Historic British sports car maker Ginetta recently announced its purchase of Blyton Park, the former RAF base turned racetrack and test facility.

Opened in 2011, the Lincolnshire circuit is one of the country’s youngest – and busiest. Ginetta, now based in Leeds after several changes of ownership and co-ownership, plans to turn Blyton into ‘a dedicated motorsport venue’ intent on ‘breeding the next generation of racing stars’.

Ginetta’s owner Lawrence Tomlinson unsuccessfully bid for Silverstone last year; despite this set back, his stewardship of Ginetta and Le Mans racing career made him an excellent suitor for Blyton Park, according to its previous owner Richard Usher, who stays on as the circuit’s managing director.

“I’d like to assure you that for us at Blyton Park it is going to be business as usual boosted with the investment we need to make improvements for the benefit of all our customers. We’re proud of the flexibility the circuit offers and we will protect that,” he explained on Blyton Park’s official website.

“Ginetta is now known for its motorsport ladder, taking young and new drivers from their first race all the way into Le Mans Prototype racing. Ginetta has brought many new drivers into the sport. None of this would have been possible without Lawrence’s commitment to the sport more broadly and the patient capital he was willing to invest personally. No-one has done more to make racing accessible to more competitors than Lawrence and Ginetta,” Richard added.

“Ginetta is approaching the investment in Blyton Park in very much the same way. Protecting and bolstering the fantastic motorsport industry in the UK, from cars to bikes – whatever the creed – Blyton Park will be a venue where ardour for the sport will continue to burn strongly in all its forms.”

Improvements will be made to Blyton’s facilities and track configuration; its Motor Sports Association (MSA) license to host sprint competitions, rally track, grass track and motorcycle events will be maintained.

“The purchase of Blyton Park made ideal business sense to Ginetta. It’s one of the UK’s biggest testing facilities and we are one of its biggest customers. We plan to invest in improving the customer offerings and experience at the circuit, as it’s crucial for us to ensure it remains ‘business as usual’ with all manufacturers encouraged to continue to use the facility,” concluded Ginetta’s commercial director Nick Portlock.