Aintree - Car Racing?

[KayBee]

Did anyone in the Granada television area see Granada Reports last, Monday, night?

There was an item about 'bringing racing back to Aintree' with lots of footage of old cars; however, the item actually appeared to be about an exhibition that is going to be on sometime in November.:confused: :confused:

The item also gave the impression that the only motorised activity that occurred at Aintree involved the camera cars when there is a horse race meeting on.

No mention was made of the bike racing, the car sprinting and the fact that it is Aintree's fiftieth birthday this year.



PS Stephen if I've posted this in the wrong forum please could you move it to somewhere more suitable.

[Dan Rear]

weekend of November 19-21 I think. More details on Atlas TNF

[qaz]

Think MikeM posted about this on another thread

[diz]

IMHO I rate the chances of this event actually taking place as verging on the low side. There have been many other equally ambitious plans from the same stable [sorry about the pun] to resurrect Aintree to run race meetings, FOS type events etc. The last International car race meeting was back in 1964 and there hasn't been a club car race meeting since 1982.
But still the 'hopeful' plans to get international car racing back keep appearing. This Festival affair is supposedly a precursor to achieving this.

[Rob29]

See thread on Historic Forum,with link to organizers site.I received an e-mail yesterday confirming they have signed contract to hold this event with the Aintree company.Most of the on track action will be on Friday to avoid upsetting the horses on sat.& Sun!

[MikeM]

Diz, I remember the last attempt. It would be great to get Aintree back so I really hope that this one gets off the ground

[diz]

Originally posted by MikeM
Diz, I remember the last attempt. It would be great to get Aintree back so I really hope that this one gets off the ground

Morning Mike,
IMHO it won't happen. A Festival affair might take place sometime, but you are dealing with the Jockey Club, Aintree Racecourse Company, Ladbrokes, or whoever owns it nowadays and sadly the venue is right in the heart of a city. Vandalism would prevail.
The average Scouser [and I am one myself, but not an average one ] is devoid of brain cells.
Don't forget, in the 1970s, I basically ran the Tuesday testing sessions and club race meetings single handedly.
I used to have locals insisting on walking their dogs [on and off leads] on the track whilst it was 'live'. They also lay down on the edge of the track on sunny days to picnic and sunbathe. When asked if they would do this at Brands Hatch, they said that was different and they always walked their dog at Aintree and they were obedient and understood the dangers etc. All expletives and threats of violence deleted.
I never came across courting couples 'at it' though. Maybe if I had, we would have had Knickerbrook not Oulton
There was loads of broken bottle clearing up and other litter related tasks to be done every time we used the place and any safety measures [putting tyre walls in front of the jumps etc.] had to be done just before the activities commenced and had to be removed immediately after we finished. We couldn't damage the precious turf for Gods sake.
At that time, the Grand National was only horse race meeting held every year and we couldn't use the place for six months prior to it in case we jeopardised their preparations.

Much as I would love to see Aintree used again, the FF1600 outbraking into Club Corner was out of this world [I was going to put mesmeric, but don't know if that is a proper word, or if the spelling is correct if it is] it just won't happen. For one thing, it would never get a track licence in a month of Sundays.

How on earth the place managed to stage the British F1 Grand Prix five times between 1955 and 1962 is beyond me.
Diz

[Rob29]

I guess people were a lot more civilised in those days.And the only barriers (bar those for the Grand National)were a few straw bales.I went to the last GP in 1962 and the last 3 Intl 200 F1 races.Heaven,a race circuit walking distance from a train station with regular service.Please can we have one in place of Silverstone?

[Webber45]

Do they not hold sprints at Aintree currently - I am sure Liverpool MC do

[MikeM]

They certainly do, I think three a year

[graeme]

But only on the short Club circuit - for the GP circuit they have to shut Melling Road. Driving the GP circuit "at speed" looks interesting, but can't see how to join the club to get it at a reasonable price.

[Webber45]

Thanks - I understand now

[Steve Wilkinson]

I suspect after the very poor spectator turn out for the recent Aintree Festival there will be second thoughts on the future of the Grand Prix layout. On the other hand the club circuit would be viable - the only drawback is the 9 hole golf course in the middle!

For Liverpool Motor Club try the following website:

www.liverpoolmotorclub.com

We run three sprints and two track days per annum on the old club circuit and this year won the prestigeous Les Edmunds Trophy for the second time. This is the pot awarded to the best organised sprint in the British Championship.

Hope to see you there in 2005.

[Steve Wilkinson]

Once again there is a glitch in the history of Aintree. I learnt last night that outline planning permission has been granted to expand the current 9-hole golf course to 18. Six of the new holes will be on the Grandstand side of the Melling Road and should have little or no impact on the Full GP Circuit. The three holes on the Club Circuit side of the Melling Road are another matter.

Two of them actually straddle the course. Whilst the third will rob the Sprint Course of Paddock facilities for 50 to 60 cars. The impact on the potential racing activities could also be quiet large. The gates currently on the course next to the Club house are to be moved. A new main entrance to the Golf Club will be opened - it uses an old trackway. Also new gates are to be installed adjacent to the new entrance but also accross the GP Circuit. If this is not done sympathetically it could mean NO RACING on the full circuit.

There is a plus side! The fencing that currently lines the inside of Club Corner will be removed as the two holes that straddle the course also straddle this obstacle. This will mean there will be less requirement to slow the cars to a crawl to take Club - however they will have to be slowed! Additional resurfacing will have to take place to make the club circuit plus a two-lap sprint layout viable.

Liverpool Motor Club await developments.