Extensive Brands resurfacing project

MotorSport Vision has carried out a major resurfacing project at Brands Hatch, improving the quality of the track surface for competitors, trackday participants and driving experience guests on over half of the Indy circuit.

A particularly cold winter has led to accelerated degradation in parts of the circuit, and competitive use over many years has created general ‘wear and tear’ on the track surface.

Ongoing maintenance work has been carried out on minor local repairs arising in recent times, but the latest project marks a major improvement in the quality of the track surface.

Jonathan Palmer, Chief Executive of MotorSport Vision, said: “This resurfacing project represents a major investment in Brands Hatch.

“Even in these tough economic times MSV is committed to developing and improving our circuits, and the new surface will benefit all our track users.

“It will be interesting to see what effect the new surface has on lap times during the year.”

The resurfacing by Buckingham Group Contracting will benefit all the championships and competitors that race at Brands Hatch – as well as the thousands of driving enthusiasts that visit the circuit each year to take part in car and bike trackdays and MSV’s retail and corporate driving experiences – with an even smoother, high quality surface.

The track has been resurfaced from mid-way down Cooper Straight, through McLaren, around Clearways and down the Brabham Straight to the centre of the pit complex1 using Prixmat surface material, well known for its high performance friction surface qualities.

More than 35 workmen and 15 vehicles worked flat-out over 8 days – including laying the final surface in just six hours – to complete the project, which has involved over 1,000 tonnes of surface material.

To ensure maximum smoothness, the new surface has been laid using a specialist paving technique in order to avoid joins between strips of material.

Brands Hatch maintenance staff have also carried out other circuit improvements including the addition of new kerbing at the exit of Druids, raising and re-levelling the area behind the kerb on the exit of Graham Hill Bend, and undertaking drainage works to manage surface water on the entry to Cooper Straight.