Silverstone is one of Britain’s most iconic racing venues, and staying ahead of the action across the 550-acre motorsport site is vital for the operations team which maintains the circuit. According to circuit managers Lee Howkins and Dan Holmes, that’s achieved by relying on the all-terrain performance of their Suzuki KingQuads.

 

“They’re crucial for our work, whether that’s event prep, maintenance or emergency call-outs,” Lee says. “At the Grand Prix, we have over 500,000 visitors across the four days of the event, and 75,000 at MotoGP. The KingQuads are out all the time and constantly on the move, making sure the circuit is safe, clean and ready to go.”

 

The team oversees the world-famous Grand Prix circuit and the other two- and four-wheel events that take place there 52 weeks a year. They also manage the site’s woodland areas, campsites, hundreds of acres of grass car parks, facilities at Silverstone’s Escapade Trackside Apartments, and clubhouse.

 

“The KingQuads are the only practical way to cover this massive site quickly,” Dan says.

 

“The Suzuki build quality is excellent – we’ve never even had a puncture. They just keep going, whether you’re on gravel, grass or difficult terrain, where using a tractor or truck would be impossible. They’re really comfortable and easy to control too.”

 

These benefits are important to the team, as a variety of tasks and responsibilities falls to them each day. From fertilising and spreading grass seed to getting out fast to check an issue in areas with difficult access, every vehicle on the site has to work hard to meet Silverstone’s daily challenges, and their KingQuads always rise to the occasion.

 

Working hard on and off the track

Recently, the KingQuad’s ability to handle soft ground proved invaluable when the team had to deal with a burst water main.

 

“We used a quad to tow a half-ton water pump,” Dan says. “A truck would have been too heavy and damaged the ground, but the quad handled it perfectly.”

 

“They’re so versatile – even doubling up as sheep-herding vehicles to clear fields for parking when needed,” he adds.

 

Lee says, “On the track, using the quads to tow our FOD*BOSS system for clearing tyre rubber fragments and top rubble avoids sweeping the surface too intensely. And they’re small enough for us to maintain visibility when we’re operating a jet turbine blower to shift small stones and grass.”

 

“Trackside, we use them to tow trailers for painting the red and white race-track walls,” Dan adds. “A truck would get stuck in the gravel beds, and moving a trailer by hand to paint so many metres would take hours.”

 

All this activity adds up in terms of fuel and environmental impact - concerns for many large-scale operations. However, the team commented positively on the KingQuad’s operating efficiency. “We only fill them up once a month,” says Lee. “That’s a big environmental and cost advantage compared to using diesel tractors.”

Support that goes the extra lap

With operating and event deadlines to meet, a venue such as Silverstone needs to run without disruption. Downtime isn’t an option, and responsive servicing is crucial. 

 

Suzuki’s aftersales team has been excellent in helping Silverstone stay on top of their operations schedule, Lee says.

 

“Suzuki’s support has been a breath of fresh air. The servicing is first rate and if we need advice, the aftersales team is always a pleasure to deal with.”

 

For extra peace of mind, every Suzuki KingQuad comes equipped with Datatag security marking and Datatool tracking systems. “Security here is tight, but it’s good to know the quads would be easy to track and recover if anything ever did happen,” Lee says.

 

A valued partnership 

Silverstone’s circuit management team used to run ATVs from another brand, but they started regularly falling into disrepair. That all changed in 2021 when two KingQuads arrived just in time for the British Grand Prix. These have now been replaced with fresh new units for 2026.

 

“Suzuki quads have been an integral part of our systems since they first arrived,” says Lee. “They’re just so capable and handle everything we throw at them, from dawn track checks to late-night call-outs. We couldn’t do our jobs without them.”

 

Thanks to Lee and Dan for speaking to us. You can learn all about Silverstone, and keep up to date with their events, which the team help to deliver, at www.silverstone.co.uk.

 

Visit atv.suzuki.co.uk/find-a-dealer to find your nearest Authorised Suzuki ATV dealer, and while stocks last, receive a premium care package with every new KingQuad purchased.