Blyton Park - new circuit opens for business

The Blyton Park Driving Centre is now officially open following a successful launch on May 4 attended by 75 invited guests and hosted by the entrepreneur and enthusiast behind it, Richard Usher. The open day saw a wide range of cars take to the pristine new 1.5-mile asphalt circuit, which garnered much praise for its challenging yet safe nature.
 
‘I am overwhelmed by the unanimously positive response to what we have done with Blyton,’ said a delighted Usher, who has so far invested around half a million pounds rejuvenating the facility near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire. ‘I built the track so that people could come here and enjoy their cars, a pastime that’s increasingly difficult on our roads.’
 
Blyton will continue to host Rallycross and Supermoto meetings but Usher has no ambition to see it become a venue for circuit racing. ‘The UK already has enough race tracks. I hope the wide range of vehicles that we saw here today will reflect the range of vehicles we attract to Blyton.’
 
The day saw everything from Autograss buggies to rally cars to road cars to a Lola Formula One car lapping the newly laid track. The fine selection of historic rally cars included original Escorts, Mick Strafford’s unique Chevy-powered Firenza and Steve Perez’s lurid and loud Lancia Stratos. Phil Morrison of Driftworks explored the outer reaches of the asphalt in his Nissan Silvia S15, and Callum Macleod wowed the crowd when he demonstrated David Harrison’s DFV-powered Larousse Lola SC88.
 
The former Second World War US bomber base has been used for various forms of motorsport for around 50 years and the local Grass Track racing club still occupies a part of the site. Blyton hosted the second round of the MSA Rallycross championship on May 7, under floodlights, and it’s hoped that the new asphalt track, designed by ex-touring car ace Eugene O’Brian and journalist John Barker, will be sanctioned for Sprint meetings.