Abandoned race circuits

[graeme]

I guess its an expensive ferry journey to race around a disused airfield with few facilities...

[ss_collins]

I think there are plans to improve it though to put it back on the calendar

[Rob29]

If you had seen it you would know why no one would want to go there.In a remote northern corner of the island.'Facilities' consisted of an old bus as race control,a burger van and a portaloo.it was part of a weekend historic festival-sprint on Thursday evening Douglas seafront;Friday,Hill Climb;Saturday,Willeston Persuit Sprint;Sunday,Jurby races. It was cancelled one year due to foot & mouth desease,and the following year due to lack of entries. Guess they gave up after that.

[rdjones]

Got another abandoned circuits for you Rufforth, it is just outside York. It has not mid used since the mid-60's, I belive that it still used as airfield.

[ss_collins]

If you had seen it you would know why no one would want to go there.In a remote northern corner of the island.'Facilities' consisted of an old bus as race control,a burger van and a portaloo.it was part of a weekend historic festival-sprint on Thursday evening Douglas seafront;Friday,Hill Climb;Saturday,Willeston Persuit Sprint;Sunday,Jurby races.

That sounds a great clubbie weekend. I'd love to it.

especially if they put an event on the preceeding weekend so you could make week of it.

Rufforth won't feature in this book, niether will carnaby, but they may in a follow up in 2005 if there is sufficent interest in the first one

[davemorganfan]

Originally posted by rdjones
Got another abandoned circuits for you Rufforth, it is just outside York. It has not mid used since the mid-60's, I belive that it still used as airfield.

Last time I passed Rufforth, it was hosting a car boot sale. A pretty poor end for a place where I mis-spent much of my youth.

[MGCooperman]

Was there a circuit at Davidstowe in Cornwall? Used I think in the 50's, old wartime airfield of course.

[ss_collins]

there was indeed. as with rufforth hasn't made it in though.

[Rob29]

Originally posted by MGCooperman
Was there a circuit at Davidstowe in Cornwall? Used I think in the 50's, old wartime airfield of course.

I already have a book on this circuit 'A History of Cornwall's Formula 1 race Circuit-Davidstow' by Peter Tutthill.

[Dan Rear]

Rufforth was used until mid-70s, at least, certainly way beyond mid-60s.

[hodsonaj]

As to Davidstow my father went there once and always said it was one of the wettest and coldest meetings he ever went to! This does little to establish which meeting he went to as they all seem have been cold and wet, bar one, according to Peter Tuthill's book!
There were also races held around the headland at Pendennis near Falmouth in the mid 1930s. These were for bikes but there were some demonstration runs in cars by Donald Healey and also Dick Wilkins who was a Brooklands regular. He used a P3 Alfa, which must have been a sight to behold. The road is still there very much in its original form
Tony Hodson (Cornishman in exile)

[ss_collins]

So should we have a definitive mulsannes corner style web site for disused circuits?

[Richard Young]

And there are more....How about Elvington ? And does Linton on Ouse ring a bell with anybody ? And what about Lulsgate - now Bristol Airport ?
In Scotland there's Cherterhall from the distant past and Ingliston in more recent times - there's another as well whose name I can't recall at present.
There are a few in Ireland too. In the south, The Curragh, Wicklow, Dunboyne, Rathdrum all spring to mind, plus short-lived street races in Ballyjamesduff, Dundalk and Dun Laoghaire - all post-war. Earlier there were races in Limerick, Cork and Tallaght outside (now inside) Dublin.
Also several permutations of Phoenix Park. Northern Ireland has airfield circuits at Bishopscourt, Long Kesh, Cluntoe and Cranfield, plus defunct road courses at Dundrod (now in use for bikes only), Ballyclare, Donaghadee and Bangor.
Then there's Jersey, the Douglas Street circuit and, I suspect, several more I've never heard of.
And that's just within the British Isles.....
Big job.......

[ss_collins]

nah this is not going to be a comprehensive list of old circuits - sites like etracks and racing circuits.net.

As you will see in the next few months this is all about decay. There are a few spaces left though, I can't see them going to UK or Irish circuits. Crystal Palace and Brooklands took those spots

[Cameron Winton]

Here is what I know for Scotland:
Ingliston (V. nr Edinburgh)- mentioned previously - still used for single venue tarmac rallies 1965-1995 for races & sprints
Charterhall (nr Duns, Berwickshire)- Mid fifties to 1964 replaced by Ingliston. Single Venue rallies still use it
Winfield (nr Berwick upon Tweed) Dont know much about it but it was concurrent with Charterhall
Crimond, Aberdeenshire - Famous for being Jim Clark's first race venue
Turnberry, Ayrshire Had some big F Libre races during the early fifties. Found it mentioned in a Vanwall book as I think the Thinwall Special won a race there. Adjacent to the Open Championship golf course.
Beveridge Park Kirkaldy: Mostly bikes but some car races in the early fifties. Think of a mini Isle Of Man
I have done sprints at Crail in Fife and East Fortune outside Edinburgh and there may have been races at Gask airfield in Perthshire. My dad can only remember doing autotests there in the late fifties.
Hillclimbs that have been lost are the Rest And Be Thankful in Argyllshire (See recent article in Motorsport) and Bo'ness in Stirlingshire nr Grangemouth. I plan on trying to find Bo'ness. Although it was sold for housing, I believe the original road maybe intact.
Does this help?

[Cameron Winton]

On hillclimbs I forgot Strathclyde Country Park. Used in the eighties and early nineties by Coltness Car Club for Scottish Championship events. My first hillclimb in 91!
Health & Safety killed it. As it was a public park close to Motherwell there was trouble with the local "neds"

[davemorganfan]

Anyone had a look at www.racingcircuits.net? Includes maps and cicuit layouts.

[Aysedasi]

Yes, its a pretty well known site Dave, with some smashing pictures, particularly of places like Rouen and Reims. I don't know what it is but it absolutely fascinates me looking at these places as they are now (or what is left of them), comparing them with what they once were. I have a strong desire to visit Reims to close my eyes and soak up the atmosphere which I feel sure still pervades the place.......

[Redlake27]

Fascinating to read the links about Sitges.Two years ago I stayed in a villa in Sitges-Terramar and never realised I was less than half a mile from a disused circuit!

[ss_collins]

these comments are very very promising for the book, I think you all will want a copy - especially when we whet you appetites with some pics.

will try and sort out a forum discount

[Richard Young]

Read somewhere the other day of a venue calle (I think) Gamston, used in the fifties - another airfield I think.
Come to think of it there's probably a book in the airfield venues alone.....

[graeme]

Gamston's next to the A1 in Lincolnshire. There's an independant Citroen garage on the airfield, where I've had my 2CV race car fettled, so I've driven part of the circuit...

[Aysedasi]

Originally posted by ss_collins
these comments are very very promising for the book, I think you all will want a copy - especially when we whet you appetites with some pics.

will try and sort out a forum discount

Sounds great. As I've said before, I find the whole subject fascinating and would certainly be interested in a (substantial ) forum discount......

[Gnuvolari]

Unless I've missed it, nobody's mentioned Borehamwood. Another WWII airfield, presumably? I have at least one good pic' of racing there which I could post if anyone wants.

[Rob29]

Originally posted by Gnuvolari
Unless I've missed it, nobody's mentioned Borehamwood. Another WWII airfield, presumably? I have at least one good pic' of racing there which I could post if anyone wants.

Think you mean Elstree airfield which held a sprint shortly after WW2? Most infamous of course for the plane crash that killed Graham Hill,Tony Brise and most of his F1 team.