that they race only on roadcourses and it’s not boring. The BTCC drivers like to rub fenders just like nascrap too, ripping them off regularly or stuffing the cars into the barriers after yet another coming-together. This being qualifying day, the expected carnage would happen on Sunday raceday,
although some drivers still felt the need to prang the car anyway.

Click on photos for larger view

Oulton Park very closely reminds me of Lime Rock Park in Connecticut. With its uphill section beneath the Dunlop Bridge, it leads into a right turn reminiscent of West Bend, under a bridge and into a turn requiring finesse and raw skill, just like the Downhill does at Lime Rock. The civil atmosphere
(British decorum?) and woody surrounds really drive that similarity to Lime Rock home. There are
lots of spectator areas, many raised above the action, and many allowing a view of a good portion
of the track.

British Porsche Carrera Cup, Formula Renault 2000 (just like SCCA Formula Continental, also on the Renault racing ladder), Renault Clio Cup (on the Renault racing ladder system), Ginetta G40 Junior
(for new racers, the cars resemble the Panoz Esperante race car), Ginetta G50s (aforesaid Panoz,
on steroids). Former Lotus F1 driver Martin Donnelly was guesting in one of the G50s. There certainly was no lack of action on this practice day for the headlining cars, the BTCC.

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