Racing may continue at Lydden.....

[AndyF]

Aparently, McLaren are in talks with the local council to allow racing to continue on the circuit while it hopes to upgrade its own facilities.

Good news, and hopefully racing will continue beyond the end of this season!

[DSM]

Without wanting to be too cynical, why is it good news? I was there yesterday and saw nothing that I couldn't live without.
The place is second rate compared to most of the Country's Kart TRacks let alone the main ciruits.
Please enlighten me.

[Andrew Kitson]

Because there is such a friendly crowd of regulars at the great little Lydden clubbies - like racing used to be. I first went to Lydden Hill in 1967 and the place has hardly changed to this day. It's just good old fashioned club racing at its best, the lady serving the tea in the hut by the assembly area seems to have been there since 67 too!
Just nice to have somewhere that has not been ruined by modern racing safety demands.

[DSM]

I would readily accept that it hasn't changed since the 60's. A pity that the entry fees, for both racers and spectators haven't done the same.

[Adam43]

I visited Lydden for the first time a couple of weeks ago. The racing was fun (despite never getting into a gear higher than third!).

All the competitors there seemed to enjoy it a lot. And I was surprised by the number of spectators.

[Stephen Green]

Difficult one this as I am a Lydden fan. The main problem is that safety standards are well below where they should be for modern day racing. The spectator fencing is make of wooden picket fence, most of which is rotten. There is little if any debris fence and as for the tyre walls, well I'll say no more! There is no propper entrance and exit to the pits and certainly no pit lane to speak of.

Having said all of the above, the atmosphere is great and spectators get to view almost the entire track during racing. It's almost a mini version of the Brands Indy circuit inverted.

I would love to see signs of just a few improvements to safety standards and maybe the paddock area with a little tarmac so the teams have somewhere decent to work.

[TimD]

I'll stand up to be counted as another Lydden fan. So what if the facilities aren't terribly 21st century - it's fun!

And Stephen's absolutely right - it's a viewing-friendly mini-Brands, with none of the attitude.

I've spent more time than I care to remember watching Kent racing clubs and international rallycross events alike down there, and I would be delighted to see it continue.

Mental note: last time I was there was 1995. Must do better...

[Sato san]

Hey , Lydden is fine , . ok so it hasnt got great faciltiys there , but its only about 6 quid to get in most times. Go there park your car on the bank , and watch the racing , and it at least gives a track in the SE that isnt as far or as Busy as Brands Hatch . Lydden is well worth sticking up for and hoping that racing can continue into the future .

[Peter Scillitoe]

Sorry to be the sour puss here, but is there really a need for Lydden Hill. It has always struggled for entries, and if anything the situation now is worse than ever. In other threads about entry fees it is clear that for many competitors Lydden (and to a similar extent, Pembry, Knockhill and Anglesey) is a bridge too far. If the competitors are not prepared to travel to Lydden, why keep it open? The facilities are poor, the track is not safe for the marshals (and I suspect for the competitors as well). I used to think it was worth saving as a home for club racing, but not any more.

[Adam43]

The entry for our races at Lydden was so big they split them into two!

The food facilities are excellent. And a resonable price too.

I didn't see anything unsafe (from a drivers point of view. And longer races may be out of the question due to the lack of pit lane. I've only been once so maybe I'm not the best place to comment, but I thought it was a good little circuit.

[Stephen Green]

Adam, there have been many cases this year when grids have been so small at Lydden that races have been cancelled. This may have something to do with the disparity between BRSCC and BARC entry fees. However, Peter is right, nice as Lydden Hill is, the facilities and safety standards are well below those expected of a modern day circuit. If you have a close look at the tyre walls on your next visit you will see that many of them are old tractor tyres and ovcer the years, have become filled with earth and other debris. As I mentioned in my earlier post, the spectator fencing is disgraceful and any self respecting four year old could get through it and straight onto the circuit.

I agree that it's one of the friendliest tracks and that the catering facilities are pretty good (marshals get discount on egg and bacon rolls) but the sad fact is that due to the continuing uncertainty over Lydden Hills future, little of no money gets spent on it my McLaren.

[Adam43]

Stephen, I am very interested in your points. You probably know better than me, a one off Lydden visitor (and you, luckily for me, have got closer to those tyre walls ).

Some cars had an off at Lydden (a couple of people lost the back out of the last corner, over corrected and ended up front end first in the tyre wall on the start/finish straight. Another went straight on at Devil's Elbow). No one suffered an injury, however this is probably down to the slow speed. One thing I did notice was that the tyre wall was spread out all over the place and required some extensive rebuilding! This surprised me because of the slow speed nature of both shunts (the cars survived relatively well!).

The location could be a problem for many. A friend of ours, who was racing, travelled ten hours to get there! I think all the circuits that aren't at a central location must suffer with this.

However, the catering facilities are excellent. The friendliness was certainly a change from the standard burger vans we find at most ciruits! Also the camping facilities are pretty good too. For such a small circuit, I was impressed with the showers! The flood lights that stay on during the night are extremely useful.

I suppose one of my main concern is that we just end up Octagon circuits. Friendly is not something that describe these (with the possible exception of Snetterton).

[Stephen Green]

The tyre walls at most circuits now have the 'conveyer belting' that stops the tyres from being spread all over the place, including getting into spectator areas. Accidents don't tend to be too bad given the relatively low speed of the track as you rightly say, but I do worry that with no debris fence there is going to be a nasty injury in the crowd at some stage.

Fingers crossed it never happens.

Strangely enough, I thought that with the tracks close proximity to Dover and mainland Europe, we may have seen more drivers/teams make a weekend abroad. Could this be that the organising clubs don't have the forthought to ask?

[Sato san]

with all this talk about Lydden going on , its made me feel like going there soon , anyone know whats on the this weekend ?

[Stephen Green]

Afraid not Sato San, try ringing the circuit 01304 830557

[Sato san]

thanks Stephen ! i will do that .

[Sato san]

o well , just phoned them and they only have Motorcycle track days this weekend . NO racing this weekend , there goes my plan up in smoke .

thanks for the number though Stephen .

[Andrew Kitson]

Sato San - these are the remaining Lydden meetings:
Sept 7 ( Same weekend Goodwood!!)
Sept 29
Oct 12
Oct 26
By the way - framed your prints yet?

[Sato san]

Thanks Andrew , i'll write that down so i down forget those dates.

Im picking the prints up next week from shop thats framing them . Nice big space on the wall is waiting for them . They look will look great up there !

[Stephen Green]

I think there's a meeting at Brands next weekend tho mate!

[Sato san]

o yes , 17th and 18th Aug BRSCC Summer Race Weekend.

Kent county FF etc ....sounds good to me .

[Stephen Green]

If you are there we will have to meet up.

[Sato san]

that would good Stephen !.

[JimG]

As a racer who visits Lydden regularly, as well as travelling to most other circuits, I don't believe all the information given to be up to date. Firstly there are no commercial lorry or tractor tyres in the tyre walls in the run off areas. In the last 3-4 years these have all been replaced by either two or three layer tyres walls constructed entirely of car tyres. The MSA would no longer provide a track licence if this were not so (remember there is a thorough annual inspection). Where any commercial tyres do still exist they are used away from run off areas as a form of retaining wall in the same way as they, armco, and concrete walls etc. are used at most other circuits. The spectator fencing is flimsy and could be better quality, but is full debris fencing appropriate? It is certainly not used extensively at most other UK circuits other than Brands, Silverstone and Donnington. Entries vary according to organising club and formula being run. SEMSEC sports and saloon races are regularly oversubscribed, while BRSCC do better with one make series. Lydden, Pembrey, Knockhill etc. may each have their own 'charm', but do pass regular safety inspections.

[Stephen Green]

Hi Jim and first of all let me extend a warm welcome to ten-tenths.

If the tractor/lorry tyres have gone then I stand corrected, but I was under the impression they still existed around the hairpin from when I was there a few months ago?

If you got the impression I was knocking Lydden then that too is not quite right. I said earlier that I am a big fan of Lydden and thoroughly enjoy the friendly atmosphere shared between the drivers, team members and marshals, not to mention the spectators. The point I was trying to make is that McLaren haven't really spent any sensible money on the track since they bought it (apart from the shower/toilet block if that was McLaren's doing) and that the place is starting to look tired and in need of good repair and maintenance. I know Alan, the circuit manager there very well as he is a fellow marshal, but I have to say and firmly believe that the tyre walls and spectator fencing is woefully inadequate.

If you let me know the next time you are racing at Lydden I will make a point of coming over to say a personal hello.

Once again a very warm welcome to ten-tenths