Page 29 - Cool Britannia

JUNEAs the British weather improves, Paddock Life will be back with the British GT Championship. For 25 years the British GT Championship has formed an intrinsic part of the UK’s national motorsport fabric. Having established itself as the world’s foremost domestic GT series. GT4’s arrival and subsequent expansion currently sees two classes running on the same track at once, an important aspect of GT competition that enables a driver to prepare for international endurance racing, while the option to also feld GTC entries remains a possibility. The Silverstone 500 endurance race is one of the most exciting of the season. Now unfortunately you may have a diary clash here and so while the wife, partner, girlfriend etc, might rather be sipping chilled champagne and having a futter on the nags at Royal Ascot, you know where you would rather be – Le Mans… The 24 Hours of Le Mans (French: 24 Heures du Mans) is the world’s oldest active sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, France. It is one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world and is often called the “Grand Prix of Endurance and Effciency”. The event represents one leg of the Triple Crown of Motorsport; other events being the Indianapolis 500, and the Monaco Grand Prix. The race is organized by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and runs on the Circuit de la Sarthe, which contains a mix of closed public roads and a specialist racing circuit, in which racing teams have to balance speed with the cars’ ability to race for 24 hours without sustaining mechanical damage. Since 2012, the 24 Hours of Le Mans has been a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. In 2017, it will be the third round of the season. We at Paddock Life NEVER miss it and make sure the drive down and the parties are as good as the race itself. Closer to home MotoGP has the fantastic Dutch TT, a trip to Assen is essential, always a terrifc atmosphere and very good beer!Later in the month is of course the ever popular Goodwood Festival of Speed - an intoxicating mix of cars, stars and motorsport royalty come together over four superb days for the festival, now the largest event of its kind in the world, it gathers together the planet’s rarest and most glamorous cars with roadracing fans coming from all over the country, the weekend sees an array of Formula 1, supercars, bikes and heritage cars taking on the 1.16 mile Hillclimb, which challenges the world’s greatest drivers and riders, including today’s Formula 1 and Moto GP stars29