Snetterton Circuit facts for kids
Snetterton 300 Circuit (2011–present)
|
|
| Location | Snetterton, Norfolk, England |
|---|---|
| Time zone | GMT (UTC+0) BST (April–October, UTC+1) |
| Coordinates | 52°27′59″N 0°56′54″E / 52.46639°N 0.94833°E |
| FIA Grade | 3 |
| Owner | MotorSport Vision (2004–present) |
| Opened | 27 October 1951 |
| Major events | Current: BTCC (1979, 1984–present) British GT (1993–1996, 1998–2004, 2006–present) BSB (1996–present) TCR UK (2022–present) Former: GB3 (2013–2023) British F3 (1977–2004, 2006–2012) EuroBOSS Series (1997, 2007) F5000 (1969–1975) Formula Ford Festival (1972–1975) ETCC (1965–1968) European F2 (1967) Lombank Trophy (1960–1963) |
| Snetterton 300 Circuit (2011–present) | |
| Length | 2.969 mi (4.779 km) |
| Turns | 12 |
| Race lap record | 1:39.933 ( Felipe Nasr, Dallara F308, 2011, F3) |
| Snetterton 200 Circuit (2011–present) | |
| Length | 2.000 mi (3.219 km) |
| Turns | 8 |
| Race lap record | 1:06.572 ( Chris Dittmann, Dallara F312, 2017, F3) |
| Snetterton 100 Circuit (2011–present) | |
| Length | 0.980 mi (1.577 km) |
| Turns | 5 |
| Race lap record | 1:16.210 ( Colin Calder, Gould GR37, 2011, British Sprint Championship) |
| Snetterton Circuit (1997–2010) | |
| Length | 1.952 mi (3.141 km) |
| Turns | 8 |
| Race lap record | 0:56.095 ( [[]], Benetton B197, 2007, F1) |
| Snetterton Circuit (1990–1996) | |
| Length | 1.949 mi (3.137 km) |
| Turns | 8 |
| Race lap record | 0:59.470 ( Luiz Garcia Jr., Reynard 95D, 1996, F3000) |
| Snetterton Circuit (1974–1989) | |
| Length | 1.917 mi (3.085 km) |
| Turns | 8 |
| Race lap record | 0:55.370 ( Andrew Gilbert-Scott, Reynard 88D, 1989, F3000) |
| Snetterton Circuit (1965–1973) | |
| Length | 2.710 mi (4.361 km) |
| Turns | 9 |
| Race lap record | 1:18.400 ( Brett Lunger, Trojan T101, 1973, F5000) |
| Snetterton Circuit (1951–1964) | |
| Length | 2.710 mi (4.361 km) |
| Turns | 8 |
| Race lap record | 1:32.600 ( Jim Clark, Lotus 18, 1960, F1) |
Snetterton Circuit is a super cool motor racing track located in Norfolk, England. It first opened its doors for racing in 1953. Today, it's owned by MotorSport Vision, a company run by Jonathan Palmer, who bought it in 2004.
The circuit is near the village of Snetterton. It's about 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Thetford and 19 miles (31 km) southwest of Norwich.
Many exciting races happen here, including the British Touring Car Championship, the British Formula Three Championship, and the British Superbike Championship. For many years, Snetterton also hosted the UK's first 24-hour race, called the Willhire 24 Hour.
Contents
Snetterton's History: From Airfield to Racetrack
Before it became a racetrack, Snetterton was an airfield for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II. It was known as RAF Snetterton Heath. Later, the United States Army Air Force also used it. The airfield opened in May 1943 and closed in November 1948.
The Start of Racing at Snetterton
After the airfield closed, the land went back to its owner, Fred Riches. In 1951, two people from the Aston Martin Owners Club (AMOC) asked Fred if they could use the old runways for club races. He agreed, but with a few rules. No racing was allowed during church services on Sundays!
The AMOC held the first official "speed trials" on October 27, 1951. These were like short sprint races, one lap each. Motor Sport magazine said it was a great event on a fun new course. The fastest driver that day was Ken Wharton, who drove an ERA R11B car.
Motorbike racing started at Snetterton in 1953. It was organized by a group of clubs called the Snetterton Combine.
Famous racing teams like Team Lotus (from Formula One) and Norfolk Racing Co (from Le Mans) used the track to test their cars.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, the track was about 2.710 miles (4.361 km) long. Some parts of the track have changed over time. For example, a bend called Russell was added in the 1960s. It was named after Jim Russell, who ran a racing school there. This bend was meant to make racing safer, but it caused many accidents and was later changed.
Modern Track Layouts
MotorSport Vision (MSV) bought Snetterton Circuit in 2004. They also own other famous tracks like Brands Hatch and Oulton Park.
In 2005, Jonathan Palmer, the head of MSV, announced big plans. He wanted to make the circuit longer and better.
By September 2010, MSV said that the new parts of the track would be ready for the 2011 racing season. They added a whole new section, about one mile long. They also changed some corners to make racing more exciting and safer. These changes also made it better for fans to watch the races.
The Snetterton 300 Circuit
The 300 Circuit is the longest layout at Snetterton, measuring 2.969 miles (4.779 km). It uses many parts of the old track plus the new section added in 2011. This layout is designed for big international races.
Major British championships, like the British Formula 3 Championship and British GT Championship, started using this new layout in May 2011. The British Touring Car Championship and British Superbike Championship also race here. In 2016, a corner called Montreal was renamed Wilson. This was to honor Justin Wilson, a British IndyCar driver who sadly passed away.
The Snetterton 200 Circuit
This layout is 2.000 miles (3.219 km) long and is very similar to how the track was before 2011. The main changes are to a few corners, like Justin Wilson, Coram, and Murray's. These changes were made to create more chances for drivers to overtake each other. This layout is mostly used for smaller club races.
The Snetterton 100 Circuit
The 100 layout is the shortest, only 0.980 miles (1.577 km) long. It uses just the new section of the track. This part of the circuit is mainly used for testing cars and for racing schools where people learn to drive race cars. The cool thing is that the 100 and 200 layouts can be used at the same time for different events!
Exciting Events at Snetterton
Snetterton hosts many different types of races throughout the year.
- Current Events
- May: British Touring Car Championship, F4 British Championship, Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain, Britcar
- June: British Superbike Championship, British Supersport Championship, British Talent Cup, Snetterton Classic
- July: British GT Championship, GB4 Championship
- August: Caterham Grand Prix
- September: TCR UK Touring Car Championship, USA Snetterton 300
- Past Events
- British Formula 3 International Series (1977–2004, 2006–2012)
- European Formula Two Championship (1967)
- European Formula 5000 Championship (1969–1975)
- European Touring Car Championship (1965–1968)
- Formula Ford Festival (1972–1975)
- GB3 Championship (2013–2023)
Fastest Laps at Snetterton
Before the 300 circuit was built in 2011, the fastest official lap was 0:56.095 seconds. This was set by Klaas Zwart in August 2007. He drove so fast that his average speed was about 125.27 mph (201.60 km/h)!
On the current 300 circuit, the fastest lap record is 1:39.933 seconds. This amazing lap was set by Felipe Nasr from Brazil in 2011. He was driving a Dallara F308 car in a British F3 race. His average speed was about 106.95 mph (172.12 km/h).
Here are some of the fastest official race lap records for different types of vehicles at Snetterton Circuit:
| Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Event | Circuit Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snetterton 300 Circuit (2011–present): 4.779 km | |||||
| Formula Three | 1:39.933 | Felipe Nasr | Dallara F308 | 2011 Snetterton British F3 round | |
| GB3 | 1:41.280 | Alex Dunne | Tatuus MSV-022 | 2023 Snetterton GB3 round | |
| GT3 | 1:46.116 | Marvin Kirchhöfer | McLaren 720S GT3 Evo | 2023 Snetterton British GT round | |
| Superbike | 1:46.583 | Bradley Ray | Yamaha YZF-R1 | 2025 Snetterton BSB round | |
| GB4 | 1:46.938 | Ary Bansal | Tatuus MSV GB4-025 | 2025 Snetterton GB4 round | |
| Formula 4 | 1:48.072 | Noah Lisle | Tatuus F4-T421 | 2023 Snetterton British F4 round | |
| Porsche Carrera Cup | 1:50.748 | Andrew Rackstraw | Porsche 911 (992) GT3 Cup | 2025 Snetterton Porsche Carrera Cup GB round | |
| Supersport | 1:50.837 | Luke Stapleford | Triumph Daytona 675 | 2025 Snetterton BSS round | |
| Ferrari Challenge | 1:52.739 | Han Sikkens | Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo | 2022 Snetterton Ferrari Challenge UK round | |
| NGTC | 1:54.871 | Ashley Sutton | Ford Focus ST | 2023 Snetterton BTCC round | |
| Sportbike | 1:55.959 | Kas Beekmans | Suzuki GSX-8R | 2025 Snetterton British Sportbike round | |
| TCR Touring Car | 1:56.027 | Joe Marshall | Audi RS 3 LMS TCR (2021) | 2024 Snetterton TCR UK round | |
| GT4 | 1:56.159 | Mike Simpson | Ginetta G56 GT4 | 2023 Snetterton British GT round | |
| BMW F900R Cup | 1:59.336 | Richard Cooper | BMW F900R | 2023 Snetterton BMW F900R Cup round | |
| Moto3 | 2:02.011 | Evan Belford | Honda NSF250R | 2023 Snetterton British Talent Cup round | |
| Truck racing | 2:23.367 | Ryan Smith | Mercedes Actros 12000 | 2021 Snetterton BTRC round | |
| Snetterton 200 Circuit (2011–present): 3.219 km | |||||
| Formula Three | 1:06.572 | Chris Dittmann | Dallara F312 | 2017 Snetterton F3 Cup round |  |
| TCR Touring Car | 1:25.084 | Chris Smiley | Honda Civic Type R TCR (FK8) | 2022 Snetterton TCR UK round | |
| Snetterton 100 Circuit (2011–present): 1.577 km | |||||
| British Sprint Championship | 1:16.210 | Colin Calder | Gould GR37 | 2011 Snetterton British Sprint Championship round |  |
| Grand Prix Circuit (1997–2010): 3.141 km | |||||
| Formula One | 0:56.095 | Klaas Zwart | Benetton B197 | 2007 Snetterton EuroBOSS Super Prix |  |
| Formula Three | 1:01.200 | Adriano Buzaid | Dallara F308 | 2010 Snetterton British F3 round | |
| GT1 | 1:03.393 | Tim Sugden | McLaren F1 GTR | 1999 Snetterton British GT round | |
| Formula Palmer Audi | 1:04.396 | Felix Rosenqvist | Formula Palmer Audi car | 2009 2nd Snetterton Formula Palmer Audi round | |
| Superbike | 1:04.688 | Ryuichi Kiyonari | Honda CBR1000RR | 2006 Snetterton BSB round | |
| Supersport | 1:07.587 | Tom Sykes | Suzuki GSX-R600 | 2006 Snetterton BSS round | |
| GT2 | 1:08.563 | Geoff Lister | Porsche 911 (993) GT2 | 1998 Snetterton British GT round | |
| Super Touring | 1:09.011 | David Leslie | Nissan Primera GT | 1999 Snetterton BTCC round | |
| Formula BMW | 1:09.849 | Henry Surtees | Mygale FB02 | 2007 Snetterton Formula BMW UK round | |
| Super 2000 | 1:11.711 | Darren Turner | SEAT León TDI | 2008 Snetterton BTCC round | |
| BTC Touring | 1:12.249 | Matt Neal | BTC-T Honda Integra Type R | 2005 Snetterton BTCC round | |
| Grand Prix Circuit (1990–1996): 3.137 km | |||||
| Formula 3000 | 0:59.470 | Luiz Garcia Jr. | Reynard 95D | 1996 2nd Snetterton British F2 round |  |
| Formula Three | 1:06.550 | Kelvin Burt | Dallara F393 | 1993 Snetterton British F3 round | |
| GT1 | 1:09.570 | Ian Flux | McLaren F1 GTR | 1996 Snetterton British GT round | |
| Group 4 | 1:11.660 | Thorkild Thyrring | De Tomaso Pantera | 1995 1st Snetterton British GT round | |
| Super Touring | 1:13.130 | Rickard Rydell | Volvo 850 20V | 1995 Snetterton BTCC round | |
| Group A | 1:14.020 | Robb Gravett | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 1990 Snetterton BTCC round | |
| Group 5 | 1:15.080 | John Greasley | Porsche 935 K3 | 1993 Snetterton British GT round | |
| GT2 | 1:24.470 | John Morrison | Porsche 911 (993) GT2 | 1995 2nd Snetterton British GT round | |
| Grand Prix Circuit (1974–1989): 3.085 km | |||||
| Formula 3000 | 0:55.370 | Andrew Gilbert-Scott | Reynard 88D | 1989 Snetterton British F3000 round |  |
| Formula One | 0:56.530 | Rupert Keegan | Arrows A1 | 1979 Budweiser Trophy | |
| Group C2 | 0:59.510 | Tim Harvey | Spice SE89C | 1989 RAC Championship Car Races Snetterton | |
| Formula 5000 | 1:00.000 | Teddy Pilette | Lola T400 | 1975 2nd Snetterton F5000 round | |
| Group A | 1:07.500 | Robb Gravett | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 1989 Snetterton BTCC round | |
| Grand Prix Circuit (with Russell Bend Chicane added) (1965–1973): 4.361 km | |||||
| Formula 5000 | 1:18.400 | Brett Lunger | Trojan T101 | 1973 1st Snetterton F5000 round |  |
| Group 4 | 1:26.200 | Brian Redman | Lola T70 Mk.IIIB GT | 1969 Guards Trophy Snetterton | |
| Sports 2000 | 1:27.200 | Guy Edwards | Lola T290 | 1972 Anglia Television Trophy | |
| Formula Two | 1:28.200 | Jackie Stewart Graham Hill Jochen Rindt |
Matra MS5 Lotus 48 Brabham BT23 |
1967 Guards 100 | |
| Group 6 | 1:35.200 | Jeremy Lord | Astra RNR1 | 1970 Snetterton MN GT round | |
| Original Grand Prix Circuit (1951–1964): 4.361 km | |||||
| Formula One | 1:32.600 | Jim Clark | Lotus 18 | 1960 Lombank Trophy |  |
| Group 4 | 1:35.600 | Innes Ireland | Lotus 19 | 1963 Snetterton Sports Car race | |
| Formula Libre | 1:38.200 | Brian Naylor | JBW-Maserati | 1959 Snetterton Formula Libre race | |
| Group 3 | 1:39.200 | Roy Salvadori | Ferrari 250 LM | 1964 Scott-Brown Memorial Snetterton | |
| Formula Two | 1:51.000 | Bobbie Baird | Ferrari Tipo 500 | 1953 Aston Martin Owners Club Formula 2 Race | |
Images for kids
-
Grand Prix Circuit (1951–1964)
-
Grand Prix Circuit (1965–1973)
-
Club Circuit (1974)
-
Club Circuit (1975–1979) & Grand Prix Circuit (1980–1989)
-
Comparison between 2010 and 2011 layouts
-
Snetterton 100 Circuit (2011–present)
-
Snetterton 200 Circuit (2011–present)
See also
In Spanish: Circuito de Snetterton para niños
