Britcar Dunlop Endurance Championship - Thruxton.

[The Image Team]

The next few weeks are forming about a month and a half of firsts. Never been to Spa, going for British GT next weekend. Never been to a Hill Climb event, doing Shelsley Walsh later in the month. The important first here though is that I had, until yesterday never been to Thruxton. First impressions? The facilities are crap, the food is botulism in a bun and the circuit is bloody quick.

Here are a few of my better ones, and one I don't know why I like.

1) Surprisingly slow for a car which as carried the #1 for two years straight but the FF Corse 458 GT3 wasn't on the pace for most of the day. Both the GT and the Challenge spec cars suffered blowouts too.

BDEC_Thruxton-19755 by Nicholas Smith, on Flickr

2) Playing 'how low can you go' with shutter speed in pit lane. 1/20th, I'm fairly pleased.

BDEC_Thruxton-10005 by Nicholas Smith, on Flickr

3) The MacG Taranis looked and sounded great, until it sounded like a tractor and you couldn't see it for the JCB pulling it towards pit lane.

BDEC_Thruxton-19610 by Nicholas Smith, on Flickr

4) This is the one I don't know why I like. The light is bad, I was a fraction of a second late with the shutter so a little bit of Lotus is missing and the Audi is still prominent, but I like it.

BDEC_Thruxton-28681 by Nicholas Smith, on Flickr

5) Waiting for a race car.

BDEC_Thruxton-29519 by Nicholas Smith, on Flickr

6) There is no such thing as a quick tyre change in GT4, but timed pit stops help.

BDEC_Thruxton-29508 by Nicholas Smith, on Flickr

 

[The Image Team]

7) Pit lane wasn't just dusty, its tiny. The Lambo stuck out of both doors at the same time, the Audi went into the garage sideways and FF Corse gave up on trying to garage two Ferrari 458s, stuck the guests in the garage and used the hospitality awning as a workshop.

BDEC_Thruxton-29538 by Nicholas Smith, on Flickr

8) The championship leaders, Century Motorsport have had to battle the Whitebridge Aston Martin all season long.

BDEC_Thruxton-29248 by Nicholas Smith, on Flickr

9) While Tockwith became the first car to win three races outright and two on the bounce. Only Synchro Motorsport have a better record, unbeaten so far this year in class.

BDEC_Thruxton-28730 by Nicholas Smith, on Flickr

10) Talking of Synchro, here is their Civic Type-R.

BDEC_Thruxton-28689 by Nicholas Smith, on Flickr

11) Defending champion Calum Lockie had a weekend to forget in the GT3 Ferrari.

BDEC_Thruxton-29520 by Nicholas Smith, on Flickr

12) Mosler vs Aston Martin GT4, vs BMW M3 vs Honda Civic. Only in Britcar!

BDEC_Thruxton-29071 by Nicholas Smith, on Flickr

 

[TMT]

I was there Saturday - weather ranging from freezing cold/blustery wind one minute, to scorching and sunny the next! I really like #9 - pin sharp. #3 is also very good.

 

[The Image Team]

Thank you. We got luckier on Sunday, little wind though the flies were horrific.