Brands Hatch Gears Up For 2019 Season

The New Year is here, race fans and petrol heads are thinking of nothing else other than the new season and if you are a frequent visitor to Brands Hatch, as I am, then I have good news for you, the 2019 event calendar is up…

It all kicks off mid January with the yearly running of the MGJ Engineering/Brands Hatch Winter Stages which is also a round of the Motorsport News Circuit Rally Championship. Expect to see a variety of cars ranging from the classic Ford Escorts and Talbot Lotus Sunbeam’s to the more modern and technically advanced cars in the form of Subaru Impreza’s and Mitsubishi Lancer’s, all going head to head on a total of eight stages running in both directions.

The season starts properly during the first weeks of March when the circuit host the opening round of the British Motorcycle Racing clubs ten round season with a weekend of two wheeled action, their first of three visits to the circuit. Their summer date will be held on the legendary GP layout. Two wheels dominate the month of March with the British Racing & Sports Car Club being the only car event on the 23rd & 24th.

It’s the headline events that draw the big crowds. Bennetts British Super Bikes, the now Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and the British Truck Racing Association all visit the circuit twice in the year. Championships from across the channel, Blancpain GT World Challenge (was the GT Sprint Cup), DTM (German V8 Touring Cars) and the ever popular American SpeedFest (SpeedFest 7) also visit Brands Hatch in 2019. All with the exception of the American SpeedFest and Trucks, have outings on the picturesque GP Circuit.

Blancpain GT

Other headline events include the Masters Historic Festival, HSCC Superprix, British GT & F3 Championships along with the Italia and the Deutsche Festivals.

The Formula Ford Festival, The Mini Festival and the various MSVR events, the 750 motorclub, the BRAC Championships and the Aston Martin Owners Club all visit the track throughout the year, not forgetting Tunefest and Ford Power Live. Two new events have been added to the Brands Hatch calendar for 2019, these are the Ferrari Challenge, which will be laying down rubber in May and the Vintage Festival featuring Formula Vintage with those sounds and smells of old, mid August.

If you are into Historic Formula One, or if you love the close racing of Touring Cars, classic or otherwise, you will be able see it at Brands Hatch. Sports Car/GT racing or if you like it all on two wheels, there will be something at Brands Hatch for your enjoyment.

Brands Hatch

Words and Images by Gary Hand