Abandoned race circuits

So more for the book,

what are the must haves in the project?

Sitges, Brooklands, Crystal Palace, Kiemola and the Sudschliefe are all in (the last four are now written).

But where else - Spa and Monza will probably make it in... Solitude is a possible. Brno is looking promising.

Are there any others that must feature?

What about the old Enna - the flat out dash round a lake - maybe the Targa Florio ? Rheims - flat out dash round some trees & countryside - wonderful concrete pits remain - Rouen - as above without the concrete - in view of your flexible interpretation of abandoned how about Hockenheim ?

I accept Longridge doen't really cut it.....

Ops, I don't get it...

ss_collins, what book are you talking about? Are you writing one on defunct tracks? (sorry, I was out of the forum for a while. Can you please point to a thread or something like a website of yours?)

If so, I strongly recommend (if you don't have them yet):

1.) "Lost Race Tracks, Treasures of Automobile Racing", by Gordon Eliot White, published by Iconografix, P. O. Box 446, Hudson, Wisconsin, 54016, USA, ISBN 1-58388-084-4;

2.) "The History of America's Speedways - Past & Present", 2nd. Edition, by Allan E. Brown, Comstock Park, MI, United States, 1994, ISBN 0-931105-42-0.

And, of course, a visit to Daniel King's excellent Racing Circuits website, http://www.racingcircuits.net.

josvandepierre, Enna cannot be considered an abandoned race track - it is pretty much active! Actually, with the cancellation of the Bahrein race (as announced earlier today) the European F-300 championship will start its 2004 season at this very Sicilian track.

Cheers,


Muzza

Syracuse,Rome (several circuits) Turin,Milan,Albi,Montjuich,

Agree woth jos that Reims and the Targa should definitely be on. Maybe Bremgarten and Clermont Ferrand as well.

Rouen-les Essarts in Northern France,I have a book on this circuit written in French
I have a recent book by Peter Swinger "Circuits in England-Then and Now" on old and new UK circuits many of the old ones are now out of use.
Lister

Hello, Lister,

Watch out - Peter Swinger's book has a few innaccuracies.

Thanks Muzza,
I must admit I have not read all of it,I'll see if I can spot the errors!
Lister

Ooh - go on - what are the inaccuracies - I use that book as a bible

Oh there are quite a few errors in the swinger book, got a few things wrong on Crystal Palace and Brooklands.

Muzza yes I have book coming out called Autodrome: Europes lost circuits.

Yes I forgot Riems

The book is very much then and now but not like the swinger book, this one will be stuffed with previously unseen photos, and new ones of the citcuits today by our own Gi_Gav. Also I'm doing some through digging on each circuit - ie. 1899 was the first Crystal palace event for example which hasn't been noticed by anyone.

I was hoping i could post on this without my bias being obvious! :)

Targa Florio would certainly be photogenic, and Solitude is just phenomenal.

Solitude is a must I think.

Targa Florio - would like to do it - buts its a long old way!

What about the old, very long part of Le mans?? When the two sides met up somewhere in the centre of town...

Pontlieu.....

Definitely Rouen. This is good

http://www.lugnutsracing.com/rouen.html

but the trip dates back 5 years. I gather there isn't much sign there was ever a race track there now....

Has anyone mentioned Aintree and was there not a circuit at Llandow in Glamorgan once I haven't been aware of that being used recently and is Ingliston still used? Is Lydden Hill used as a proper circuit not just Motorcross?
:beer:

Although Llandow is not currently used for racing, it is far from inactive.

http://www.llandow.com/

Lydden still hosts race meetings and sprints, but I am not sure about Ingliston. There's no racing there, but I think there may be some sort of driving school

Aintree still has a sprint on 2004 calendar.

Originally posted by ss_collins
But where else - Spa and Monza will probably make it in... Are there any others that must feature? Sam,
I assume you mean earlier versions of the above two, as they are obviously still active.

In that case, any limited activity still going on at Aintree is all held on the 1.64 mile club layout. Don't forget that the British Grand Prix was held five times on the 3.0 mile full circuit between 1955 and 1961. I'd consider that a 'must have' for your book.

In answer to MGCooperman - YES - Lydden is very much still active as a race and rallycross circuit, in addition to any bike orientated meetings there.

In fact, Lydden is probably more busy than ever with SEMSEC, BARC, BRSCC and 750MC meetings every year. Its popularity has seemingly grown since the onset of increased track hire charges at the more major circuits.

It's said to be a very challenging circuit - come and check it out yourself.

its my home track - love it!

What about Jurby in the IOM?
Don't know a great deal about this venue - I've only been once with the BARC a few years ago!

I'm guessing Jurby isn't abandoned as its still in the Blue book.

I've been trying to get racing at Jurby the last couple of years to complete my UK circuits "bingo", but there doesn't seem to be any car races organised. Still lots of bikes races though...

yeah its still licenced I think... just no-one goes

I guess its an expensive ferry journey to race around a disused airfield with few facilities...

I think there are plans to improve it though to put it back on the calendar

If you had seen it you would know why no one would want to go there.In a remote northern corner of the island.'Facilities' consisted of an old bus as race control,a burger van and a portaloo.it was part of a weekend historic festival-sprint on Thursday evening Douglas seafront;Friday,Hill Climb;Saturday,Willeston Persuit Sprint;Sunday,Jurby races. It was cancelled one year due to foot & mouth desease,and the following year due to lack of entries. Guess they gave up after that.

Got another abandoned circuits for you Rufforth, it is just outside York. It has not mid used since the mid-60's, I belive that it still used as airfield.

If you had seen it you would know why no one would want to go there.In a remote northern corner of the island.'Facilities' consisted of an old bus as race control,a burger van and a portaloo.it was part of a weekend historic festival-sprint on Thursday evening Douglas seafront;Friday,Hill Climb;Saturday,Willeston Persuit Sprint;Sunday,Jurby races.

That sounds a great clubbie weekend. I'd love to it.

especially if they put an event on the preceeding weekend so you could make week of it.

Rufforth won't feature in this book, niether will carnaby, but they may in a follow up in 2005 if there is sufficent interest in the first one

Originally posted by rdjones
Got another abandoned circuits for you Rufforth, it is just outside York. It has not mid used since the mid-60's, I belive that it still used as airfield.

Last time I passed Rufforth, it was hosting a car boot sale. A pretty poor end for a place where I mis-spent much of my youth.

Was there a circuit at Davidstowe in Cornwall? Used I think in the 50's, old wartime airfield of course.
:beer:

there was indeed. as with rufforth hasn't made it in though.

Originally posted by MGCooperman
Was there a circuit at Davidstowe in Cornwall? Used I think in the 50's, old wartime airfield of course.
:beer: I already have a book on this circuit 'A History of Cornwall's Formula 1 race Circuit-Davidstow' by Peter Tutthill.

Rufforth was used until mid-70s, at least, certainly way beyond mid-60s.

As to Davidstow my father went there once and always said it was one of the wettest and coldest meetings he ever went to! This does little to establish which meeting he went to as they all seem have been cold and wet, bar one, according to Peter Tuthill's book!
There were also races held around the headland at Pendennis near Falmouth in the mid 1930s. These were for bikes but there were some demonstration runs in cars by Donald Healey and also Dick Wilkins who was a Brooklands regular. He used a P3 Alfa, which must have been a sight to behold. The road is still there very much in its original form
Tony Hodson (Cornishman in exile)

So should we have a definitive mulsannes corner style web site for disused circuits?

And there are more....How about Elvington ? And does Linton on Ouse ring a bell with anybody ? And what about Lulsgate - now Bristol Airport ?
In Scotland there's Cherterhall from the distant past and Ingliston in more recent times - there's another as well whose name I can't recall at present.
There are a few in Ireland too. In the south, The Curragh, Wicklow, Dunboyne, Rathdrum all spring to mind, plus short-lived street races in Ballyjamesduff, Dundalk and Dun Laoghaire - all post-war. Earlier there were races in Limerick, Cork and Tallaght outside (now inside) Dublin.
Also several permutations of Phoenix Park. Northern Ireland has airfield circuits at Bishopscourt, Long Kesh, Cluntoe and Cranfield, plus defunct road courses at Dundrod (now in use for bikes only), Ballyclare, Donaghadee and Bangor.
Then there's Jersey, the Douglas Street circuit and, I suspect, several more I've never heard of.
And that's just within the British Isles.....
Big job.......

nah this is not going to be a comprehensive list of old circuits - sites like etracks and racing circuits.net.

As you will see in the next few months this is all about decay. There are a few spaces left though, I can't see them going to UK or Irish circuits. Crystal Palace and Brooklands took those spots

Here is what I know for Scotland:
Ingliston (V. nr Edinburgh)- mentioned previously - still used for single venue tarmac rallies 1965-1995 for races & sprints
Charterhall (nr Duns, Berwickshire)- Mid fifties to 1964 replaced by Ingliston. Single Venue rallies still use it
Winfield (nr Berwick upon Tweed) Dont know much about it but it was concurrent with Charterhall
Crimond, Aberdeenshire - Famous for being Jim Clark's first race venue
Turnberry, Ayrshire Had some big F Libre races during the early fifties. Found it mentioned in a Vanwall book as I think the Thinwall Special won a race there. Adjacent to the Open Championship golf course.
Beveridge Park Kirkaldy: Mostly bikes but some car races in the early fifties. Think of a mini Isle Of Man
I have done sprints at Crail in Fife and East Fortune outside Edinburgh and there may have been races at Gask airfield in Perthshire. My dad can only remember doing autotests there in the late fifties.
Hillclimbs that have been lost are the Rest And Be Thankful in Argyllshire (See recent article in Motorsport) and Bo'ness in Stirlingshire nr Grangemouth. I plan on trying to find Bo'ness. Although it was sold for housing, I believe the original road maybe intact.
Does this help?

On hillclimbs I forgot Strathclyde Country Park. Used in the eighties and early nineties by Coltness Car Club for Scottish Championship events. My first hillclimb in 91!
Health & Safety killed it. As it was a public park close to Motherwell there was trouble with the local "neds"

Anyone had a look at www.racingcircuits.net? Includes maps and cicuit layouts.

Yes, its a pretty well known site Dave, with some smashing pictures, particularly of places like Rouen and Reims. I don't know what it is but it absolutely fascinates me looking at these places as they are now (or what is left of them), comparing them with what they once were. I have a strong desire to visit Reims to close my eyes and soak up the atmosphere which I feel sure still pervades the place....... ;)

Fascinating to read the links about Sitges.Two years ago I stayed in a villa in Sitges-Terramar and never realised I was less than half a mile from a disused circuit!

these comments are very very promising for the book, I think you all will want a copy - especially when we whet you appetites with some pics.

will try and sort out a forum discount

Read somewhere the other day of a venue calle (I think) Gamston, used in the fifties - another airfield I think.
Come to think of it there's probably a book in the airfield venues alone.....

Gamston's next to the A1 in Lincolnshire. There's an independant Citroen garage on the airfield, where I've had my 2CV race car fettled, so I've driven part of the circuit...

Originally posted by ss_collins
these comments are very very promising for the book, I think you all will want a copy - especially when we whet you appetites with some pics.

will try and sort out a forum discount


Sounds great. As I've said before, I find the whole subject fascinating and would certainly be interested in a (substantial ;)) forum discount......

Unless I've missed it, nobody's mentioned Borehamwood. Another WWII airfield, presumably? I have at least one good pic' of racing there which I could post if anyone wants.

Originally posted by Gnuvolari
Unless I've missed it, nobody's mentioned Borehamwood. Another WWII airfield, presumably? I have at least one good pic' of racing there which I could post if anyone wants. Think you mean Elstree airfield which held a sprint shortly after WW2? Most infamous of course for the plane crash that killed Graham Hill,Tony Brise and most of his F1 team.

No, Borehamwood held races in the early '50s, before it was sold to Ford (and became the Ford Motorsport facility)

No thats Boreham in Essex.held F1 races 1951-52.

Apologies - its all south of Watford Gap to me

Charterhall in the border region of Scotland home to early successes for jIM cLARK & jACKIE sTEWART - racing ceased 1965 Border stages rally continued up to recently - now it needs volunteers to repair the poor surface.

Not for your book but for the list.
I remember going to a Scottish Championship hillclimb at the Kinkell Braes (or maybe Lade Braes) caravan park near St Andrews. No idea if its still going. can anybody confirm the name?

For the book you MUST include the Madonie. Agenda for the summer holiday, perhaps. Park the family on a beach somewhere and hire a Fiat.

Motor Sport regularly do articles circuits with then and now photos. It might be worth asking them what's coming so they don't steal your thunder. They might even commission an article or pictures from you. And if pigs fly even higher, help you with photos.

It says on the back "Boreham Wood 1951"

http://buildingsite.igentics.com/sites/972ED3A7-C865-4556-9F0C-67505DC8D42D/images/borehamwood.pg.jpg

Originally posted by Gnuvolari
It says on the back "Boreham Wood 1951"

http://buildingsite.igentics.com/sites/972ED3A7-C865-4556-9F0C-67505DC8D42D/images/borehamwood.pg.jpg That looks like the wet F1/F2 race at Boreham,Essex in 1952.Borehamwood is a housing estate that shares a rail station with Elstree(Herts).Where is that photo from?

Originally posted by Rob29
That looks like the wet F1/F2 race at Boreham,Essex in 1952.Borehamwood is a housing estate that shares a rail station with Elstree(Herts).Where is that photo from?
It comes from a huge collection of photos I have of that period showing the Don Moore lightweight MG PA Special at various venues. I am reconstructing the car from fragments of the original. I believe the photographer was the late Guy Griffiths.

Reply to D-Type's question. Kinkell Braes ceased being used in the mid 70's. I think noise was the problem.
A couple of Scottish Hillclimbs I forgot in previous posts.
Durris outside Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire and previously Britain's most northerly motorsport venue, Rumster in Caithness. Both were access roads to TV masts, very fast and dangerous. I believe both lost their track licences in the late nineties on safety grounds.
Finally High Auldgirth in Dumfriesshire was used for a few years in the early nineties. I didn't like the ditch by the side of the road and the telegraph poles. It was a farm access road.
Thinking about the USA, there were a huge number of oval board tracks in the twenties however there are Bridgehamton in NY, Riverside in California and the original Watkins Glen road course. Any US contributors care to add to this?

Gnovolari couls you tell me what other pics you have - I'm very intersted indeed.

Wow - there's some really interesting stuff here guys - keep it coming!! :)

Originally posted by ss_collins
Gnovolari couls you tell me what other pics you have - I'm very intersted indeed.

About 100 pics. All b+w. They were the collection of the late Don Moore whom I have posted about elsewhere on this forum. They were given to me by Brian Lister along with various other papers of Don's relating to his lightweight MG PA which I'm re-creating using fragments of the original. Most are of the MG at various venues during the post-war years through to about 1956/7 when the car was broken up. I have some great cine too. In the search for these I tracked down the original '50 Club photographer, Roger Bowyer, still living in Cambridge. He lent me his album which contained some great pics of that era.

You got any of Crystal Palace?

Originally posted by ss_collins
You got any of Crystal Palace?

Nope.

would like to see more - give the pics a thread.

Originally posted by ss_collins
would like to see more - give the pics a thread.

I will need to do some scanning. May take a while to sort out, but I'll certainly think about that. :)

I don't drop in here too often but I had to look at this thread, being, as I am, an old circuit fanatic!

I have walked and been driven (videoing in both cases) the Ospedaletti (San Remo) circuit from the 1950s, and have also videod, while being driven around the Monsanto Park circuit outside Lisbon.

Wonderful experiences in both cases.

(Along with 2 other fanatics, I have checked out the 1912 French Grand Prix circuit based around Dieppe.)

When the book out, Sam?

Its listed in this months 'Motor Sport'Chaters ad. £34.99.If its up to the standard of Sam's Crystal Palace book it should be worth it.

A1-Ring... :(

http://www.autonetcarbooks.com/PAGES/BvdM_Autodrome.htm

I accept Longridge doen't really cut it.....

Why not? It was a circuit, and it's definitely abandoned!

http://www.autonetcarbooks.com/PAGES/BvdM_Autodrome.htm


dang gotta get me a copy o' dat man!

Good book - a few typos (surely Monza banking isn't 2.5m high - 25 metres?). Fanatastic photos (and only £25 on Amazon...)

Why not? It was a circuit, and it's definitely abandoned!

Sam's criterion was : what are the must haves in the project ?

did anything come of the 'forum discount'?

I think we'd be able to offer a 15% discount from the publisher, but in truth amazon is still cheaper...

in the last twelve months i've done some reading up on motorsport and got a copy of this book. it really was a fantastic read.

one of the other forums I'm on I got bored with the usual debate and decided to post something different and started a convo on lost/abandoned race circuits just to see what would happen and whether anyone would add to the circuits cited in Autodrome... its taken a life of its own and got on to RAF airfields and motorsport racing in the uk now..

Having seen fraggs posting above, I've just read back through this thread. It's interesting to see the old suggestions and what went in, and what other circuits have been mentioned here and discussed between Gav and Sam, incase of a sequel ;)

Im surprised no-one has mentioned Little Gransden,the sight of the very first post war race!It was between Gransden & Silverstone for a permanent sight,the BRDC chose Silverstone because of it,s location.

Where's Little Gransden / do you have any more info on it? Never heard of it :s

Here is a satalite image I had on my p.c once.
It's a small track in Monza but you really can get an idea of just how big those banks were. :brm:

CLICK HERE (http://www.euspaceimaging.com/content/Downloads/Press/EUSI_monza-Itlay.jpg)

Where's Little Gransden / do you have any more info on it? Never heard of it :sThe name I recall was Gransden Lodge -used for one of the first meetings after WW2.I guess the same place-I think it was somewhere in the Midlands?

It's near St Neots.

Where's Little Gransden / do you have any more info on it? Never heard of it :s

Little Gransden ,or Gransden Lodge is situated aroun 12mls N/W of Cambridge,Dissused ww2 airfield,currently being used as a Glider airstrip.

Ah ok. Should've heard of it as not too far from us :s A quick google brings up quite a bit of information but nothing on the old circuit that I can find, will do some more digging and post anything of interest here.

Sounds like a drive at the weekend if the weathers fine

Here is a satalite image I had on my p.c once.
It's a small track in Monza but you really can get an idea of just how big those banks were. :brm:

CLICK HERE (http://www.euspaceimaging.com/content/Downloads/Press/EUSI_monza-Itlay.jpg)
They certainly are and the satellite image doesn't give you an idea of how high they are. And you can visit it: http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=92720

Here is a satalite image I had on my p.c once.
It's a small track in Monza but you really can get an idea of just how big those banks were. :brm:

CLICK HERE (http://www.euspaceimaging.com/content/Downloads/Press/EUSI_monza-Itlay.jpg)

Fascinating picture! :)

And amazing how much of the old banking is still intact

I've just read a rather sad story about Grenzlandring around the city of Wegberg. Apparently its still possible to drive around the circuit as its now local roads.

yes it is.

It rained will make the trip after Le Mans

http://www.flickr.com/photos/theonewhoistall/ <-- cheeky git.. Just had a look on here and he's ripped off the photos and posted them up on his flickr account.. he's credited them to the book, but even so..

cheers fraggs.........

thats okay..

Haven't read the book yet but is the "Circuit des Ardennes" in it?

It was the very first racing event in the world on a closed course back in 1902.

This is a picture of the 1905 winner, Hemery in his Darracq.

http://i9.tinypic.com/6gjdjfc.jpg

http://i7.tinypic.com/4y6bj0j.jpg

Bannes User

The Monza banking in 2004... actually doing well over 100 km/h (even if it looks to be standing still) and having trouble to keep it on course even that low down on the banking. Took severe steering correction to the left to keep it going more or less in a straight line.
http://i14.tinypic.com/53sentj.jpg

Rouen-les-Essarts, also in 2004; Virage du Nouveau Monde.
http://i12.tinypic.com/4tggf88.jpg

Haven't read the book yet but is the "Circuit des Ardennes" in it?

No, it's not.

hi there

heard of a track in America called Langhorne(i think)
my book said it was round
was that true?
if so i bet it was an animal to drive on

db

hi there

heard of a track in America called Langhorne(i think)
my book said it was round
was that true?
if so i bet it was an animal to drive on

db

yep and it was huge...fairly high corner speeds :)

Just got that autodrome book, and i has to say it is magnificent. i hope we get a follow up book if it goes down well. i'd love to go visit avus etc some day

http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/tracks/langhorn.html

Picture and brief history of Langhorne on above link.

hope we get a follow up book if it goes down well.

I for one won't be suprised when one appears - but the big question is when! And seeing as I don't know the answer to that - the only answer can be - not this christmas!.

http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/3278/3frankroutonstartlineyq9.th.jpg (http://img102.imageshack.us/my.php?image=3frankroutonstartlineyq9.jpg)

This might not be the most exciting of photos but it shows the start line at Fersfield in South Norfolk. The chap with the pick-up truck witnessed Archie Scott Brown in his first race here on 17th June 1951.

Hi S.S. and Gavin,
i have been reading your english 1st edition of Autodrome - ... 2 years ago and loved it. It finally was an illustrated book with pictures of today. I was damn happy back in 05 when i got it and wished for a paret 2.
Recently I found out that there is an edition in my mother language, German, and i ordered it.
I am really dissapointed with the german translation of the Heel-Verlag. The title alone assumes that the book is about Traditional
Circuits In Europe. Aside from a bad grammar there are a lot of errors in it. either grammar not known.
the german edition of autodrome is unworthy to read. one time it is "The Byfleet Banking" and then again the "Byfleet Kurve". Capitals starting in bolds (London,Berlin,Paris,...) and so do special names. Then in places some text is missing. Compared to its english original the german translation lost its appeal

There is an old airfield too the right off the M6 - M56 junction as you travel north. If you look on Google Earth it seems to have a Start Finish line marked out.

Anybody know anything about it ?

Who to contact to test at it etc etc.

PM me please

Seems to be Stretton Airfield, I can find reference to use for karts and mini-motos, and some jet engine testing, but not much else.

thanks for that Andy - niether me or gav are german speakers so I had no idea of the quality of the translation. I'm going to pass your comments on to the English publisher because thats a real concern. It did annoy me that Heel changed the title but frankly they know the german market and I know about crumbly old tarmac... so I left it up to then

So its been a long time since Autodrome was completed and hit the shelves. Its done very well indeed and I'd like to thank all thouse who bought copies. But the time has come to end that chapter. There is something new in the pipeline, and compared to Autodrome this is something really really special. Gav's camera skills have improved (if thats possible) and the new images are simply breathtaking.

To say a sequel would only be half the story.

A book about all the circuits ever in the world??!!!

Thats almost impossible!

So its been a long time since Autodrome was completed and hit the shelves. Its done very well indeed and I'd like to thank all thouse who bought copies. But the time has come to end that chapter. There is something new in the pipeline, and compared to Autodrome this is something really really special. Gav's camera skills have improved (if thats possible) and the new images are simply breathtaking.

To say a sequel would only be half the story.



And you're only telling a tiny fraction in this post Sam - when is the new tome likely to hit the shelves?

The honest answer is that I don't know and I think it will depend on what side of the atlantic you live. One should also never think in the singular.

The first preview images will appear here in the coming weeks