Snetterton history & memories

[Andrew Kitson]

Trevor Taylor, F5000 TS5, September '69


Keith Holland and Alan Rollinson, F5000 '69


Rollinson in Doug Hardwick's Lola, F5000 meeting September 1st 1969


Terry Harmer's Mini, March 1969


Jack Smith, Brabham, another Libre race 1969


Powerplant of Ashley's 1969 F5000 Kitchiner


The John Filbee Jaguar of Peter Dodd, '69


Ian Kerr's Alvis, 1969


Peter Giddings' Alfa, 1969


Same Alfa?

[Andrew Kitson]

Patrick Marsh's ERA, September '69


Lotus 16 1969


FFs at Riches


Dave Walker testing the JRRDS Lotus 61 FF car early in 1969


A D-type held together with tape


Saloons 1969


Albert Betts' Jaguar, June 1969


Chris Craft's Lola T70 1969


The orange Midgets are John Britten and Gabrielle Konig, March 1969 through Coram Curve


John Quick passes Chris Smith, also March 1969

[M Greenslade]

For the record the photo entitled 'A sunny Paddock 1969' is a 1929 4 1/2 Bentley owned at the time by Hugh D W Flower, the car still survives.

Bladders.....................

[John Turner]

Andy, just caught up with this. Great thread; what a fantastic bunch of pics and thanks to Richard too (must catch up with you both soon). Almost in tears with nostalgia; all those great cars and characters. Snetterton is an underrated circuit and great for viewing (hope JP's revamp doesn't alter this); we really need to put it back on the map and it's great that the HSCC have run the Autosport 3 hours there for the last 4 years and will continue to do so, and that the 360MRC are adding to the tradition of endurance racing at this circuit.

[Andrew Kitson]

Cheers John. Snett will certainly be different...latest aerial shots:
http://snetterton.motorsportvision.c...al-photos.aspx

[restyles]

Thanks John, glad you like the pics. Sorry about the tear jerking though ! I think the new configuration will be really good for us snappers .. especially once the grass grows. Can't wait. We have even got a new Russell to try out. I must admit I was a trifle bored with the old one !

[Gerry Taylor]

Originally Posted by Andrew Kitson

Cheers John. Snett will certainly be different...latest aerial shots:
http://snetterton.motorsportvision.c...al-photos.aspx

Andrew, in my day the circuit was so different, and of course we had the long straight which ran right alongside the A.11. Would it be possible to show me an "Overlay" as to what it was like in the seventies, as against what it is looking like today? Just so this old chap can get his bearings so to speak?
Thanks.
Gerry

[Andrew Kitson]

Originally Posted by Gerry Taylor

Andrew, in my day the circuit was so different, and of course we had the long straight which ran right alongside the A.11. Would it be possible to show me an "Overlay" as to what it was like in the seventies, as against what it is looking like today? Just so this old chap can get his bearings so to speak?
Thanks.
Gerry

How's this Gerry. New circuit in red, the '300' circuit at 2.99 miles. The old circuit you knew was 2.71 miles.

[terence]

Excellent thread Andrew,many thanks for bringing back all of those memories. Just to confirm how accurate you map is.

[Tim Falce]

For us youngsters who are too young to remember, was the Bomb hole at one point a proper drop in circuit height or has it always been the same as it is now. I can't see how it now warrants it's name apart from historical reasons.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

For us youngsters who are too young to remember, was the Bomb hole at one point a proper drop in circuit height or has it always been the same as it is now. I can't see how it now warrants it's name apart from historical reasons.

To my knowledge / understanding, it is not a name of any historical connection, and does not go back to the war / dropped bombs etc..... although there was a munitions store on the west side of the circuit back pre motor racing when it was known as RAF Snetterton Heath.

In fact I think the naming of the corner is fairly recent - ie since the 1974 shortening of the track. At that time the corner had no name and also had become a difficult point of the track for the bikers, the corner often dumping riders on their back sides. It very quickly became known to the bikers and crowds as 'the Bum-hole' for obvious reasons......

However that was modified by commentators and those wanting / needing to be politically correct, and is now known as the 'Bomb-Hole'.

[Gerry Taylor]

Andrew thank you so much. Now I know what I am looking at.

[M Greenslade]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

For us youngsters who are too young to remember, was the Bomb hole at one point a proper drop in circuit height or has it always been the same as it is now. I can't see how it now warrants it's name apart from historical reasons.

When I started marshalling the 'new' Snetterton circuit in the mid seventies there were three marshals posts, Esses In, which was at the end of the straight on the infield, The Esses which was on the out field as you turned left and you covered up to the bridge and Esses Out, which was on the outside just after the bridge before you turned right. The Bomb Hole as a name never existed then, it just became known as that I think from the motorcyclist. There was never any wartime connection as such I think.

Bladders..........

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by M Greenslade

There was never any wartime connection as such I think.

Bladders..........

Ah, I was led to believe there was a link and it was an actual bomb crater, but I am still young and gullible.

[terence]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

Ah, I was led to believe there was a link and it was an actual bomb crater, but I am still young and gullible.

Yeah,right!!!!

[DFP]

I remember doing a rallycross in the early seventies that used a very deep hole some where on the track . i wonder if any one remembers this? i can't think it was dug just for that purpose, i know it frightened me so much i still remember it nearly 40 years on.

[sethmate]

I seem to recall there being a big hole / crater up near the old hairpin where the sunday market is now. That could well have been used for rallycross, although the rallycross circuit I have the clearest memory of was on the outfield at the back of the esses / the old bridge near where the pay booths are now.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

but I am still young and gullible.

Tim, will you settle for one out of two?

My late Dad first introduced me to motorsport with outings to Snetterton in the 50s and beyond. When I was clearing out his desk before house sold found these from 1963, along with a 1952 Sporting Car Club of Norfolk car badge. Shame I don't have anything appropriate to display it on (at the moment!).

Note it is 'Snetterton Motor Club' on badge, but card is 'SMRC'- was it about that time title changed?

[M Greenslade]

Coming out of the Hairpin on to the home straight, the rallycross circuit turned sharp right a dived down a large hole which was often very muddy with a large puddle at the bottom of it where the poor marshals used to stand getting covered in xxxx. I remember one very cold Winter's morning, either 1976 or 77 when we had a fire training day down there and we were told that we were very lucky to have a wrecked F1 tub to work on. This tub was set up with plastic containers full of petrol buried inside the car and slick tyres placed at each corner to give some sense of reality. The car was then set alight and in pairs we dashed across to put it out, all jolly good fun.

This is where my memory fails me me, but I do know that the tub was from a McLaren M23!!!, possibly either Mike Hailwood's or Denny Hulme's, what I do know it was scrapped to accident damage, the driver I believe suffering leg injuries and then it was donated to the Marshals to practice on.

Here though is the interesting part, I believe the several times burnt out aluminium tub found its final resting place there, and may still be buried there today. However many years later I believe McLaren were in dispute with someone who claimed to own this car (a possible ringer re-constructed). Mclaren claimed the car was scrapped and that there was no trace of what happened to it, I never knew what happened in the end as a lot of this goes on, particularly with classic aircraft such as Spitfires etc.

I am totally convinced that this was an M23 but I don't know exactly which one or what happened to it eventually, as young marshals we were just pleased to have a bit of fun with an F1 tub and come home to get out of the cold!

[E.B]

Originally Posted by M Greenslade

This is where my memory fails me me, but I do know that the tub was from a McLaren M23!!!, possibly either Mike Hailwood's or Denny Hulme's, what I do know it was scrapped to accident damage, the driver I believe suffering leg injuries and then it was donated to the Marshals to practice on.

Here though is the interesting part, I believe the several times burnt out aluminium tub found its final resting place there, and may still be buried there today. However many years later I believe McLaren were in dispute with someone who claimed to own this car (a possible ringer re-constructed). Mclaren claimed the car was scrapped and that there was no trace of what happened to it......

.....I am totally convinced that this was an M23 but I don't know exactly which one or what happened to it eventually.....!

Although not proof by any means, Mike Hailwood had his career ending accident in a McLaren M23 (Yardley liveried) at the 1974 German GP (also called the European GP that year) at Nurburgring. Both his legs were broken so from the perspective of M23, Hailwood, and Leg injuries it meets the brief of what you were told. It may well have been that car......

[M Greenslade]

I am fairly sure we told at the time it was Hailwoods car and that the injuries were broken legs, I certainly recall the that the tub had a bad twist to it.

Bladders..................

[Alan Raine]

Originally Posted by E.B

Although not proof by any means, Mike Hailwood had his career ending accident in a McLaren M23 (Yardley liveried) at the 1974 German GP (also called the European GP that year) at Nurburgring. Both his legs were broken so from the perspective of M23, Hailwood, and Leg injuries it meets the brief of what you were told. It may well have been that car......

Chassis 7 according to ORC.

[Alfie72]

Thought I had a prog somewhere -

[MartinSmith]

I have only just found this thread......wow

The era that is captured here is mainly around my birth year, it is absolutely fascinating and thank you very much Andrew and Richard for giving us a pictorial history lesson in a truly great circuit.

Snetterton was the first circuit I ever visited in the early 1980's and on that day I actually managed to go round the actual track!. A friend of mine used to work for a guy who repaired Scimitars, his workshop was opposite where I lived in Aveley (actually it was originally my fathers workshop) anyway, my friend had only recently passed his test and being from Essex bought an 1100 Escort Mk1, boyed it up etc (its what we did!), his boss asks him to deliver some parts to a workshop within the circuit, he jumped at the chance and I jumped at the chance to go with him. It seemed so far from where we lived. When we got there, we found the workshop but no one there. We dropped off the parts and then noticed that the track was deserted...and...well..we thougt "why not" so gingerly we got the Escort on to the track and gave it a bit of a spin!!!

Its also the circuit where I first walked into Race Control and where we have a certain race I tend to get involved with ;-)

[Gerry Taylor]

Nice post Claire, enjoyed reading it.
Alfie, you posted a programme from Snett, and I see that JIM YARDLEY with his BEAGLE-FORDS. are listed. Just to let you know that Jim lives close by, in the same village, and is still building race cars.
Gerry