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Croft Autodrome to celebrate 50th birthday in style

Croft Autodrome will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2014, and with a bumper calendar of high-octane outings capped by the prestigious mid-summer Nostalgia Weekend, fans will be kept entertained season-long from lights-out to chequered flag.

The circuit blasted back into action in style last week following the traditional winter lull, as wall-to-wall sunshine greeted a wide variety of racing saloons and single-seaters taking to the track to signal that Croft - together with its new race control and indoor seated dining area - is well-and-truly open for business.

Croft Autodrome hosted its first motor racing event on August 3, 1964, in the guise of the Daily Mirror Trophy Meeting for touring cars, GTs, sportscars, single-seaters and bikes. Exactly half-a-century later, on August 2/3, 2014, the sights, sounds and smells of yesteryear will be recreated when the Nostalgia Weekend roars into the north-east's premier motor sport venue. Stars and cars from eras gone-by are sure to wow crowds both on and off the track.

Now entering its fifth consecutive year, the winning blend of historic Hillman Imps and legendary Lotus Cortinas, live music, fashion displays, World War Two encampments and air shows makes the Nostalgia Weekend fun for all the family.

One of the prevalent themes during the 2014 edition of the retro-flavoured festival is expected to be touring cars through the ages, in the year that the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship looks set to produce one of the most competitive and compelling campaigns in its long and illustrious history.

The BTCC will also visit Croft on June 28/29, when no fewer than seven tin-top champions will take to the track and race doorhandle-to-doorhandle around Yorkshire's temple of speed. Always a favourite amongst the championship's contenders, the track will doubtless set the scene for some spectacular battles and wheel-to-wheel action.

That's far from all that there is to enjoy at Croft over the coming months, however, with the BARC, BRSCC, North East Motor Cycle Club, Darlington & District Motor Club, Roger Albert Clark Rally and BTRDA Rallycross amongst others all set to pay a visit. The full season calendar can be seen below.

"This is a big year for Croft Autodrome, and to be able to celebrate our 50th birthday on the very same weekend as the first race meeting back in 1964 makes it even more special," said circuit manager, Mike Cantelo.

"The Nostalgia Weekend is a fitting event to mark this momentous milestone, and will harken back to those early days when Croft Autodrome was still in its motor racing infancy. It will appeal to fans of all ages across the generations, and we hope many of them will similarly attend some of our other high-profile meetings over the course of the campaign. Our spectators have a lot to look forward to in 2014."

Croft 2014 Calendar:
March 29/30 North East Motor Cycle Club Race Meeting
April 21 Darlington & District Motor Club Easter Sprint Meeting
April 26/27 BARC Race Meeting
May 10/11 Darlington & District Motor Club Race Meeting
June 28/29 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship
July 19/20 BARC Race Meeting
August 2/3 Croft Nostalgia Weekend
August 16/17 Derby Phoenix Motor Cycle Club Race Meeting
September 6/7 BRSCC Race Meeting
September 20/21 BARC Race Meeting
October 4/5 Hottrax Motorbike Race Meeting
October 18 MSA British Rallycross Championship
October 19 MSA Rallycross Grand Prix
November 16 BTRDA Rallycross
TBC Roger Albert Clark Rally
December 28 Christmas Stages