Balmy spring weather and cloudless skies proved the icing on the cake for drivers and teams participating in Castle Combe Racing Club’s annual preseason Media and Track Day last Saturday.
Throughout the day 60 GT, Saloon, Hot Hatch and Formula Ford cars from the club’s four championships took to the track in five batches for rolling 15-minute sessions, ensuring winter cobwebs were blown away in preparation for the first race meeting Easter Monday 6 April.
Slickly organized and well-supported, the day offered free entry to visitors and started early for teams with safety and noise checks on cars before a mandatory driver briefing. During a relaxed and humorous talk, the track manager explained track-day driving etiquette was gentler than racing. Also, the speed differential aspect, essential information for safely harmonizing a mixture of cars grouped within several track sessions to achieve maximum driver safety and enjoyment.
Later, 35 journalists and photographers invited to capture news stories and photographs were provided with details of the circuit’s 12-race 2026 calendar for publication in some of the UK’s major motorsport mediums, including Castle Combe TV, with host Chris Dawes, also the circuit’s lead commentator, on hand to conduct podcast interviews with drivers.
Among competitors taking part was reigning GT champion Dylan Popovic, testing his fearsome championship winning Ginetta G50 Chevrolet after its winter rebuild. Another 2025 champion, Luke Cooper, was comparing two of his team’s Swift Formula Ford chassis in preparation for another full season, including trying to win the Castle Combe FF championship for a fourth time.
A new addition to Media Day was an Autosolo within the paddock, organized by Bath Motor Club under the guidance of chairman Dave Whittock. This entry-level sport using standard road cars provided a source of interest for younger enthusiasts all day. Other Media Day favorites included Wiltshire College’s realistic race simulator for which there was a constant queue.
On display near the Strawford Centre was a sympathetically built replica (above) of Ayrton Senna’s distinctive yellow Van Diemen RF81, which 32 years after his tragic death still evoked memories of the great Brazilian winning races at Castle Combe enroute to 12 wins from 20 circuits and both RAC and Townsend-Thoresen FF 1981 titles. Media Day would have been Senna’s 66th birthday!
Traditionally Castle Combe’s 2026 racing season always starts Easter Monday, with Howard’s Day, named after Swansea-born Howard Strawford who became involved with a somewhat run-down Wiltshire race circuit in 1968 when his company transferred him to Bristol. Motor racing impresario Strawford became the circuit’s saviour, carrying out essential work on track and infrastructure.
As a result of all these rapid improvements, the venue’s footfall of spectators and quality racing helped Castle Combe Circuit become one of the most popular of the UK’s 17 listed race circuits, as characterized by the hard-earned sobriquet ’Britain’s friendliest race circuit’, a legend captured by a humorous wall fresco, painted in the circuit café by celebrated Autosport cartoonist Jim Bamber over 2-days February 1994.
In 1976 Howard Strawford bought the venue and never stopped developing and improving track and amenities. Despite his passing in 2013 the circuit is still owned and operated by wife Patricia and the second generation of the Strawford family. As testimony to Howard’s tireless work, the 50th anniversary of his ownership will be one of the birthdays marked in 2026.
© Words Ken Davies
© Images courtesy of Mike Stokes & Ken Davies
