AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson will be turning up the decibels when he pays a visit to Croft Circuit near Darlington this weekend (August 2/3).

Born up the road in Gateshead, the man famous for such rock anthems as ‘Highway to Hell’, ‘Back in Black’, ‘Hells Bells’ and ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ will take to the circuit in the Historic Touring Cars class behind the wheel of a 1964 Mini Cooper that he bought last year after driving it in his television series ‘Cars That Rock’.

“I was 17-and-a-half when I got my first car – a Ford Popular, sit-up-and-beg style and with only three gears,” he said. “That August, I was in my home village of Dunston near Gateshead with not much to do, when somebody said there was racing on at Croft – so on a rainy day and with just one windscreen wiper on this Popular, myself and two friends headed down there. We drove straight past the lady on the gate because we couldn’t afford to buy tickets.

“Having got my initial taste of live motor racing at Croft, I jumped at the chance to race at the Nostalgia Weekend. I was recently one of the drivers in a Porsche 911 that finished first-in-class and 20th overall at the Le Mans Classic, but it’ll be quite a departure from that car’s big fat tyres and rear wing to the little Mini I’ll be driving this weekend!

“As a circuit, Croft is a complete step into the unknown for me and I’ve been told it’s quite a challenge, so I’m fully expecting a big learning curve and to get my backside royally kicked by the Nostalgia regulars!”

Tickets for Croft’s Nostalgia Weekend cost £13 for Saturday entry, £18 for Sunday or £23 for a weekend pass and can be purchased on the gate. Accompanied children aged 15 and under go free.