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24.07.2008
History and Background - Brands Hatch.During 2005 season when the World Touring Car Championship made a comeback, Silverstone hosted both British legs of the series. Further facts... |
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| Local hero Andy Priaulx was forced to retire due to tyre damage, with the 33-year-old also being denied victory the following year when Brands Hatch made its debut on the WTCC calendar: he lost the lead after sliding off the track at Paddock Hill in wet conditions. Last year’s race, though, ended in an emotional victory: Priaulx celebrated his first touring car win at Brands Hatch, with Félix Porteiro’s second place in the second race rounding off BMW’s perfect day. Guest driver Colin Turkington, too, made it on to the podium in third place, at the wheel of a private BMW 320si. The event does not, though, mark Priaulx’s first appearance in a BMW Sauber F1 Team Formula One car, with the Guernsey-born driver having regularly thrilled visitors to the BMW Sauber F1 Team Pit Lane Park with his spectacular manoeuvres. Brands Hatch will, however, represent Priaulx’s first opportunity of driving the BMW Sauber F1 Team’s car on a full length circuit in front of a race crowd. Where the Pit Lane Park’s exhibition track measures 110 metres, a 3.703-kilometre circuit awaits him. Brands Hatch has hosted motor racing since 1926, with the first events catering for motorcycles on an anti-clockwise circuit. In the 1950s the circuit was laid with tarmac, and the direction of travel reversed. The Grand Prix circuit, as used for both WTCC rounds, was inaugurated in 1959. Between 1964 and 1986 this flowing yet challenging circuit, which follows the natural contours of the area, hosted 12 British Grands Prix. Two further Formula One two races were run as European Grands Prix. Niki Lauda scored three Grand Prix victories, making him Brands Hatch’s most successful Formula One driver, followed by Nigel Mansell with two victories. Brands Hatch is in Fawkham, near Dartford in the English county of Kent. Dartford is the administrative centre for this area, which is home to approximately 58,000 inhabitants. Two of Dartford’s sons have achieved worldwide fame: Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards were born in the town, and later started their musical careers there. The WTCC heats will be contested over 14 laps each, totalling 51.84 kilometres per race. The first race is scheduled to start at 12:05hrs local time on Sunday, with race two getting underway at 13:20hrs BST. Both races will be televised by Eurosport International, with BMW Motorsport’s official website (www.bmw-motorsport.com) streaming the event live on the internet. The BMW national team drivers will be available in the BMW Hospitality for media interviews at 16:45hrs. |
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