The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s traditional pre-season Media Day launch will next year take place at the Donington Park motor racing circuit on Thursday 21 March.
The event is by far the biggest of its kind of any motor racing championship in the UK. Close to 250 media – representing international, national, regional, lifestyle, consumer and specialist TV, radio, print and on-line titles – attended in 2012 as teams and driver line-ups were officially announced and sponsor liveries unveiled.
Indeed, the event has also become a golden opportunity for both existing and new sponsors to showcase their participation in the BTCC, one of world’s most popular motor racing championships.
Donington Park, located just off junction 23A of the M1 on the Leicestershire-Derbyshire border by the East Midlands Airport, has a long-standing relationship with BTCC. It has been a part of the BTCC calendar every year since Tom Wheatcroft opened the track in 1977 and, since that date, it has witnessed some of the championship’s most dramatic moments.
Donington’s Managing Director Christopher Tate commented: “Donington lies at the heart of British motor sport and we saw great racing from the stars of the BTCC here last April. Now to be invited to host the famous BTCC Media Day is not only an honour but also a great compliment to the staff here in acknowledging how far the continuing revival of the circuit has come since we re-opened in autumn 2010. We look forward to a great day here on 21 March.”
BTCC Series Director Alan Gow added: “We’re delighted that Donington will host the launch of our 2013 season. As well as providing fantastic racing, Donington is also a great circuit for teams to test their latest cars and developments on – so it will be interesting to see who sets the pace on Media Day, in the afternoon’s officially timed test session. We very much look forward to welcoming the media to Donington as we count down towards the start of what promises to be another outstanding season of action.”
Donington will host the second of next year’s ten BTCC race events, on the weekend of 20/21 April. The opening round of the season will take place at Brands Hatch, Kent on the weekend of 30/31 March – just nine days after Media Day.
