Last UK track closure?

medius · 11 Sep 2007, 19:56 (Ref:2009661)

With trackside rumours of Rockingham facing closure (from what I heard from a marshall at Croft the other weekend), what was the last UK permanent race circuit to close? I've been following motorsport since 1990 and can't remember any since then.

rcarr · 11 Sep 2007, 20:06 (Ref:2009672)

Ingliston was closed in 1994.

rallycrosscraig · 11 Sep 2007, 20:16 (Ref:2009678)

shame about Ingliston, I'd go for that as the last circuit?

Chris Griffin · 11 Sep 2007, 21:06 (Ref:2009721)

Mallory came close in the late 80s

big andy · 11 Sep 2007, 22:19 (Ref:2009788)

rufforth closed in 1977 never re opened ,croft closed in 1983 but re opened in 1996/7

rcarr · 11 Sep 2007, 22:37 (Ref:2009797)

Quote:

Originally Posted by big andy

rufforth closed in 1977 never re opened ,croft closed in 1983 but re opened in 1996/7

It re-opened in 11th November 94 or maybe 95, I think. That was the day that my Dad decided to change our S2000 Tiga into a Lancia Stratos with the Tiga chassis underneath because he was so cold due to the rain and the wind, he was going blue around his lips etc.

Rob29 · 12 Sep 2007, 07:06 (Ref:2009910)

Anyone remember Longridge,Lancs? Just half mile round I have forgotten when it closed.Also closed for circuit car racing,Crystal Palace,Aintree Llandow.If Rockingham closes will it have had the shortest life of any 'permanent' track? Will be no loss to me,but must have been a poor investment for someone? Clearly no demand for oval racing in UK.

rbs · 12 Sep 2007, 07:07 (Ref:2009913)

I marshalled at Longridge,Llandow and Crystal Palace, none are used as race circuits today but Llandow is a sprint venue. Not sure of the dates they closed though.

GORDON STREETER · 12 Sep 2007, 07:26 (Ref:2009922)

Apart from Brands CP was my nearest track. I used to watch a lot of car and bike racing until it closed in the early 70s

**chunterer** · 15 Sep 2007, 12:45 (Ref:2013581)

There was that Langbaurgh (sp??) place in Teeside that did get opened I think but never had the race meetings it was set up for and ended up a rallycross and sprint venue in the 80's & 90's.

Is that still open for anything?

Suze · 15 Sep 2007, 15:49 (Ref:2013752)

CP had sprints though from 1997 until 2000 if I've got my dates right.

diz · 15 Sep 2007, 20:00 (Ref:2013941)

Aintree closed to car circuit racing in 1982, but has continued to run motor bike racing, car sprints and the odd car track/test days more or less continuously since then.

And being a touch pedantic, can I put forward Anglesey as the last permanent circuit to close Anglesey Mk1 opened in May 1997 and closed at the beginning of Oct 2006.
In May 2007 the new Anglesey Mk2 was opened, consisting of four layouts from 0.8 miles upto 2.1 miles in length. None of the old circuit remains, as the new version is totally different.

duke_toaster · 15 Sep 2007, 20:34 (Ref:2013973)

Quote:

Originally Posted by diz

And being a touch pedantic, can I put forward Anglesey as the last permanent circuit to close Anglesey Mk1 opened in May 1997 and closed at the beginning of Oct 2006.
In May 2007 the new Anglesey Mk2 was opened, consisting of four layouts from 0.8 miles upto 2.1 miles in length. None of the old circuit remains, as the new version is totally different.

I think School was kept.

And it would be a shame if the Rock closes, it's a pretty good venue that actually could quite easily (compared to anywhere else) be upgraded to Grade 2 or 1.

diz · 15 Sep 2007, 21:23 (Ref:2014010)

Quote:

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

I think School was kept.

Not quite DT.
There is a corner on the National layout called School with a similar radius and it is more or less in the same place, but it is now 12 metres wide [like all the track] so is different.
Most of the site was dug out, or built up, or moved from here to there, or from one part to another etc., and the new version of School is approx five feet higher above sea level than the old version, so it ain't the same.
Hope that clears things up DT. As I say, it is a totally new complex of circuits.

morninggents · 16 Sep 2007, 10:26 (Ref:2014381)

Quote:

Originally Posted by medius

With trackside rumours of Rockingham facing closure (from what I heard from a marshall at Croft the other weekend), what was the last UK permanent race circuit to close? I've been following motorsport since 1990 and can't remember any since then.

Has Jurby (Isle of Man) closed?

GORDON STREETER · 16 Sep 2007, 19:05 (Ref:2014894)

Not sure on that Peter, they are still showing events like karts/trackdays for this year . I'll ask Peter Lloyd this weekend at Brands as he lives in the IOM.
There must be somebody that lives there that comes on 10/10th !

ss_collins · 16 Sep 2007, 19:42 (Ref:2014923)

Silverstone rallysprint?

ringwood!

Blackflag77 · 16 Sep 2007, 20:30 (Ref:2014956)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob29

Anyone remember Longridge,Lancs? Just half mile round I have forgotten when it closed.Also closed for circuit car racing,Crystal Palace,Aintree Llandow.If Rockingham closes will it have had the shortest life of any 'permanent' track? Will be no loss to me,but must have been a poor investment for someone? Clearly no demand for oval racing in UK.

Perhaps if they penned Rockingham as a superspeedway style circuit like daytone et al, it may have ticked the right boxes.

Shame Ingliston closed. There is some in-car footage on YouTube of a Formula Vauxhall Lotus race in the early 90's.

bdwoody · 16 Sep 2007, 20:57 (Ref:2014976)

ringwood is still running i think spedeworth southern were in charge for a while but now its trogan motorsport or some such thing..

graeme · 16 Sep 2007, 21:15 (Ref:2014991)

Quote:

Originally Posted by morninggents

Has Jurby (Isle of Man) closed?

Ding! - I think the man above takes the prize. I would have instictively said Ingleston (something like '95 - awesome looking circuit), but Jurby disappeared from the Blue Book this year (or last year?). No official anoucement of a closure, more just faded away.

Not many tears for Rockingham from me< i@m afraid - dull circuit. At least I see that Lydden is continuing - that would be a disaster if it went...

Russell B. · 18 Sep 2007, 12:52 (Ref:2016878)

Quote:

There was that Langbaurgh (sp??) place in Teeside that did get opened I think but never had the race meetings it was set up for and ended up a rallycross and sprint venue in the 80's & 90's.

Is that still open for anything?

Teesside Autodrome?
It's open as a kart / sprint / trackday venue having recently been extended.

http://www.teessideautodrome.co.uk/index.php

graeme · 18 Sep 2007, 13:11 (Ref:2016905)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russell B.

Teesside Autodrome?
It's open as a kart / sprint / trackday venue having recently been extended.

http://www.teessideautodrome.co.uk/index.php

Looking at the circuit plans on the Teesside Autodrome website, there's an MSA/ACU race circuit (which has a different layout to the MSA sprint circuit). Does this imply that they are going for/have got full MSA race circuit accreditation?? If so, when did/does car racing there start?

AR-CoolC · 18 Sep 2007, 14:26 (Ref:2016982)

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcarr

Ingliston was closed in 1994.

Where was/is Ingliston? Looking on Google maps it only brings up Edinburgh airport.

graeme · 18 Sep 2007, 14:27 (Ref:2016983)

Ingliston was at Edinburgh Showground - right next to the airport

AR-CoolC · 18 Sep 2007, 14:33 (Ref:2016987)

Looks like all remains of it have gone now then.

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