It’s that most wonderful time of the year again, folks. But Christmas is about so much more than Kevin McCallister foiling the Sticky Bandits, Michael Bublé and mince pies. It’s a time of joy and goodwill, of family and friends, and of course, festive cheer on the High Speed Television Channel. So let us be your guide over the busy festive period, with some top quality motorsport from around the world sure to fill the time between Christmas dinner and the inevitable game of charades...
Spare a thought for our friends in Australia, whose dreams of a white Christmas are unlikely to be realised any time soon. Still, they at least have the Supercars Championship to enjoy, with a double-bill season review split across Christmas Eve and Christmas Day itself. Join the biggest names in Australasia including Shane van Gisbergen, Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes for another barnstormer of a season, which saw James Courtney deliver his annual Adelaide masterclass, Will Davison take an unlikely win at Bathurst and Scott McLaughlin bolster his reputation even more with third in the standings.
There’s plenty more to come from Down Under too. On Christmas Eve, watch as star of the future Matt Campbell attempts to see off experienced campaigners David Wall, Alex Davison and Bathurst legend Steven Richards in the Australian Porsche Carrera Cup on the streets of Adelaide, while on New Year’s Eve, the V8 Utes Racing Series will be on a mission to entertain in Sydney.
In case you missed it over the weekend, there’s a full replay of the fourth Superprestigio Dirt Track event from Barcelona on Boxing Day, as three-time Moto GP champion Marc Márquez sought to defend local honour against an all-star line-up featuring 2015 event champion Brad Baker from the USA. Could Márquez give the packed crowd in the Palau Sant Jordi an early Christmas present?
From two wheels to none at all, the P1 Superstock USA powerboat championship season review is another opportunity to recap the very best of the action from 2016. Based around identical race-prepared P1 Panthers, the fast-growing series sees elite crews race against the clock – and each other – on the open water, with Team Barbados and GEICO Racing taking the title fight to the wire at Sarasota. And if you can’t get enough of powerboat racing, there’s also the P1 Superstock UK variant to enjoy too, with brother and sister pairing Sam and Daisy Coleman taking home the spoils.
If it’s a Christmas guilty pleasure you’re after, then look no further than the Britcar Endurance Championship. Any opportunity to watch the mighty Mosler MT900 in action is not one to miss and in this season review, you can relish the Neil Garner-run machine rolling back the years to defeat the Tockwith Audi in the dark at Brands Hatch, plus a whole lot more besides. The strength in depth in this year’s championship was exceptional, with bang-up-to-date GT3 machinery from McLaren and Lamborghini taking on Ginetta, and Aston Martin in a truly diverse field that put on a treat on a rare visit to Thruxton.
Then, to get you in the mood for the big day, we’ll be showing the World Rally Championship season review on Christmas Eve, followed by a four-hour IMSA Sportscar Championship blockbuster on the Christmas day itself. With highlights of World Endurance Championship’s 6 Hours of COTA, Fuji Shanghai and Bahrain, plus coverage of the TCR International Series and wild NZ Jet Sprints action from Meremere to boot, all that remains is to wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Thursday 22nd December14:15 – Superprestigio Dirt Track (Replay)17:50 – FIM Motocross of Nations, Maggoria (Replay)21:30 – P1 Superstock USA, Season Review
Friday 23rd December14:45 – P1 Superstock UK, Season Review16:50 – FIA World Endurance Championship, Rd 6, 6 Hours of COTA17:50 – FIA World Endurance Championship, Rd 7, 6 Hours of Fuji18:55 – Britcar Endurance Championship, Season Review
Saturday 24th December14:15 – FIA World Rally Championship, Season Review17:20 – Fun Cup Championship, Season Review18:55 – Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, Rd 1, Adelaide20:00 – Australian Supercars Championship, Season Review Part 1
Sunday 25th December10:05 – IMSA Sportscar Championship, Best-Of20:00 – Australian Supercars Championship, Season Review Part 2
Monday 26th December15:45 – Superprestigio Dirt Track (Replay)21:00 – FIA World Endurance Championship, Rd 8, 6 Hours of Shanghai22:05 – FIA World Endurance Championship, Rd 9, 6 Hours of Bahrain
