This is what we came for . . . The British Touring Car Championship series race at the Knockhill Circuit.
My friend Steve and I drove the 1 1/2 hours south from Aberdeen to Knockhill Race Track to attend the Saturday qualifying sessions of the British Touring Car race series event. It is the closest-to-Aberdeen big race of the year. Lots of people from Edinburgh showed up.
Knockhill is a very well developed track: they have all kinds of races from every vehicle type imaginable (4X4, motocross, super bikes, and carting). They had a "Karting Experience" program running on Saturday for the kids.
Knockhill is a sweet little course with a nice 'down home' feel. The racers say it is their favorite course on the race calendar.
We walked around the pits and admired the race car preparation. This is a modified spec V-6 in the Ginetta GT4 class car.
The course is small, but the organization is very professional.
There were five different classes on the grounds with five separate race series races on the program. This car was competing in the "entry level" UK Renault Cleo Cup Championship series.
The Cleo Cup cars were very well prepared. They were hardly entry level . . . most had large race operations in the pits with semi trucks and trailers and other support vehicles, tents, and the like.
The true entry level class, and breeding ground for future racing talent, was the Ginetta Junior Championship cars.
Small and light with a spec engine, they were fast and the racing was close. Most were driven by 15-18 year olds.
There were also Ginetta GT4 Championship cars.
The Ginetta GT4 cars were very fast. They also have a spec engine, but with much more horsepower. They made a beautiful sound from their modified V-6 race engines.
Steve and I walked completely around the race track . . . along the way we found a gaggle of photographers and we stopped there during the Ginetta GT4 qualifying session.
We figured out why all the photographers were in the same place . . . it was where the cars were most likely to spin.
The race fans enjoyed the marshals attempts to extricate the Ginetta GT4 from the sand trap.
There was also a GB Porsche Carrera Cup race on Saturday. We didn't pay too much attention to these . . .
There were many Ford EcoBoost MSA Championship open wheel race cars present.
Identical race cars make for some very close racing. These are the current form of what used to be called Formula Ford.
The open wheel race cars were very fast.
Light weight and small turbocharged engines . . . a great combination.
This was the real race, not a qualifying session, so the drivers were pushing hard.
Some pushed a little too hard.
Eventually there was mayhem at the sharp curve we watched from . . . lucky me.
The top class present was the British Touring Car Championship.
The BTCC racers were serious, world class, cutting edge race cars.
The British Touring Cars are serious business: the manufacturers are heavily behind the teams both financially and technically.
BMW, Ford, Audi, Honda, Mercedes, Chevrolet, VW, MG, Toyota, and Nissan all had factory teams at Knockhill. These are the race versions of the 'hot hatch' coupes and sedans that you can buy at your local dealerships.
Did I mention the BTCC cars were wicked fast? They did not hold back . . . and attacked the course. This Mercedes factory race car was trying hard during qualifying.
A Chevrolet going high over the banana curbs.
Some were trying a little too hard and ended up in the kitty litter, like this factory Honda.
It was interesting watching free practice as the drivers experimented with different lines though different corners . . . all of them settled on the line that launched them into the air at this corner.
Flying and drafting!
Knockhill Flyers!
A VW Passat being thrown around the course. Wonderful.
We stayed through the BTCC qualifying and the open wheel formula Ford race, then headed home as satisfied race car fans . . . like this guy.