Why the Thruxton circuit is benefitting from its new owner’s fresh ideas

When someone buys a much-loved historic venue or brand, one of two contrasting scenarios can play out.

The new owner might fail to understand the business that they have acquired and therefore does not invest in the right areas, which results in a steady decline. Or the change in ownership could inspire fresh thinking and new ideas that prove transformational in a positive way.

It would seem Alex Thistlethwayte’s purchase of the Thruxton airfield and circuit falls into the latter category. The historics racer and successful businessman bought the venue from Henry Pelham – previously the landlord throughout the track’s first 56 years – last May and his influence is clearly already being felt.

“Unlike some of the people who might have bought the circuit, Alex is a historic racer,” explains Ben Taylor, group chief executive of the British Automobile Racing Club, the long-term operator of Thruxton with a lease that runs until 2037.

“He’s got a whole load of cars, he enjoys driving so there’s a natural affinity between him and the circuit that maybe hasn’t existed before. 

“Obviously he’s got an airfield and an industrial estate but the thing that really attracted him was the race circuit itself. He doesn’t want to just sit on the side and let us get on with it, he wants to be involved and he wants to see if he can help us to improve. The brief is he wants Thruxton to be even more magnificent than it currently is.”

One of the most obvious developments since Thistlethwayte’s arrival on the scene is the creation of a new elevated viewing area on the outside of Woodham Hill. This was first open to the public at June’s British Touring Car Championship visit and proved an instant hit.

Fantastic views are offered of the cars exiting Church and climbing up towards the all-important Club chicane – and witnessing the jostling pack clambering over the kerbs from the rear gives a completely different perspective of the corner.

For a venue with over half a century of history to still be offering new experiences for spectators has to be applauded and it was something that Taylor mentioned to the new owner very early on.

New elevated viewing area on the outside of Woodham Hill has been an instant hit

Photo by: Stephen Lickorish

“Alex’s very much into the idea of people having a good time so he bought a beer tent and him and the crew from Thruxton Airfield set that up,” adds Taylor of the entertainment possibilities of the new area, which were exploited at Thruxton’s British Trucks event in July when a truck show was held there.

“The feedback was great in advance. We took an aerial shot during the Caterham meeting back in May and revealed it to the world as the new viewing area and it went mad. Everyone went, ‘This is what I’ve been waiting for for years’. 

“It’s worked out really well and I think it will continue to attract lots of people. Thruxton’s not an easy place to create an atmosphere, it’s quite linear. We’ve got lots of banking where you can get a great view, but you can’t really create a party or a focal zone on the outside of the circuit anywhere and still have a view of the track.

“The joy of the Woodham Hill area is it’s so big you can put the entertainment up there and people can still watch the action while they’re there.”

Thistlethwayte also wanted to get involved in the events themselves and was one of the driving forces behind June’s new Thruxton Retro meeting. This was a revamped version of the Thruxton Historic but with a mass of off-track activities such as music and funfairs all badged under the ‘Superfunk’ title to supplement the on-track excitement.

“You never get anything stimulated and you never push the boundaries. We all need to drive things forward in order to keep the business moving” Ben Taylor

And it was somewhat fitting that Thistlethwayte was victorious at the event’s inaugural edition, triumphing in the GT & Sports Car Cup in his AC Cobra alongside Murray Shepherd.

Thistlethwayte’s ideas do not stop there, and he has spoken about the desire to develop the pit garages. “There’s no end of ideas swirling around in my head and I dare say Alex has got exactly the same,” concludes Taylor.

“What we’ve seen is that having a fresh set of eyes, just to challenge and to promote discussion – not everything will come off, but if you don’t have those ideas coming in from left-field, you never get anything stimulated and you never push the boundaries. We all need to drive things forward in order to keep the business moving.”

Clearly Thruxton is being driven forward in a positive direction. With the addition of the Thruxton Centre hospitality building and Noble viewing area in recent years, the somewhat tired exterior that greeted you at the Hampshire speedbowl is steadily being upgraded. And that all seemingly means this change in ownership is one to celebrate.

This article is one of many in the monthly Autosport magazine. For more premium content, take a look at the September 2025 issue and subscribe today.

Historic racer Thistlethwayte was victorious at Thruxton Retro’s inaugural edition in the GT & Sports Car Cup in his AC Cobra

Photo by: Steve Jones