Race Tracks Near London
London sits within easy reach of England's busiest motorsport corridor. Brands Hatch, in the Kent countryside, is the closest major circuit and a regular BTCC and British Superbikes stop, while Silverstone, Snetterton, Thruxton, Goodwood and Bedford Autodrome ring the capital at 90 minutes to two hours out, covering everything from the British Grand Prix to club track days. Santa Pod's quarter mile in Bedfordshire hosts the UK's biggest drag racing weekends, and rallycross at Lydden Hill runs on the sport's birthplace circuit. Karters have two famous circuits close in at Rye House and Buckmore Park, the latter a starting point for several Formula 1 drivers. ExCeL's temporary street circuit hosts Formula E in the Docklands, and motocross riders head to Canada Heights in Kent. London's own racing history runs deep: Brooklands, Crystal Palace, Battersea Park and Purfleet's Arena Essex all once staged motorsport within the city's boundaries before closing.
20 venues listed across 8 categories. Venues with a full RaceTrackWorld guide are linked.
Road courses in London
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brands Hatch Circuit | Fawkham, Kent | 40 min | 3.908 km | Former British Grand Prix venue, now anchors the BTCC and British Superbikes calendars on its Grand Prix loop. |
| Bedford Autodrome | Bedford, Bedfordshire | 1 h 15 min | — | Purpose-built track-day venue with multiple configurable layouts including the GT and Coronation circuits. |
| Silverstone Circuit | Silverstone, Northamptonshire | 1 h 35 min | 5.891 km | Home of the British Grand Prix and British MotoGP round, run on a former WWII airfield. |
| Thruxton Circuit | Andover, Hampshire | 1 h 40 min | 3.792 km | The UK's fastest permanent circuit, a former airfield hosting BTCC and British Superbikes. |
| Goodwood Motor Circuit | Chichester, West Sussex | 1 h 50 min | 3.86 km | Historic 1948 circuit that hosts the Members' Meeting and Revival for pre-1966 racing cars. |
| Snetterton Circuit | Norwich, Norfolk | 2 h | 4.778 km | Fast, flowing East Anglian circuit; the 300 layout hosts British GT and British Touring Cars. |
Ovals and speedways in London
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foxhall Stadium | Ipswich, Suffolk | 1 h 45 min | — | Shale oval hosting BriSCA F1 and F2 stock cars alongside Ipswich's speedway team. |
Drag strips in London
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Pod Raceway | Podington, Bedfordshire | 1 h 20 min | 0.402 km | The UK's premier drag strip, home to the FIA European Finals and Main Event. |
Motocross and off-road in London
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada Heights | Swanley, Kent | 40 min | — | South East motocross circuit hosting club and championship meetings. |
Karting in London
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rye House Kart Raceway | Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire | 45 min | 0.9 km | Historic kart circuit near London that has produced multiple F1 world champions. |
| Buckmore Park Kart Circuit | Chatham, Kent | 50 min | 1.2 km | Kart circuit where several Formula 1 drivers began racing, including Lewis Hamilton. |
| Kimbolton Kart Circuit | Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire | 1 h 30 min | 1 km | East of England kart circuit for club and championship racing. |
Street circuits and temporary in London
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExCeL London Circuit | London | 25 min | 2.1 km | Indoor/outdoor street circuit around the ExCeL exhibition centre hosting Formula E's London E-Prix. |
Closed and historic in London
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battersea Park CircuitClosed | London | 25 min | 2.9 km | Temporary street circuit that hosted the Formula E London E-Prix in 2015-16 before the series moved to ExCeL. |
| Crystal Palace CircuitClosed | London | 30 min | 2.24 km | South London park circuit that hosted top-flight racing until closing in 1972. |
| Wimbledon StadiumClosed | London | 30 min | — | Greyhound and speedway stadium that hosted stock car racing until closing in 2017. |
| Arena Essex RacewayClosed | Purfleet, Essex | 40 min | — | Stock car and speedway oval that ran from 1978 until closing in November 2018; the site was later sold and is now a Google data centre campus. |
| Boreham CircuitClosed | Chelmsford, Essex | 55 min | 4.2 km | Former airfield circuit and Ford motorsport test track that hosted racing until the mid-1960s. |
| BrooklandsClosed | Weybridge, Surrey | 50 min | 4.43 km | The world's first purpose-built banked motor racing circuit, closed to racing in 1939; now a museum. |
Rallycross in London
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lydden Hill Race Circuit | Canterbury, Kent | 1 h 30 min | 1.2 km | The birthplace of rallycross in 1967 and home of the British Rallycross Championship. |
Major race weekends in London
| Event | Venue | When | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Grand Prix | Silverstone Circuit | July | Formula 1 |
| Goodwood Festival of Speed | Goodwood House hillclimb (next to the Motor Circuit) | July | Hillclimb / historic |
| Goodwood Revival | Goodwood Motor Circuit | September | Historic |
| Santa Pod Main Event | Santa Pod Raceway | August | Drag racing |
| London E-Prix | ExCeL London Circuit | July | Formula E |
| British Rallycross Championship round | Lydden Hill Race Circuit | May | Rallycross |
Track days and driving experiences in London
Brands Hatch, less than an hour from central London, is the default track-day venue for the capital, with regular HPDE, sprint and club-racing days on its Indy and Grand Prix loops. Bedford Autodrome and Silverstone, both around 90 minutes out, add multiple configurable layouts for driver training and track-day organisers such as MSVT and Everytrack. Karters use Rye House or Buckmore Park for sprint racing and arrive-and-drive sessions. Expect roughly GBP150-GBP350 for a full car track day depending on venue and run-group size, more for instructed or one-to-one coaching formats.
Frequently asked questions
What is the closest race track to London?+
Brands Hatch in Fawkham, Kent, roughly 40 minutes from central London, is the closest major circuit. ExCeL London's Formula E street circuit is closer still but only runs on race weekends.
Where can I watch Formula 1 near London?+
Silverstone, about 90 minutes northwest of the city, hosts the British Grand Prix every July.
Where can I do a track day near London?+
Brands Hatch, Silverstone and Bedford Autodrome are the main open-lapping and HPDE venues within about 90 minutes of the capital.
Does Epsom Downs or Ascot count as a race track?+
No — Epsom Downs, Ascot and other London-area courses are horse racing venues, not motorsport tracks, so they aren't included in this guide.
What happened to Arena Essex Raceway?+
The Purfleet stock car and speedway oval closed in 2018 after a housing developer bought the site; it was later sold on again and is now the location of a Google data centre campus.
Are these drive times accurate?+
Drive times are typical off-peak estimates from central London. Traffic around the M25 and through Kent and the Home Counties can add significant time at weekends and during events.
Venue list checked against 6 sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.
Track guides within 120 miles of London
Battersea Park Circuit
Hotels Near Battersea Park Circuit Track History The Battersea Park Circuit is an exhilarating destination for motorsports enthusiasts, situated in t...
ExCeL London Circuit
Address: Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, Royal Docks, London E16 1XL United Kingdom Website: https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2019/februar...
Brooklands
Hotels Near Brooklands Track History If you're a motorsports enthusiast, a journey to the historic Brooklands circuit in Weybridge, Surrey, England, ...
Brands Hatch Circuit
Address: West Kingsdown, Longfield DA3 8NG UK Website: http://www.brandshatch.co.uk/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (+)441474872331 Hotels ...
Bedford Autodrome
Address: Thurleigh Airfield Business Park, Bedford MK44 2YP United Kingdom Website: https://www.bedfordautodrome.co.uk Email: [email protected] Phon...
Goodwood Motor Circuit
Address: Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0PH, United Kingdom Website: https://www.goodwood.com Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (+44) 1243 75506...
Silverstone Circuit
Address: Northamptonshire NN12 Towcester 8TN UK Website: https://www.silverstone.co.uk/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: 01327 320 468 Hotels...
Thruxton Circuit
Address: Andover SP11 Hampshire 8PN UK Website: https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: 01264 882222 Hotels Near Thrux...
Rockingham
Hotels Near Rockingham Track History Rockingham, the iconic high-speed racing circuit nestled in Northamptonshire, England, offers a rich tapestry of...
Snetterton Circuit
Address: Norwich NR16 Norfolk, 2JU UK Website: http://www.snetterton.co.uk/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: 01953 887303 Hotels Near Snetter...
Castle Combe Circuit
Address: Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 7EY, United Kingdom Website: https://www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (+44) ...
Mallory Park Circuit
Address: Church Lane, Kirkby Mallory, Leicestershire, LE9 7QE United Kingdom Website: http://malloryparkcircuit.com Email: [email protected] Phone N...
Birmingham Superprix Circuit
Hotels Near Birmingham Superprix Circuit Track History The Birmingham Superprix Circuit, a Motorsports Enthusiast's Dream The Birmingham Superprix Ci...
Donington Park Circuit
Address: Donington Park, Castle Donington, Derby DE74 Derby 2RP UK Website: https://www.donington-park.co.uk/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number:...