Motorsports fans will be lining up for one of the biggest weekends in British motor racing as BMW, Alfa Romeo and SEAT, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche (to name just a few), go head to head at Donington Park on June 27. With a seriously exciting schedule, second only to Formula One in popularity, the LG Super Racing Weekend supported by John Guest, is a European series that includes the FIA European Touring Car and the FIA GT Championships.
The weekend is a fantastic opportunity to catch top-flight touring cars and dream sports cars in full race glory with unlimited access to the paddock for all visitors. Kicking off at 9am each day, a race day ticket (27 June) is £15, a weekend ticket is £20 and children 15 years and under go free.
Broadcast worldwide to an audience of millions, the FIA European Touring Car Championship has all the excitement of sprint races with cars that may look like those on the streets, but behave completely different when the star drivers get behind the wheel. Top of the range Touring cars will be battling it out on the track in two 50km races run back to back with some of the most powerful names in the business, Alfa Romeo, BMW, SEAT, Honda, Ford and Peugeot.
The highly charged duel between Alfa Romeo and BMW is likely to continue in 2004, with Gabriele Tarquini determined to defend his 2003 title and Jörg Müller eager to become champion for BMW after twice finishing as runner up. The interest and anticipation continues to spread as we see the return of 2002 champion Fabrizio Giovanardi to Alfa Romeo and the astounding return of Alessandro Zanardi to the BMW team after his serious crash in 2001, in which he tragically lost both his legs.
The FIA GT Championship couldn't be more different, with dream sportscars competing in three-hour endurance races. Complete with all the drama of pit stops, driver changes and strategy, the GT Championship is a race not to be missed. The 2004 season sees prestigious sports cars such as Ferrari, Porsche, Saleen, Lamborghini and Lister Jaguar - legendary names, incredible cars, entered by highly-professional private teams, these road-going cars are adapted for the circuit and average between 400 and 650 bhp.
If that's not enough to get fans adrenalin pumping, the Formula Renault V6 Eurocup will. The stakes have been raised as well as the prize money and the winner gets a test in a F1 R24. The game is definitely on! And with all new support races, which are even more exciting this year, Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup, European Ferrari Challenge and the British Formula Three Championship - fans will definitely be on the edge of their seats.
Stephane Ratel - CEO of SRW Events, says, "Donington is probably the best example we have of the growing success of the LG Super Racing Weekend and we believe that will continue. Three years ago, we had 6000 spectators at the track, two years ago that number increased to 12,000, with 25,000 attending last year. Furthermore, we have attracted a major corporate sponsor, John Guest (specialists in high-quality fittings for a wide range of industries including automotive), that will continue to help and support the event for the third year running."
With an eclectic mix of drivers and races, 2004 looks set to be bigger and better as the LG Super Racing Weekend continues to grow in stature. With dynamic contests providing action and competitive conflict, major manufacturer support, and live television coverage, this series just keeps on getting better. Contact the ticket office on 01332 819 527 or donington-park.co.uk to ensure you reserve your place for Donington Park's premier race meeting of the season.
