Big weekend of driving and motorsport coming up. Because of the interest in MrsC's paintings of cars/bikes, we have been invited to the opening CMRC (Classic Motorcycle Racing Club) meeting of the year, at Pembrey in South Wales. Really looking forward to it, but as I've never been there before, can anyone recommend good places to watch the action? I believe it's an airfield, so it will probably be rather flat.
Then, on Sunday, we are off to the BTCC at Brands Hatch, with an invitation to meet one of the drivers and discuss a portrait - very exciting!

I have been to Brands a few times, but if anyone has recommendations for good viewing/photography points, please feel free to share...

The downside to all this petrolhead heaven is that Pembrey is 2.5 hours' drive west of us and Brands Hatch (by way of Huntingdon to pick up stepson major) is 3.5 hours at least in the opposite direction. Looks as though we'll get back here around 8 on Saturday night, then head off eastwards around 5.30 on Sunday morning... As MrsC drove to the Scottish Borders on Monday and back again on Tuesday, it will be a pretty spectacular week for the Mini's mileage.

Of course, if anyone is going to either event and wants to meet up, that would be good too!

Blimey, that was a weekend and a bit.

Pembrey was superb, with beautiful weather and fantastic people, bikes and racing. It's a pretty flat circuit, as I guessed, but we were able to watch some of the action from the commentary box and timing office - great fun!

Then, yesterday, we set off at 6am to Kent, via St Ives and watched most of the BTCC action; totally different motorsport experience and hard to say which we preferred.
Very disappointed that Brands Hatch and/or the BTCC didn't see fit to run on the full GP circuit. With most cars in most formulae lapping in under 50 seconds, it made it feel Mickey Mouse, for which a premier circuit has no excuse.

And, for the record, the best place we found to watch was between Clearways and Clark Curve.

Last race of the BTCC season is Brands Hatch full GP circuit

That's great, but in which case, why not the season opener?

Crazy, but true. (Saint Ives in Cambridgeshire, not Cornwall!)