Remembering the Grand Prix at Brands Hatch

I was looking for some Brands photos the other day and came across some of various Grands Prix at the circuit.
What a fantastic place it was for the British GP, unlike today's sterile circuits. Looking at these pics reminds me of how close you could get and how crowded it got too!
This one shows the marshals clearing up after the start shunt in the '86 GP. Just look at the crowd on South Bank!

The first lap on the Cooper Straight.

A view from the stand at the exit of Clearways.

Pretty crowded up at Druids!

Okay, well you see the little dot right at the back under the "K" of the NGK banner at Clearways? That's me, that is!

Any vantage point will do - Clearways in 84.

How times change!
The McLaren pits at the 1984 GP.

BRING IT BACK!!!!!!!!!

Oh I wish that I could travel back to those days, What I wouldn't give for the days of proper racing and proper treatment of fans, these pictures show what half of motor racing is about, getting close to the action!

Thanks for those Andrew, your lucky to have been able to experience those days! Oh what I would give for that!

The Red Arrows do their stuff over the Cooper Straight.
Air displays are no longer allowed over the spectator areas.
The Brands air displays were legendary. Apologies for the aircraft appearing as small dots...at least you can see the smoke!

Up to Druids. A classic Brands shot.

Not a Grand Prix shot,but remember when you could go to Brands, stand where you want,and no grandstands to block your view.

Actually thats what it is like now.They only put up the stands for major events.Since they demolished the only decent stand in UK (with toilets & bar)there are less stand seats than in 1955 & none under cover.

if air displys are not allowed over spectator areas how does goodwood do it?

Because the display area is deemed to be the area over the actual airstrip. Any overflight of the crowd at either end of the runway at Madgwick and Lavant is regarded as "positioning" and should be done at an appropriate height for safety. If you look carefully, the loops and the formation flying and the low passes are all meticulously positioned within the live airfield part of the site.

It usually works out that way...

The scary bit is the actual landings. If you're standing on the bank at Madgwick, the landing approach to the main runway is a bit too close for comfort.

Brands 1986. Jack Lafferty's last GP start. As I recall Thierry Boutsen got a left hand wheel on the grass and spun across the track into a bunch of others. Laffite took avoiding action and the nose of his car got stuck under the Armco and crushed poor Jacque's feet. I believe Dr Jonathan Palmer was the first medic on the scene.

It allowed Mansell to restart as his drive shaft had broken within fifteen metres of the start. Mansell had won the European GP (his first) the previous October and this was his fourth win of the season and the first of his two British GP wins over his team mate Piquet. What made it ironic was that he was driving Piquet's spare.

We were in the Renault Stand at Clearways.

Anyway, that's how I remember it. Please do correct me if I'm wrong.

And Tim. I waved but you obviously didn't see me. ;)

Curses! I must have been looking the other way!

I was one of the flag marshals on Post 3 that day, so it all happened practically under my feet. Scary or what!! Boutsen actually turned sharp left just before braking for Paddock. He hit the barrier and ripped off an advertising banner (they were subsequently never allowed to tie them on again). The car then rolled back onto the track requiring some magnificant avoidance manouvres from almost everyone including Stefan Johannsen in his Ferrari who moved to the right crowding out poor Jacques who hit a very solid sleeper that was suporting the protecting Armco over the top of the tunnel. Can't be sure about JP's involvement, but Richard Cuene Grandidier (he of Kermit Proton Saloon fame) was the first incident marshal on the scene, and being fluent in French stayed with Jacques until he was helicoptered out. My overriding memory? The b***** gutter press who stampeded onto the marshals post to get a better look at the "action". Sick....

I can do one better as I competed that day! I drove in the Thundersports race which took place immediately after the Grand Prix. There were still huge crowds around the circuit as we went round on our warm up lap. A quite amazing atmosphere!

More memories from that weekend, which was not a good one for Lafitte as I recall watching him coast down the hill from Druids with his Ligier well ablaze during practice on Saturday. This was in the days of F1 Rocket Fuel that had been described as having similar propereties to Napalm and I have never seen fire marshals react quite as quickly as they did that afternoon! As for the Thundersports race, was that the one where Rupert Keegan made a guest appearance driving a gorgeous Toj that collided with a car leaving the pits (again, opposite Post 3!!) and spectacularly going off into the kitty litter shedding bodywork in a dramatic fashion??

Was that the race when John Foulston's huge Can-Am Lola thundersports car had masses of blue smoke every time he turned left from oil leaking onto the RH manifold?
Where are these cars? Bring Thundersports back!

Here is a Thundersports race at Brands, but not at the GP. I think it is 1986.
Tim Lee-Davey's Porsche, Mike Blanchet's Lola, not sure on the 3rd car, the black one - any ideas?, Ian Taylor's Lola and Duncan Bain's Chevron.

From the same race, Mike O'Brien's Shrike, a Chevron B8, another Chevron, Harrier and Mallock.

I've just dug out the results sheets from my files, 41 cars practiced for the GP support race.Pole was Foulston and Brindley in their Can Am Lola with Prater and Flux also on the front row. The race was won by Foulstons car with Wallis and Hoy second and Piper and Needell third.The car owner, Del Bennett, and yours truly finished 28th in our Sports 2000 Lola 596.This car probably had about 400hp less than Foulstons!

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
Here is a Thundersports race at Brands, but not at the GP. I think it is 1986.
Tim Lee-Davey's Porsche, Mike Blanchet's Lola, not sure on the 3rd car, the black one - any ideas?, Ian Taylor's Lola and Duncan Bain's Chevron.

Hey Andrew, I know my old man did Thundersports in 1984, racing a Tiga ( I think).

Btw, have you any pictures of Tim? Let me know if you do!

Tim Lee-Davey's Thundersports result for the 1984 British GP support was 8th, driving Tiga TS84 number 42, and he was sharing the driving with Gary Brabham.

I think that unidentified black car might be the Valour Racing March 75S(?) which Rob Wilson and Paul Jackson drove once or twice and which was then stolen....

Re the 'Pretty crowded up at Druids!' photo

Flagman was one of the flag marshals visible on the Druids Out flag point - just above the last car visible on the track.

Re the Laffite practice fire - the fire marshals had great difficulty getting the fire out when the car stopped, as even though they managed to pull the electical isolation switch the fuel pumps kept on pumping fuel out of the ruptured fuel line - seems that someone had wired the fuel pumps to avoid the isolation switch....

but at the fos the displays are directly overhead not over westhampnett.

I remember the Brands GPs very well, and was in fact looking at some old pictures unearthed in the attic this very weekend, I maybe able to persude SL to scan them and post afew as he as a bit of time on his hands!. The size of the crowd back then, in hindsight was very scary, you had to time your trips to the loo along way in advance!

I can still remember the smell of the turbo from the ferraris and low line brabham, happy days.

BTW I came across a book about Jags 88 LM victory by ken something at the weekend, as we are all keen to help young zinho trace his dads exploits there was a piccy of said person driving a Tiga included. not one of his better years, retirement in the early part ofthe race. good picture though.

Originally posted by ss_collins
but at the fos the displays are directly overhead not over westhampnett.

The FoS display is over the car parks - I watched this year's from there with Radio Goodwood commentary :beer: IIRC they have to stay behind a line of trees along the boundary between the Flying Field Car Park and the golf course.

Some of the passes were only about 100 feet up - EXCELLENT! Closest I've been to the Red Arrows except at Dartmouth, where they used to fly really low over the river (I think they've now abandoned that after a mid-air collision, though).

I have photos of the red arrows (transparencies so can't scan onto the forum) that show them below the height of the Control Tower in the Brands Hatch bowl, plus a magnificent shot of one of them coming straight towards me whilst I stood on the bank at Clearways where the GP loop re-joins the club circuit. This nust have been either 84 or 88 I think, and was extremely impressive stuff. Can anyone remember the day Ken Tyrrell lost his awning in the downdraught of the Harrier also at Brands??

It appears as though CART might be racing at Brands in the near future. Happy days are here again. I would love to see the CHAMP cars, with there huge slicks racing like mad men around Brands Hatch!!!!!!!

Please keep posting images, that's if I can wipe the tears from my eyes to see them! Just brilliant days that I'll never forget.

Sorry if my ramblings here seem to go on but I've kept it short! Those nights in pitlane on the evening of the race, talking to drivers, getting autographs and goodies. And the air displays and the support races. How good! How many!

The first one I went to was 1978 (an eight-year-old stood at Druids), when Reutemann's Ferrari outfoxed Lauda's Brabham lapping a backmarker at Clearways to go on and win. That, of course, was after the demise of the dominant Lotus of Mario Andretti and Ronnie Peterson.

Then 1980 (again at the exit of Druids), when Jones and Williams beat Piquet and Brabham. But again, only after the demise of the two dominant cars that weekend, the Ligiers of Pironi and Laffite.

1982 (watching from Clearways), and my hero Keke was on pole. Only his Williams failed to fire up for the warm-up lap. They got it going, eventually, but he then had to put in a qualifier on cold tyres to catch the back of the field just in time for the start. Lauda and McLaren cruised it, but only after Piquet's Brabham BMW packed up after a dozen laps. And, of course, Patrese and Arnoux both crashed out at the start. And who will ever forget the crowd roaring when Derek Warwick in the 'flying pig', the Toleman, overtook pironi to hold second for a while ...

1983, GP of Europe (Clearways): seeing de Angelis and Patrese streak away into the lead only to wipe each other out at Surtees. Piquet and Brabham took a crucial win over Prost and Renault on their way to the title. Arnoux virtually eliminated himself from the title race by spinning and beaching his Ferrari on the kerbs exiting Surtees.

1984 (again at Clearways): Piquet's Brabham took the fight to the McLarens but, after a re-start following Jonathan palmer's huge shunt in the RAM right underneath us, broke down. So, too, did Prost's McLaren, leaving team-mate Lauda to cruise to an easy win. Rookie Senna in the Toleman took a brilliant third ...

1985, GP of Europe (Paddock): Senna leading, Rosberg all over him, being chopped at Surtess and collecting Piquet. Doing a lap with a puncture, coming back out of pits ahead of Senna, baulking him and allowing team-mate (sic) Mansell to speed by for his first win. Senna was second but Rosberg made up virtually a lap to finish third. Prost, fourth, took the title as rival Alborweto peeled into the pits with his Ferrari in flames, and John Watson, standing in for Niki Lauda, competed in his last GP.

1986 (Paddock): the last one. The crash at the start and then almost two hours before the restart. Mansell, in Piquet's spare car, dropping back then closing on Piquet until the Brazilian fumbled a gearchange (remember those)exiting Surtees. Mansell was past. Piquet only got one look-in, entering Druids where he had a run on Mansell who had just exited the pits after his tyre stop. Piquet went to the inside but there was a backmarker in the way and from then on Mansell was untouchable.

Great memories Jonny Apex. I remember all of them! Let's hope the CART race happens..

Brilliant! A few of my personal memories - 1976 and the vociferous crowd 'forcing' the organisers to let James Hunt race at the re-start - the drivers of the hugely powerful ground effect cars taking Druids towards the end of the race with their heads resting on their shoulders - gaining entry to the circuit at the Westfield ambulance gate at 6am and driving round into the 'short' circuit where there was already a massive and expectant crowd (sent tingles all the way down the back!!).

A time when Formula 1 was a sport with circuit managers with racing in their veins (John & Angela Webb), a pit and paddock where fans could get to see their heroes and the huge crowd packed tightly together for hours on end without complaint... I could go on...

Not just F1 was great at Brands, Remember when the 1000KM visited Brands, sorry to say I missed the 917 years (apart from the Kremer 917 in 81) but I did see all the races from 1980.
The battle between the small Lancia LC1's and the ground breaking 956s in the wet was one of the most gripping races I have ever seen.

Or how about the high-speed passenger rides on GP morning around the full circuit ... in a Ford Transit minibus with twin rear wheels!

I recall the driver now ... "This is Surtees, look for the tree on the right, we head for that," ... while sideways and controlling the opposite lock with one hand. Hawthorns was also, ahem, 'memorable'. Particularly for the woman just behind me and my sister, screaming and clutching at anything she could get a hold of.

Much better than the 30mph coach rides at Silverstone ...

Verglas said:-

Can anyone remember the day Ken Tyrrell lost his awning in the downdraught of the Harrier also at Brands??

Well apologies for the delay, I knew I had a photo somewhere...but where?

Not Ken's awning, but a degree of chaos on South Bank nonetheless. Out of shot above is the Harrier.

Yep that was on the run back again. I thought it was the Lotus Awning that went from the back of the pits though.:)

Let me take you back in time to the GP of 1970. Here are three pics of the grid, firstly the dummy grid...

Here the field moves onto the grid proper and the tension mounts...

...and they're orff! I can still remember the deafening noise as the cars yowled by. Rindt, Brabham and Ickx head the field.

Super pics DaveM. I was there too that day, spectating on South Bank. Like the rest of the crowd, couldn't believe it when Rindt appeared in the lead back into Clearways on the last lap after Black Jack ran out of fuel. If I remember correctly, there was also a tremendous group 2 saloon race with Gardner in the Boss Mustang winning. Dennis Leech led for a while also in a Mustang before retiring.And there was the usual F3 slipstreamer.

If only I was born 30 years earlier to see this fo real...

Going all the way back to earlier psotings and the black Thundersports car, it may have been 'us' - that's Chester Wedgewood's Tiga. I certainly remember all the awning's being blown away when the Harrier which was absolutely deafening, hovered around.

Here's the start of the Group 5 race Andrew. Dennis Leech leading away flanked by Frank Gardner and Brian Muir, with the Minis and Imps sorting themselves out at the back.

And the start of the F3 race with Mike Beuttler leading away.

Here's another shot but this time from Druids. Can't remember if I walked there during the race, or perhaps there were heats and a final as often happened then? Dave Walker followed by Carlo Pace on the left, Roger Williamson's helmet visible extreme right, but I can't remember the two in the centre - number 25's helmet looks a bit like Roger Keele's but I can't be sure. Is there an F3 database which details results over the years? The ones I have found name the Champions for the year but little detail.

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
What a fantastic place it was for the British GP, unlike today's sterile circuits. Looking at these pics reminds me of how close you could get and how crowded it got too!
Fantastic photos Andrew. They bring back great memories for me because like Jonny Apex the 1978 race was my first GP. Sadly only one photo survives from that day.

Do you remember the bands that used to play to amuse those who didn't wish to sit in their cars for 3 hours trying to get out? I remember one evening with Chris Barber playing on the old race control tower. A full days racing and great jazz after. Perfect atmosphere.

those were all great, stories and photos. Brands is one of the tracks that I truly wish to visit one day, even if it is bicycling around it or something, just to see it in real life. I too very much hope that something can be worked out with the CART series, time will tell.

Originally posted by djb
Brands is one of the tracks that I truly wish to visit one day, even if it is bicycling around it or something,

Or you could try running round if you feel energetic, djb. Here are some fit and not so fit racers doing just that at the Racing Car meeting on 19th Jan 69. I think it was for charity - that's young J. Hunt at the front and he won the race. Note someone pulling off to our left with technical problems, and another running out of road on the right.
Another bizarre Brands moment.

fellow Dave, my my look at his hair, all short and respectable! Don't think I've ever seen a shot of him with short hair like that.

cheers

Thanks...the GOOD ole days ;)

Not the GP at BH but F1 all the same. Check out this link to another thread I posted.
http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31669

thanks Andrew, I never make comments about the work you put up, but always enjoy looking at them.

Found this old thread on a search. Had forgotten about it. Worth bringing back to the top - and big single seaters to Brands!

Well found, as promised 2 years ago (!) here are some from 1982
1982 (http://rupert8766.fotopic.net/c319993.html)
some from 86
1986 (http://rupert8766.fotopic.net/c308511.html)

Things sure where a bit more relaxed then, this is the 81 McLaren at Silverstone in pit using cardboard boxes as axel stands, now I expect they use a carbon fibre one that cost more than my house

McLaren Pit (http://rupert8766.fotopic.net/p8192843.html)

I was always fond of Brands Hatch as a venue. Have been a regular at the circuit for more years than I care to recollect. First event I went to was the British Grand Prix in 1976 when the race was stopped after Regga took out Lauda and James Hunt was in the thick of it. It was the crowd that got James back into the race with near riot goings on.

Next time I visited the circuit was for the Race of Champions in 1977. Very cold as I remember. It was the first race without the Late Tom Pryce in the Shadow Team. Very sad occassion however, it was a pleasure to see Jackie Oliver at the helm of the Shadow DN8A and bring it home 5th, I think.

Next time was the 1978 Grand Prix. I was there to support James Hunt and see how this new 'hot shoe' Derek Daly in the Ensign faired! Not a good day. Hunt retired right infront of me!

Next time was 1980 and it was the Ligiers who were the stealth machines to have. Jonesy showed 'em though in his Williams FW07.

82. What a race. Warwick in the Toleman 'Belgrano' who could believe that he was racing and then later overtake Pironi. I'm sure this was the first race that modern re-fueling took part when the Brabham of Piquet made a pit stop for more fuel half way through the race. Henton sets fastest lap!!! Tommy Byrne raced the Theodore. Where's he these days guys?

1984 was nothing special as I remember. I'm sure it was a Lauda win. Nothing special to the best of my knowledge.

So I've been a regular to Brands for years. Touring Cars, Sportscars etc. Always enjoyed the circuit and one of the best and most interesting circuits in this Country with shed loads of character and interest. Plus, a bonus for viewing.

To bring F1 back to Brands would totally ruin the happy atmosphere of a great circuit. Run offs etc. Plus purpose built hospitality units nestleing in woodlands would be a real turn off.

Give me Brands using the Grand Prix Circuit on a hot Summer afternoon any day to Silverstone thank you.