2024 BTCC race season launch date announced
The opening ceremony for the 2024 season will take place at Donington Park on 16 April
Full race calendar and season launch dates now available for 67th instalment of tin-top race series
The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) has announced its launch date for the 2024 season, as well as three test days ahead of the official campaign starting in April.
The opening ceremony for the 2024 season will take place at Donington Park on 16 April, alongside the final pre-season test ahead of the competitive campaign beginning on the 27th April.
The gates open to the public from 10am, and the paddock will be available for all spectators to take a look at their favourite cars and meet the drivers.
Prior to the season's launch at Donington’s National circuit, the first test day will take place at Brands Hatch (Indy) in Kent on 3 April, with the next taking place one week later (10 April) at the Croft in North Yorkshire.
Every test day, including the season's launch at Donington Park, is free for the public to enter and there will be refreshments available throughout each day.
Racing will commence at Donington from 10am and last until 4pm, with two three-hour sessions broken up by a lunch break. Spectators will be free to walk around the pitlane throughout the day.
This comes after the tin-top championship revealed full dates and venues for the 2024 season in May last year - the earliest they have ever been announced.
The 2024 BTCC season will start at Donington in late April, and then be immediately followed by Brands Hatch (Indy) and Snetterton (300) in May.
June’s races will take place at Thruxton and Oulton Park (Island) before the Croft circuit turns host in July.
August will bring a return to Knockhill and Donington Park (GP), before a visit to Silverstone (National) in September.
The series will then conclude at Brands Hatch’s GP circuit on 5 and 6 October.
The BTCC said the calendar was decided so early because of the influx of sporting events in 2024, such as the Paris Olympics and the Euro 2024 football tournament.
The 2024 season represents the 67th consecutive year in which the racing series has returned to the UK's racing circuits, with the first taking place in 1958 when Jack Sears saw victory in an Austin A105 Westminster.
*Here is the full list of race dates for the 2024 BTCC season:*
*Stage* *Date* *Circuit*
1,2,3 27/28 April Donington Park (National)
4,5,6 11/12 May Brands Hatch (Indy)
7,8,9 25/26 May Snetterton (300)
10,11,12 08/09 June Thruxton
13,14,15 22/23 June Oulton Park (Island)
16,17,18 27/28 July Croft
19,20,21 10/11 August Knockhill
22,23,24 24/25 August Donington Park (GP)
25,26,27 21/22 September Silverstone (National)
28,29,30 05/06 October Brands Hatch (GP)