First race meeting memories?

[Andrew Kitson]

We have all met new friends on the forum, I'm just wondering how far back fellow members can remember their first race meeting, as there are certainly some knowledgeable folks who log on here. My first memories are all from 1965 (as a 6 year old) with my parents, but not sure in which order (date):
Clark, Hill and Surtees running 1-2-3 in an F1 race at Silverstone, spectating from Stowe.
Surtees again, McLaren and Amon in big Gp.7 Can-Am cars at Brands in '65 in the Guards Trophy with Jimmy winning the saloons in the Lotus Cortina, spectating from Clearways.
Snetterton with the Alan Mann Cortina of John Whitmore winning the 3 hour race. I remember watching from Russell then later on the way home from the small grandstand at the hairpin on the way out as this was by the exit.
What is yours?

[275 GTB-4]

Hmmmmm, 1955ish to see a great spectacular every Friday and I think sometimes Saturday nites. I have been fond of solo motorcycles ever since

[Rob29]

Sep 19 1953.Schoolfriend & his father took me to Crystal Palace.Stirling Moss won the main F2 event in a Cooper-Alta.I was recently trying to recall my first knowledge of the existence of the sport. May have been the green & yellow posters stuck on the back of the London Buses advertising the opening meeting eariler that year.

[Tedebear]

I can remember watching Bathurst on TV from a very small age, Peter Brock was definitely the king of the mountain - although I think my first actual trackside attendance in Australia was some night racing at Oran Park when I was about 16, can remember being blow away by the noise produced by one particular Holden....

As for my first European event - Spa 2002 for Historic Saloon cars - which is going to take some beating, that was just AMAZING!!

[Maisie]

Sometime in the 1980s my best friend's father owned a Renault 5 Turbo and took me and my friend to Oulton Park to see the R5s race. I remember vividly sitting on a tree stump and flattening Chewits before eating them, while cheering on 5s with "names" on their numberplates like Rhino 5 and Ajax I also dimly remember some sort of single seater race - F3 or F3000 or something similar. Anyone else remember these cars or can pinpoint the date better?

[Crash Test]

My first circuit race was at age 6- Lakeside for the ATCC. Before then, I think I had been to a few speedway meetings at the Exhibition Grounds, I will never forget Wally Lewis one night rolling a sprintcar he was having a guest drive of...

[Peter Mallett]

Originally posted by Tedebear
As for my first European event - Spa 2002 for Historic Saloon cars - which is going to take some beating, that was just AMAZING!!

Its pretty amazing every year and I'm aiming to be there with the Capri again this year (work schedules permitting).

[Tedebear]

Well sounds like we may see you there then Peter as we've already decided that we'll be going back as well...

[racer69]

Watched it since i was born, first meeting i attended was saturday qualifying for the 1988 ATCC round at Oran Park. The glorious sound of Larry Perkins HSV Commodore V8 in amongst the hordes of Sierra's and the Brock BMW's.

First 'race' meeting i attended was a round of the Australian NASCAR Championship in 1988 at the Calder Park Thunderdome, i remember Mike Oliver in his bright Orange Commodore AUSCAR have a major one on the main straight infront of me.

[ss_collins]

Being only 21 my first meeting was somewhat more recent. It was at Crystal Palace (now theres a shock!!) in 1997 for the 7oaks and DMC sprint.

[klaus]

my first racing impressions were not very satisfying, when i was taken by my father to visit the practice of the german gp on the ring in 1957 or 1958, as in the opinion of a five or six year old boy race-cars had to be silver and be shaped similar to the mercedes streamliners, my favourite toy in those days.
oh, what was i disapointed to see reds and greens and blues, only a single silver one was in between,but it looked as a cigar, far away from my toy-racer.
thanks to my father , now 84 years old, to have taken me to the eifel mountains (and later even to races abroad)) again and a again, until the taste had come for more.

[DNQ]

Old age has its advantages...

My first memories are merely a decade old. Speedway meetings at Archerfield in the early 1990's. Good times...

[davemorganfan]

British Empire Trophy for F3 cars in 1970, at Oulton. Fabulous stuff. Cars 4-abreast coming into Knicker Brook, with no-one prepared to back off. The inevitable happened, and Bev Bond (yes, him again) cartwheeled into a thankfully unoccupied grandsatnd.

[KC]

The first motor race I ever attended was at a small dirt oval track just outside of Tyler, Texas called the Rose Bowl in 1989. It's a tiny 1/4 mile high banked dirt track situated on the side of a hill that used to be a slag pit on an old oil field drilling site.

The cars were mini-sprints sanctioned by the Texas Mini Sprint Association. They consisted of small versions of sprint cars powered by 1200cc motorcycle engines and had driver adjustable wings. Were they quick! There would be five of six passes for the lead on every lap the competition was so close.

Brings back fond memories of the smell of methanol, eating sausages-on-a-stick and teary eyed laughter with some good friends.

[bingleton]

My first race meeting was Donington Park June 1991 , HSCC / .I was addicted there and then . The sight of Denis Welsh sliding his fantastic Austin Healey 3000 round Goddards will stay with me forever . Also the sight and sound of 3 litre Formula 1 cars down Craner curves was very impressive to a fifteen year old .

[paulzinho]

Nice topic Andrew!

My first race meeting was when I was about 10 days old, I used to go so much as a baby and toddler but remember very little.

I guess my earlieat memories must be when my Dad took me to watch him at Spa or the Nurburgring when I was about 5 or 6. Even then I don't remember much, just the odd little things about the places we went, none about the actual racing!

[Chris Townsend]

I guess my first memory would be bikes, my dad racing grass-track in the '60s and the smell of whatever it was they put in the fuel mixed with the grass and the dust. Then cars: Brands Easter '76 Alan Jones winning the Group 8 race in a T330, and rapidly after that the British Gp and watching the almightly kerfufle at Paddock on the first lap and the rising anger in the crowd when it seemed that Hunt wasn't going to be allowed to restart. [Wasn't there a real sense that year that Ferrari were writing the F1 regulations as and when necessary?] I was more concerned about Chris Amon - always a fan of the underdog, and the speed he wrung out of that little Ensign was extraordinary. Was such a neat car. I remember that Dave Baldwin's FF Van Diemens in 77 and 78 looked like scaled down versions.

[stevebrown]

My first memories were going with my dad to Kings Lynn Speedway. I remember Terry Betts Testimonial and seeing all the great riders of the '70's. I also remeber Dad taking me to the very first Mildenhall Fen Tigers meeting.
I didn't visit a race circuit though until 1987 when a friend invited me to Snetterton- to help marshal! There I am, the first time I ever set foot on a circuit and I'm helping to rebiuld a tyre wall at 11pm. That first meeting was the Willhire 24hr. I did wonder what the hell I was doing this for but by the end of the weekend and getting little sleep I was hooked and have been on the bank ever since.

Steve B

[Mal]

I had been to race meetings prior, but my first vivid memory was of the USAC indycars at Brands in 1978. It stuck in my mind because at the time they only used ovals in the States, only turned left, but had around 1000hp. I was on the exit of clearways and they appeared to lurch awkwardly around the corners than hit the straight and just take off.

I remember, I think it Danny Ongais, accelerating out of the clearways losing it, then hitting the barrier just at the start of the pits. I think he was across the finish line before it came to halt.

It stuck in my mind because of the slow speeds round the corner. To have that much momentum by the time he reached the pit entrance was just mind blowing.

[Chris Townsend]

Mal, I must have been quite close to you at that USAC race at Brands, because I remember spectating at Clearways that day. The acceleration out of the corners was impressive, the speed through the turns less so. I remember one guy, Dick Simon I think, who could probably have gone through the corner quicker on a bicycle. Brands must have been alien for most of those guys because not only was it a road circuit, but the club track at Brands is pretty much all right turns, apart from the bottom of the hill and Surtees, and all they did at home was turn left.

[Though having said all that, many of them would have driven F5000 in the US on road circuits or raced sportscars.]

[paddy]

My first meeting was the 1974 Brirish Gp at Brands. I watched from Paddock Hill Bend and will never forget the fantastic noise at the start! The day was only spoilt by the fact that Ronnie Peterson didn't win. My brother was delighted by Scheckter's victory because he was a big Tyrell fan.
The following year was the race when the rain fell at Silverstone and nearly everybody went off. The highlight for me though was Barrie Williams in the Touring Car race in his Mazda. He lost nearly a lap at tha start, but drove like a loony to catch up, bouncing over the kerbs at Woodcote every lap, with the crowd on their feet cheering every time he came past.

[verglas]

Castle Combe in the mid 60's, when Ron Fry was the local hero in his Ferrari 250LM and won every time out. My first international meeting was the F2 race at Thruxton in 1968, I vividly recall seeing my then hero Jackie Stewart in his Matra complete with high wing dominate. That meeting inspired me and I became a Junior Member of the BARC and started to marshal in the paddock and the pits from 1969 on. What memories this forum brings back!!

[Peter Mallett]

I used to live near to the Aldershot Stock Car track (sadly now a by-pass) so my earliest motorsport memories come from there. I was a regular Thursday night attendee in the late sixties.

Then Thruxton (once I got some wheels) where I remember Purley and Ashley dicing in their F5000s. The Touring cars through Allard were something to behold. It wasn't as smooth as it is now.

The GP at Brands and Silverstone (it was a Saturday meeting in those days at 'stone) always come to mind but my best memory is 1979 and Rega winning in that beautiful FW07 (possibly the best F1 car ever).

[TimD]

Verglas, you're gonna hate me for this...

My first race meeting (I am told) was at Castle Combe, and Ron Fry and Jack Sears were competing there in the 250LM and the Cobra.

But as I was under 2 at the time, the memory is not what it might be.

The first meeting I do vividly remember being at was the International Trophy at Silverstone in 1971. Already I was a committed Jackie Stewart fan, and was excitedly looking forward to seeing him sweep all before him. I remember being less than impressed with him when he failed to finish the race.

Am I right in thinking that was the year he rocketed off the startline and understeered straight off at Copse...?

[Andrew Kitson]

Yes TimD, you are right. The race was in two parts, live on the BBC. JYS understeered straight into the bank directly 'at' the Copse camera! I've got it on tape somewhere. What I remember most from that meeting though was a side by side Silverstone style finish to the 2 litre sports car race. John Miles and another driver I can't remember in Chevron B19s.