New circuit...

[graeme]

Was at Salford Quays today (don't recommend the Imperial War Museum...) and a passing thought was that they could have built a small, but rather fine, track in one of the docks. (But obviously land is too expensive, except for dull museums...).

But where could you build another circuit in the UK? Surely Scotland deserves more than one? And the North (i.e. Lancs/Yorks and above) doesn't have it fair share... Any brownfield sites out there which would suffice - I'm thinking more Anglesey than Rockingham - could bring some cash into the local ecomomy. Do we even need another circuit (if we keep the four under threat)?

[kickstart]

Given the incessant creap towards quiet racing in the UK my own view would be to race/re-develop some of the more rural French tracks where land prices are much cheaper and their seems to be less of a problem about noise.

[R59]

There would be a problem if it was ENGLISH noise.

One make championships such as F-Renault, will be more than welcome of course.

There are lots of old tracks in the UK that people have forgotten over the years. Ones which would be great to bring back.

Fancy a run around Crystal Palace? Wow BTCC & GT's on a 400m oval (tee hee hee).

Aintree....

Come on Your Lordship, can we all come to play at Goodwood again?

When they planned the Rock, the locals were up in arms. Now it's here, there is great support from the community around Corby.

Old un's can you remember other circuits.

Jurby is up for a tart up, and they are trying to get car racing back onto IOM according to Autosport.

Rob.

[andy97]

There's a book out called "Motor Racing Circuits in England" by Peter Swinger which gives details of all the circuits used from Aintree to Whitchurch, 38 of them in all. And that does not even include the ones in the rest of the UK. Some of them are long gone (Blandford, Davidstow, Linton on Ouse, Rufforth to name but a few) but there might be one or two that could be resurrected. (Aintree anybody?). Interesting reading for anoraks like me!

I reckon that there must be scope at some of the old airfields such as Bruntingthorpe and most of Lincolnshire for new circuits. Anywhere where they currently run airfield track days could be a candidate (noise issues aside). Sure, they would all be flat but a few regional circuits without any of the "frills" might attract a lot of new competitors to the sport - sort of Silverstone Stowe type circuits - and be cheap, too. The purists might complain that these sorts of places would not be as good as Donington or the BH GP circuit etc but there must be a lot of people around who would like the chance to drive a racing car in relative safety without having to travel miles for the privelage or pay extautionate prices to subsidide pit facilities, media centres and hospitality suites that they never get the chance to use.

Perhaps a couple of races could be combined with a Sprint event for a viable day of true club motorsport.

As an aside, whatever happened to Ingliston? I have also seen in Circuit Driver mag that there is a new circuit at Teeside but i do not know anything about it.

[Rob29]

I think there are enough circuits for club racing already.What is needed is a major city centre venue for a big event that will attract spectators.
Can't imagine why anyone wants to develop Jurby airfield.The whole point of going to the Isle of Man is that they can close the public roads with little trouble,to provide a unique atmosphere not available on the mainland.No one would go for a copy of Croft!

[JimW]

Given all the trouble we have with clashing meetings and staffing difficulties, I reckon we need another permanent circuit like we need a hole in the head. Even a temporary one such as Birmingham (which would be great fun) would be open to the charge of diverting resource from existing activities.

Face it, club level sport does not attract spectators so all the costs for circuit hire fall on entry fees.

Jim

[PaulSands]

Originally posted by andy97
There's a book out called "Motor Racing Circuits in England" by Peter Swinger

I got this book for Christmas and it's great

[ss_collins]

Perhaps a couple of races could be combined with a Sprint event for a viable day of true club motorsport.

like Lydden

[SteveH]

there is a possibility that Birmingham may put on a BTCC race around the city again. I hope so,a s it was a great place to watch some different racing.

[graeme]

Spoke to the guy on the Tesside Autodrome stand at the autosport Show. It seems that they are trying to make it into a proper race circuit within the next few years, but he was hazy about some of the details. Interesting point was that it'll be running night track time for cars when it opens in the next few months as a "test" track (though no mention of MSA approval) - I wonder if this'll just be Max Power types...?

[Smokey 6 litre]

I could do with one in Suffolk, around 50+ miles from Snetterton, that'd mean they're far enough way to be pratical but close enough for me to get to both regularly.

[Gizmo]

Sorry to disappoint you guys who want to go to France to avoid noise problems. I have been over there on the Le Sept trip organised by the Lotus 7 Club where we go to 3/4 circuits for track days. One on the newest ones we have been to is called Circuit De Mornay, it`s private and can run several configurations. After not too much running we encountered big problems with the locals over noise. New circuits over there are hit with a lot of new noise regs that older circuits don`t. We only managed to finish the day by sending the local mayor round for a trip in one of the quick Caterhams to put a smile on his face. Sadly we haven`t been back there since.

[BertMk2]

Originally posted by andy97

I reckon that there must be scope at some of the old airfields such as Bruntingthorpe and most of Lincolnshire for new circuits.

The circuit at Blyton is a good example of this - a new circuit built on an old airfield in the middle of nowhere. The circuit has no limits on usage either (at least it didn't last I heard) so it could be used for a lot of testing as well. The facilities are basic but it's a true grass roots circuit.

[david_james2000]

Originally posted by andy97
I have also seen in Circuit Driver mag that there is a new circuit at Teesside but i do not know anything about it.

There have been Two Proposed Track in Teesside over the past couple of year
Langbaurgh :-
http://www.racingcircuits.net/United...aurgh2004.html Proposed Test Track (2004)

Teesside Airport
http://www.racingcircuits.net/United.../Teesside.html Proposed International Circuit (2002)

Originally posted by BertMk2
The circuit at Blyton is a good example of this - a new circuit built on an old airfield in the middle of nowhere. The circuit has no limits on usage either (at least it didn't last I heard) so it could be used for a lot of testing as well. The facilities are basic but it's a true grass roots circuit.

The airfield at Blyton is used as a shortcircuit stockcar oval, but it look like there a enough room to build a full spec ASCAR one mile bull ring oval which would be good for the UK to have another oval for the ASCAR to race at. http://www.ericsracing.co.uk/index.htm

[graeme]

The Lanngbaurgh circuit looks like the Teeside Autodrome (the one in Circuit Driver). Didn't realise it was Langbaurgh - i used to race mountain bikes there...

So what's the minimum spec for a MSA approved circuit these days? Can you just bring along an old bus as race control? It'd be good to occassaionally use old airfields - sort of like Charterhill, Catterick, etc in the 60s. Or is the problem NIMBYs/planning permission?

[R59]

As for Suffolk, I know it's in Essex, just, but RAF Ben****ers is still up for sale I believe.

I always said, that if I won a rollover lottery all on my own, I'd put in an offer to buy it.

There are quite a few mothballed/closed ex-USAF bases around the country, all candidates for motorsport.

Down the road from me is RAF Bassingbourn, this has opened up as a trackday venue, though they won't let competition cars on it for trackdays. Strange as it used to be a MSA licenced motorsport venue some years back.

I'd love to see "The Palmerdrome" opened up at Bedford for racing, but along with Jonathon, I only see the short sighted attitude of Bedford Borough Council. And then the complaints published in the local paper about the noise and nuisance. I heard of a complaint where the resident wrote to the council about the noise from the Bedford Autodrome. The only problem was that on this occaision, the circuit was not in use, the wind was in the other direction, it was a Saturday, and Santa Pod was open with Top Fuellers running, which is in the other direction, and can be heard clearly!! NIMBY's rule in Bedfordshire!

Rob.

[R59]

Well, the automagic filter on the forum works! I only said Bent waters and look what happened. Don't mention Scunthorpe

Rob.

[vaughan jones]

Bookatrack ran trackdays at ben****ers,local residents got it closed down,any chance of a race circuit????,was told hooligan driving and riding round the local area did not help

[R59]

Don't you think it's amazing how they put up with F1-11's and Phantoms day in day out, yet a few cars get them up in arms.

Mind you, the hooligans on the road need to be taught a lesson. It's one of the reasons why trackdays are so popular, so the sensible modified & supercar drivers can vent their frustration at the increasing number of grey boxes in a safe and controlled manner, off road, with facilities that suit their needs.

I live in a small town here in sunny Bedfordshire, and there are dweebs with pointless things like Fiat Cinquecento's with drainpipe exhausts using the streets as a race track. Their tiny minds can't cope with simple questions like - "What is the fastest thing on the road". They usually answer with Ferrari, or similar, not "small child chasing ball/toy/pet". Makes you think doesn't it (I hope)

Back to the crux of the thread, there are a number of airfields now being used for trackdays, and "Corporate Entertainments", and with a little bit of prodding, I'm sure that they could meet the basic requirements for a MSA National Race Circuit Licence.

I'd still like to see the likes of Goodwood opened up for all motorsport, and Aintree, and Crystal Palace, and Carnaby, and and and....

Regards

Rob.

[kickstart]

Goodwood is simply the greatest circuit not in current use in the UK by a country mile in my humble view, exluding the revival. Have tested there and it is such a lovely sweeping track but never forget how dangerous it is. Given how wealthy Lord March is and how much cash he must make out of the revival and the festival could he not simply buy the houses which are within earshot and then rent them out at a cheap rent to allow for the noise and therefore use the circuit as intended ?

[ss_collins]

Aintree has speed events, crystal palace should do and used to, carnaby is an industrial estate.

[graeme]

I asked Lord March about running club races at Goodwood at the BARC AGM last year - he didn't sound keen to say the least...

[Mackmot]

I know someone making a track at Breighton Airfield near Selby, I think its going to be just for track days at first but it may expand.