Seven new venues in 2012 Tour Britannia route

 Ten venues, seven of them new to the event, feature on the definitive route for the eighth running of Tour Britannia, Britain’s only classic race and rally tour, which runs from 6-8 June. With entries building well, and already past minimum levels with over six weeks still to go, and contracts in place with venues, the event organisers are now in the final phase of planning for the 2012 event.
 
Once again, Tour Britannia has secured the use of several venues never before used for competitive motorsport. Meanwhile, the tour’s first races at Croft will be a major new feature along with a welcome return to the glorious Cadwell Park circuit in Lincolnshire.
 
Scrutineering and documentation will be held at the event headquarters, the Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogate, during the afternoon of Wednesday 6 June. Once the formalities are complete, competitors will tackle a 0.75-mile special stage in the grounds of the hotel.
 
On Thursday 7 June the action starts straight away with a special stage in the grounds of Harrogate Showground before heading to a new venue, which is still under wraps. Following races at Croft, the route takes in more new ground with special stages at Raby Castle, Aske Hall and Hipswell Moor before a re-run of the Harrogate Showground stage on the run-in back to the Rudding Park Hotel for the overnight halt.
 
The route for Friday 8 June is topped and tailed by two visits to the spectacular Harewood Hill Climb, with special stages that use some of the paddock area and access roads as well as the famous hillclimb course. In between the two Harewood stages, the crews head into Lincolnshire for a race at Cadwell Park, a special stage at another new venue, Newark Showground and at Blyton Park Driving Centre. The finish celebrations and awards ceremony will be back at the Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogate.
 
“I’m delighted with the final route for the 2012 event,” said tour director Alec Poole. “We’ve condensed the event into two and a half days to make it even more cost effective for our competitors and I’m very pleased that we will be taking the event to a host of new venues as well as one or two old favourites.”