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6 Jun 2002, 23:46 (Ref:306861) | #1 | ||
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Remember the old Snetterton?
Anybody remember the 'old' Snetterton circuit in Norfolk UK?
As you approached the track on the A11 road you could see Sear corner then the mile long Norwich Straight leading to the hairpin. This ran parallel to the main road, about 30 feet back behind a small hedge. Many times everyday Sunday motorists were suprised to hear and see a full field of raucous F5000s on the first lap just behind the bushes! Safety got the better of the place and it was cut in half in 1974. I guess a GT40 ending up in the petrol station forecourt swayed the decision! Sear corner is still there, just behind the hedge, but moved further back. The circuit has a new entrance flyover being built right now together with dual carriageway set way back from the track. Shame really - the old straight and hairpin are no more, they have been dug up to create these improvements. Passing motorists will no longer be in danger of having their concentration compromised by lunatics charging around Sear! |
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9 Jun 2002, 14:16 (Ref:308617) | #2 | ||
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I've got the old snet on Grand Prix Legends and it is one hell of a track after Crystal Palace its my fav british circuit.
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12 Jan 2003, 10:34 (Ref:471878) | #3 | ||
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Old Snetterton Pictures
I have always had a soft spot for Snett - I don't know why, probably because I spent so much time there in the 60s/70s as it is the local circuit to me. In those days there were huge crowds and big Internationals.I have posted several pictures before in the other threads in this historic section - here are a few more.
Starting with the start of the Good Friday Group 4 Sportscar race in 1969. Lola T70s on the front row of Redman, Bonnier and Hawkins, with Attwood's John Woolfe T70 and Juncadella's GT40. More great period sportscar pics can be seen here: http://www.wheelsarchives.freeserve.co.uk |
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12 Jan 2003, 10:35 (Ref:471879) | #4 | ||
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The winning car of Paul Hawkins in the same race.
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12 Jan 2003, 10:38 (Ref:471881) | #5 | ||
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Trevor Taylor at the end of the old Home Straight runway - where the pay booths are now - about to go under the Dunlop bridge at the Esses.
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12 Jan 2003, 10:39 (Ref:471883) | #6 | ||
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Denny Hulme in Sid Taylor's GT40 in 1967.
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12 Jan 2003, 10:46 (Ref:471886) | #7 | ||
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And this is how it looked back then.A very fast circuit with challenging corners.
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12 Jan 2003, 11:04 (Ref:471895) | #8 | ||
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Just out of interest, would anyone be able to take Andrew's picture of the old circuit layout and overlay it with the new layout for comparison?
Last edited by Maisie; 12 Jan 2003 at 11:04. |
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12 Jan 2003, 11:19 (Ref:471906) | #9 | ||
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Yeah, I can do that Maisie! Will post it soon.
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12 Jan 2003, 11:27 (Ref:471915) | #10 | ||
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Cheers!
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12 Jan 2003, 11:47 (Ref:471930) | #11 | ||
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Here you go, I hope this works. Old track in grey, new one in black with new entrance bridge at end of Revett Straight. If only they would do away with the Russell chicane and revert to the almost flat Russell kink as on the old track. That sorted out the men from the boys!
However, there is a chicane to be built on the Revett straight, but used only for some bike meetings and the 2cv 24hr race only. |
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12 Jan 2003, 17:13 (Ref:472206) | #12 | ||
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Many thanks, Andrew, that's fantastic!
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12 Jan 2003, 23:38 (Ref:472530) | #13 | ||
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Cracking photos Andrew. I never got to Snetterton during my if-it's-a-weekend-there-must-be-a-race-to-go-to days. It looks fast now on telly but, boy, how much faster it must have been then! I hadn't realised short the current circuit is in comparison.
Marvellous days, when top class fields could be seen at most of the British circuits. |
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13 Jan 2003, 16:38 (Ref:473191) | #14 | |
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Dave - I did an Formula Ford Festival there on the old circuit. It was fast and the hairpin at the end of the straight was 'sudden', particularly at the end of lap 1!. I think Donald McLeod was the winner, or Ian Taylor was it? I know Bob Arnott had me off at the hairpin in the final.
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13 Jan 2003, 16:58 (Ref:473211) | #15 | ||
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gfm- Ian Taylor won the first Festival, held at Snett in 72.
What did you think of Russell? The old one of course. I think Don won the second in '73 in the first Van Diemen. |
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13 Jan 2003, 17:16 (Ref:473232) | #16 | ||
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Regarding the old map of Snetterton - Originally Russell wasn't even a kink, just a left handed sweep out of Coram. And there was no pit wall or barrier in those days!
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13 Jan 2003, 17:33 (Ref:473243) | #17 | ||
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squareleg - absolutely correct. Russell has changed so many times over the years since its introduction to slow the kink from Coram. The first 'chicane' was even tighter than now but the old favourite was the version from the late 60s to late 80s - not quite 'flat' unless you were very brave, especially with the earth banks lining the course to act as launching ramps if it went wrong which was often!
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13 Jan 2003, 18:07 (Ref:473271) | #18 | |
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You guys are right. It was an extremely interesting and fast S bend. You were always tempted to try the low curbs but because the speeds were high you had to be careful it didn't upset the car and end up losing it.
You also had a bit more room on the run up to Sear. Altogether the speeds were higher and I remember thinking at the time, the new circuit was a bit 'pointless' compared to the trip round Norfolk that it was previously. Last edited by gfm; 13 Jan 2003 at 18:16. |
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16 Jan 2003, 00:55 (Ref:475799) | #19 | ||
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Just would like to point out that I race the old circuit on GPL and it's great!!
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18 Jan 2003, 11:32 (Ref:478089) | #20 | ||
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Compare this to the map above - Snetterton in 1996.
The curve in the foreground is Coram. The old Esses bridge is still there in this shot, the new one is now at the end of the 'new' Revett straight running through the centre. The old Norwich straight can be seen at the top, with the busy A11 road just behind the hedge. The Sunday market now occupies the area at top right where the hairpin was by the main entrance. From above, it is far more obvious that Snetterton Heath was once a WWII airfield, as the runways and positions of some of the hangars and B-17 standing areas can still be seen. Quite why the corner after the Esses known as the 'bombhole' is so named is a bit of a mystery. No bomb ever fell on the airfield during the war. |
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18 Jan 2003, 11:36 (Ref:478094) | #21 | ||
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The start of an F3 race at Snett in 1972.
Tony Brise, Alan Jones and Roger Williamson to the fore. |
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18 Jan 2003, 11:38 (Ref:478096) | #22 | ||
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Williamson justs beats Brise - both in GRD 372s.
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18 Jan 2003, 11:45 (Ref:478099) | #23 | ||
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Jackie Oliver testing his F1 BRM - 1968 I think, exiting the hairpin up by the A11 road. The sign for the crossroads
can be seen in the background. Straight across from the circuit for about 200 yards is the Van Diemen factory.This junction is now occupied by a massive fly-over, still under construction, as part of the new A11 dual carriageway. |
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18 Jan 2003, 15:58 (Ref:478267) | #24 | ||
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Jack Sears up at the same place as the Oliver BRM pic. However, 1965.
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18 Jan 2003, 16:01 (Ref:478269) | #25 | ||
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The first version of Russell, to slow the cars from the flat out kink from Coram.This one was a bit like the one in place today - too slow!
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