Part 1: Friday afternoon testing.

Billed as the Thruxton Thriller the Classic Sports Car Club brought their entire series of competitions to this Hampshire motor racing circuit over the weekend of 22nd and 23rd April but on the Friday afternoon ahead of the main event drivers had the opportunity to get some practice laps in on Britain’s fastest circuit.

I was pushed for time so only managed to head over for a hour late on Friday afternoon and was instantly greeted by the sight of smoke and fire extinguisher powder rising from a rather warm Thruxton GT-R 1800 parked just of the entry to the chicane.

I stopped here for a while panning cars as they passed by before heading over to the assembly and paddock area to chat with and snap a few of the drivers and teams checking things over on their cars. At this level of motorsport things are still very friendly and owners are usually so enthusiastic about their racing it can be hard to know when to step away and let them carry on with the work at hand.

Having seen just a few of the cars that would be racing over the weekend including a personal favourite of mine, American Mustangs and a couple of Ford Falcons I could not wait to return on Saturday and Sunday for the main races.

Working on a Reliant Sabre Six in Thruxton Paddocks

Bonnet Up on the Drabble Sabre Six

Checking a few things on an Austin Healey

VW Golf

A TVR Sits Quietly in a Trailer in the Thruxton Paddocks

TVR Griffith in the Chicane at Thruxton

Tin Tops Clio of Steven Reynolds in the Chicane at Thruxton

Drabble Sabre Leads the Pack Through Thruxton Chicane

A Lotus Elan Approaches Joins the Circuit at Thruxton

Are You Sure This Tells The Right Time? I am Sure I was Quicker Than That!

Thruxton GT-R Towed Back Covered in Fire Extingusher Powder

Powerbell Jaguar in Thruxton Chicane

Porsche Carrera Waiting at Scrutineeting

A Porsche 944 Passing through Thruxton Chicane

Ford Mustang at Scrutineering

Using the Full Width of the Track in a Ford Mustang

Castrol Oil Liveried Jaguar in the Paddock

Holty Jaguar in the Paddock

A Lotus Elan Approaches the Assembly Area

The Lotus Elan of Mel Taylor in the Chicane

Morris Minor Waiting at Scrutineering

Jaguar XJR in the Chicane

Tom Robinson Jaguar XJR

Tom Robinson Pushes his Jaguar XJR Through the Chicane at Thruxton

AA or RAC Either Phone Number Will Do Please

Honda Prelude in the Paddock

Ford escort Mk1

Ford Anglia in the Paddock

Chevrolet Camero

Catherham R300

Ford capri

Ford Lotus Cortina Mk2 in the Chicane at Thruxton

A Shy Corvette

Ford Falcon at the Chicane, Thruxton

Ford Escort mk1 in the Paddock

Ford Escort Exits the Chicane, Thruxton

Ferrari 355 about to Join the Track at Thruxton

Ferrari 355 Stradale

Cars Gathered Near the Assembly Area at Thruxton

BMW M3 in the Chicane

BMW M3 in the Paddock, Thruxton

BMW of Rory Hinde and Owen Fitzgerald in Chicane

Amspeed BMW in the Paddocks

Alfa Romeo Giulia Entering the Assembly Area