“And, if you look to your right, you’ll see a GT3 car in its natural environment”. OK, so no one actually said that to this writer’s knowledge, but it certainly wouldn’t have been an out of place statement at Donington Park last weekend.
The reason being that the British GT Championship had put on a Circuit Safari, whereby a Routemaster double-decker bus took some lucky passengers, including myself, around the circuit while GT3 and GT4 cars circulated at a reduced pace. It’s a popular concept in Japan, allowing fans to get a different perspective and a greater sensation of speed than from the side of the track, and which has actually taken place once before in the UK – also on the British GT bill at Silverstone back in 2017.
Fans were given the chance to win a place on the bus in a raffle held before the fourth round of the championship and, shortly after British GT’s warm-up session, the Routemaster headed out for two laps of the Donington circuit along with the grid. From a personal point of view, it was quite a surreal experience.
More importantly, though, it was well-received by the fans on the bus and indeed by many around the circuit who had stayed trackside on Sunday morning to take pictures and videos of the unusual sight. Anything that can be done to bring the cars and drivers closer to the fans can only be a positive, and ideas such as this should be embraced across all platforms of motorsport.
“More fan engagement is a good thing,” said British GT driver and team owner Martin Plowman. “I think the more we can do to get fan participation, it’s only going to increase the number of fans. In America, for example, it’s all about the fans.”
Plowman knows more than most about the appeal of US racing and what it has to offer fans, having competed in the 2014 Indianapolis 500. Aptly, this year’s edition of the fabled race took place on the same weekend, showcasing other concepts that UK motorsport could explore in the future. This ranged from the usual driver autograph sessions, already a staple of many UK motorsport events, to the perhaps over-the-top driver introductions ahead of the big race that F1 was criticised for in Miami.
Source: Autosport