Recommend a RL racing event in the UK for a video game racing fan?

May 12, 2019 5:15 AM

Wonder if someone could recommend a racing event in August for a visitor to Britain who's never been to one, but is obsessed with racing video games like Monaco GP, Hang On and Grand Prix games.

Neighboring countries and non-car sports are possibly an option. We don't know a lot about the real sport outside of video games, other than having passed by signs for places like Donnington on the M1 and gone, "look, it's the place from that game, we should go to one of these things sometime."

posted by johngoren to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (4 answers total)

For my money, the racing you'll see that is most like video game racing is British Touring Cars. Those guys are mad, and wonderful to watch. You'll find their 2019 calendar here - they have two events in August. Also, they won't take all your walking around money for a ticket, unlike F1.
posted by Gamecat at 6:32 AM on May 12, 2019 [2 favorites]

Not sure if you just want to watch but I'm doing this driving day next month which is meant to be well reviewed (ie they really push you in the cars, whereas other experience days I've done has had them limiting rev range and telling you to lift off etc). It runs all the time and they do half days also. At a track near Bedford.
posted by JonB at 8:03 AM on May 12, 2019

Looks like the British Superbikes are at Cadwell and Thruxton during August. IME, those were always exciting racedays.
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 9:14 AM on May 12, 2019

Seconding BTCC: those racedays also include single-make GT5 and F4 races, so you get a good combination of racing styles from daring and aggressive to consistently nailing technique on the track.
posted by holgate at 10:49 AM on May 12, 2019