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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

VenueTownDriveLengthKnown for
Bedford AutodromeBedford, Bedfordshire1 h 15 min—Purpose-built track-day venue with multiple configurable layouts including the GT and Coronation circuits.
Brands Hatch CircuitFawkham, Kent40 min3.908 kmFormer British Grand Prix venue, now anchors the BTCC and British Superbikes calendars on its Grand Prix loop.
Goodwood Motor CircuitChichester, West Sussex1 h 50 min3.86 kmHistoric 1948 circuit that hosts the Members' Meeting and Revival for pre-1966 racing cars.
Silverstone CircuitSilverstone, Northamptonshire1 h 35 min5.891 kmHome of the British Grand Prix and British MotoGP round, run on a former WWII airfield.
Snetterton CircuitNorwich, Norfolk2 h4.778 kmFast, flowing East Anglian circuit; the 300 layout hosts British GT and British Touring Cars.
Thruxton CircuitAndover, Hampshire1 h 40 min3.792 kmThe UK's fastest permanent circuit, a former airfield hosting BTCC and British Superbikes.

Ovals and speedways in London

VenueTownDriveLengthKnown for
Foxhall StadiumIpswich, Suffolk1 h 45 min—Shale oval hosting BriSCA F1 and F2 stock cars alongside Ipswich's speedway team.

Drag strips in London

VenueTownDriveLengthKnown for
Santa Pod RacewayPodington, Bedfordshire1 h 20 min0.402 kmThe UK's premier drag strip, home to the FIA European Finals and Main Event.

Motocross and off-road in London

VenueTownDriveLengthKnown for
Canada HeightsSwanley, Kent40 min—South East motocross circuit hosting club and championship meetings.

Karting in London

VenueTownDriveLengthKnown for
Buckmore Park Kart CircuitChatham, Kent50 min1.2 kmKart circuit where several Formula 1 drivers began racing, including Lewis Hamilton.
Kimbolton Kart CircuitKimbolton, Cambridgeshire1 h 30 min1 kmEast of England kart circuit for club and championship racing.
Rye House Kart RacewayHoddesdon, Hertfordshire45 min0.9 kmHistoric kart circuit near London that has produced multiple F1 world champions.

Street circuits and temporary in London

VenueTownDriveLengthKnown for
ExCeL London CircuitLondon25 min2.1 kmIndoor/outdoor street circuit around the ExCeL exhibition centre hosting Formula E's London E-Prix.

Closed and historic in London

VenueTownDriveLengthKnown for
Arena Essex RacewayClosedPurfleet, Essex40 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.
Battersea Park CircuitClosedLondon25 min2.9 kmTemporary street circuit that hosted the Formula E London E-Prix in 2015-16 before the series moved to ExCeL.
Boreham CircuitClosedChelmsford, Essex55 min4.2 kmFormer airfield circuit and Ford motorsport test track that hosted racing until the mid-1960s.
BrooklandsClosedWeybridge, Surrey50 min4.43 kmThe world's first purpose-built banked motor racing circuit, closed to racing in 1939; now a museum.
Crystal Palace CircuitClosedLondon30 min2.24 kmSouth London park circuit that hosted top-flight racing until closing in 1972.
Wimbledon StadiumClosedLondon30 min—Greyhound and speedway stadium that hosted stock car racing until closing in 2017.

Rallycross in London

VenueTownDriveLengthKnown for
Lydden Hill Race CircuitCanterbury, Kent1 h 30 min1.2 kmThe birthplace of rallycross in 1967 and home of the British Rallycross Championship.

Major race weekends in London

EventVenueWhenSeries
British Grand PrixSilverstone CircuitJulyFormula 1
Goodwood Festival of SpeedGoodwood House hillclimb (next to the Motor Circuit)JulyHillclimb / historic
Goodwood RevivalGoodwood Motor CircuitSeptemberHistoric
Santa Pod Main EventSanta Pod RacewayMayDrag racing
London E-PrixExCeL London CircuitAugustFormula E
British Rallycross Championship roundLydden Hill Race CircuitMayRallycross

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