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Old 15 Nov 2000, 17:22 (Ref:48454)   #1
Boniver
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Brooklands ……..
From 17 july 1907 to 1939 the place of the Britisch racing
It was the first permament circuit
There was a GP race in 1926 and 1927
But also the Britisch Empire Thophy
The BRDC and JCC (club) racing
But also the opening race of 1907
The race in 1908 with winner Nazzaro in Fiat
In 1911 with Bordino in Fiat …..

And so very match other races

But who have more info, of racing on Brookland
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Old 16 Nov 2000, 07:19 (Ref:48553)   #2
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Here you go Tim.

Mr B you have just struck gold.

As to the "first permanent circuit". Wasn't that Indianapolis?
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Old 16 Nov 2000, 08:21 (Ref:48557)   #3
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No, I think Indy opened in 1911. Some Americans claim Milwakee as the first closed circuit race, but it was round an existing horse racing track. And now over to Tim
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Old 16 Nov 2000, 21:16 (Ref:48670)   #4
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Hi Boniver,

Well, you asked! I'm actually in the throes of a book of Brooklands history, trying to present each race, its results, runners and riders. Not the easiest of things to research, believe me.

In the process, I have established squatters rights in the Beaulieu National Motor Museum library, lost my temper at the microfiche custodians at the British Newspaper Library, exchanged views with the great William Boddy, rummaged around in the Brooklands Society archive, and found myself on first name terms with every antiquarian motor book dealer in the land.

And I'm still left with gaps all over the place!

So, Boniver, what would you like to know about Brooklands?



Incidentally, the first meeting at Brooklands was actually on July 6th 1907, and the first race therein was won by HC Tryon on a 40hp Napier.

The last race ever held at the track was The Third August Outer Circuit Handicap, on August 7th 1939, The winning car was GL Baker's Straight-8 Graham-Paige.
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Old 18 Nov 2000, 12:39 (Ref:48859)   #5
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re

He TimD,

There is the web site from Brooklands Society

Somebody give the name of the book « History of Brooklands Motor Course » from William Boddy - 1957 - but not more on the market

But we find no other info of Brookland , no books, no web sites, datum of races, no winners, etc....

If you know the site of Darren Galpon (racing from 1895 to
1948) of Leif Snellman (racing from 1934 to 1949)
there not very match , or nothing, say over racing on Brookland or GB, for we have no info...

We think that in GB are more sites and books, over Brooklands and racing in GB (before 1949) than we know.


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Old 18 Nov 2000, 13:43 (Ref:48863)   #6
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Brooklands

Hey Tim - have you heard anything about the Brooklands ghost? I read somewhere years ago about a racer who drove off the side of the banked track - died obviously - and people have claimed to have seen his ghost.
I must admit when you go there and walk along the few bits of track that are visible, it is pretty spooky!
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Old 23 Nov 2000, 00:54 (Ref:49566)   #7
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Francesca, the story as I've been told it, is that members of the public have seen a man walking the banking in period racing helmet, goggles and flying jacket. He is sufficiently "solid" that he is taken for a member of staff or a guide dressed up. But he never acknowledges anyone, and he seems to disappear unexpectedly.

Enough innocent punters have enquired about him at the museum for them to build up a little bit of a theory about him.

They suggest that he's Captain Percy Lambert, who was a successful driver between 1909-1913. He lost his life in a speed record attempt in 1913 driving a streamlined 25hp Talbot. Without references in front of me, I can't be certain that he went "over the top".

There were definitely a few drivers who came off the banking. Clive Dunfee crashed a Bentley in the 1932 BRDC 500 miles race, and was killed. (There's a Pathe newsreel I've seen which shows the big Bentley somersaulting through the treetops - not pretty). In 1938, Harry Clayton, driving a borrowed MG, was pitched off the banking by another car. Despite his leather crash-hat hitting the concrete, and despite multiple fractures, Harry Clayton survived the accident, and lived into his nineties.

I think Jack Toop's fatal accident in 1924 involved the banking too, but I can't be certain without looking it up...



Boniver, the best I can do for you - while I'm still surrounded by a thousand assorted bits of information which I'm collating - is to let you know the best sources available at the moment.

Boddy's History of Brooklands Motor Course is the thing to find. Try to locate the 1979 printing, as it clears up some errors in the 1957 edition. Mainly typos, nothing horrendous. Rendering "Alta" as "Alfa", for example.

Also by Boddy, "The 200 Miles Race", which concentrates on the JCC events, and "Brooklands Giants", which looks at the aircraft-engined racers.

Charles Mortimer's "Brooklands and Beyond" focuses on CKM's motorcycling activities, but is interesting and useful nonetheless.

Prince Chula's books "Wheels at Speed", "Road Racing 1936", "Road Star Hat Trick" all look at his brother B.Bira's record of racing at Brooklands. Hugh Tours wrote an excellent biography of JG Parry Thomas.

But you're right. Apart from those, there's really not a lot that was published about Brooklands. Certainly not in the way of tabulated results. Even the press reports at the time rarely published every result. Usually they limited themselves to "top three" and the winner's average speed.

And that's precisely why I decided I would do something about it.

Still working....
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Old 23 Nov 2000, 01:06 (Ref:49568)   #8
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Good luck Tim - having been to Brooklands, I know it is a special place and deserves more coverage. They should bulldoze the buildings that are on top of the old track and recreate it. Such a shame that they let people build on a piece of major British racing history!
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Old 11 Apr 2005, 14:59 (Ref:1275567)   #9
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Brooklands 1934

I am looking for information on John Rossall Houldsworth killed in a motor racing accident at Brooklands in June 1934 aged 22 - can anybody help.

Helen
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Old 11 Apr 2005, 15:21 (Ref:1275585)   #10
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A little thing called World War Two

Quote:
Originally Posted by Francesca
Good luck Tim - having been to Brooklands, I know it is a special place and deserves more coverage. They should bulldoze the buildings that are on top of the old track and recreate it. Such a shame that they let people build on a piece of major British racing history!
Unfortunately Francesca there were several venues like Brooklands that were commandeered during the Second World War (Donington Park being one). When the troops finally left the old place was in one heck of a mess. Parts of the banking had gone and there were buildings all over the place. Of course there was never any suggestion of compensation.

It would be highly expensive to restore Brooklands to its original glory and to then recoup the expense the old motto of 'The right crowd and no crowding' would have to go out of the window.

I agree that it is a shame however without World War Two there wouldn't be...

Silverstone, Castle Combe, Anglesey Racing Circuit, Croft Circuit, Kirkistown, Pembrey, Snetterton and Thruxton all of which are built on World War Two military installations.

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Old 11 Apr 2005, 15:28 (Ref:1275590)   #11
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Bonvier, there is a book coming out in June called Autodrome - it covers the history of Brooklands and has some really good photography of the place today. It should contain pretty much everything you want to know as a casual type. But the boo covers nine abandoned circuits - whereas TimD's (which I will no doubt be buying) is dedicated to Brooklands

Francesca - the above contains the story of both the ghosts - or loiter in the chat room and I'll start telling scary stories... I got some great qoutes from a local who claimed to have had a run in with it...

BTW the earliest closed course motor race I know of was in 1899 at Crystal Palace. My book on that topic is out in a few weeks.

See amazon (or ads/competition to appear on this site soon) for more details.
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Old 11 Apr 2005, 15:40 (Ref:1275604)   #12
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Stop trying to sell your book collins!

Brooklands is a fantastic place and is well worth a visit if you can get there...its only 12 miles from me...I can feel a visit coming on...Sunday Sam?

If you can get over the museum is a fantastic place to learn all about the history of Brooklands!

Helen as for your request about John Rossall Houldsworth I am not sure! Maybe TimD maybe the person to help you. Also contacting the Brooklands Society could be worth a go!
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Old 11 Apr 2005, 16:08 (Ref:1275635)   #13
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Welcome to the forum Helen. I know a little about John Houldsworth's unfortunate accident. As far as I am aware, his entry in the 1934 British Empire Trophy race was his only experience as a competitor at the track. He shared a Bugatti T35 with RL Duller, a seasoned racer at Brooklands. On this occasion, there was a new track layout incorporated for the race. This was marked out by straw bales, and it was against one of these bales that the Bugatti turned over on the 31st lap. Although he was taken to hospital, unfortunately John Houldsworth did not survive the night.
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Old 11 Apr 2005, 16:19 (Ref:1275647)   #14
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chezza - what do you think is paying for your holiday...
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Old 11 Apr 2005, 17:06 (Ref:1275685)   #15
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Brooklands museum

go here then!! http://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/
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Old 11 Apr 2005, 22:46 (Ref:1275918)   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TimD
Welcome to the forum Helen. I know a little about John Houldsworth's unfortunate accident. As far as I am aware, his entry in the 1934 British Empire Trophy race was his only experience as a competitor at the track. He shared a Bugatti T35 with RL Duller, a seasoned racer at Brooklands. On this occasion, there was a new track layout incorporated for the race. This was marked out by straw bales, and it was against one of these bales that the Bugatti turned over on the 31st lap. Although he was taken to hospital, unfortunately John Houldsworth did not survive the night.
Boddy's description of Houldsworth's accident says that his car hit the straw bales and cartwheeled up the banking. That presumably means he hit the first bale of the deviation with the offside front wheel as he was leaving the banking?

Like Tim, I'm not aware of him having any previous 'form': there's no apparent trace of him at Donington in 1933-4 either.
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Old 12 Apr 2005, 09:57 (Ref:1276128)   #17
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Brooklands Races

Hello :

Can anyone help me to know the winners or the results of the following races raced at Brooklands Circuit?
Obs : GP, Voiturettes, F.Libre or sportscar.

1925 -

Apr/05
May/24

1938 -

June/06
Aug/01
Sep/17
Sep/24
Oct/15

Thanks for all...

Ricardo Cunha
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Old 12 Apr 2005, 10:04 (Ref:1276131)   #18
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Yet another Job for TimD...your a popular man at the moment!!

Holiday Sam, what holiday?! I refuse to believe there is a holiday until I see the tickets!
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Old 12 Apr 2005, 13:07 (Ref:1276312)   #19
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Originally Posted by ricardo1954
Hello :

Can anyone help me to know the winners or the results of the following races raced at Brooklands Circuit?
Obs : GP, Voiturettes, F.Libre or sportscar.

1925 -

Apr/05 - No meeting on this date, which was a Sunday. First 1925 meeting was Easter Monday, April 13th.
May/24 - No scratch races, only handicaps. Apart from an 8.5 mile race for Austin 7 Brooklands models.

1938 -

June/06 - No scratch races.
Aug/01 - No scratch races.
Sep/17 - main event was the BRDC Road Race, a class handicap won by B Bira (ERA)
Sep/24 - the Dunlop Jubilee meeting. Two 10-lap scratch races on the Campbell Circuit, one for cars up to 1400cc (won by Bert Hadley's Austin) and the other for all-comers (won by Raymond Mays' ERA)
Oct/15 - two 10-lap scratch races. Siam Trophy for s/c cars up to 1500cc and u/s cars up to 2000cc, raced on the Campbell Circuit (won by B Bira's ERA) and the all-comers Mountain Championship race on the Mountain Circuit (won by Raymond Mays' ERA)

Thanks for all...

Ricardo Cunha


Hope this helps you, Ricardo. But most Brooklands races were really quite minor affairs, usually run to handicap rules and so very difficult to interpret today. Most of the scratch races were short too and seldom attracted foreign competitors.
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Old 12 Apr 2005, 19:56 (Ref:1276606)   #20
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Brooklands Races

Thank you for your answer, Vitesse.

Ricardo Cunha
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Old 12 Apr 2005, 22:02 (Ref:1276696)   #21
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Ricardo (and anyone else who's interested) - I'm in the final stages of my project to produce a comprehensive set of results for 1500cc Voiturette races 1931-40 and hope to have them on the net within a couple of months. This will include a number of handicap races, with the results recast as scratch events and showing actual times and laps completed. I have restricted this to class handicaps, since these are the easiest to understand.
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Old 13 Apr 2005, 08:52 (Ref:1276935)   #22
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Great news, Vitesse!
I will wait!

Ricardo Cunha
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Old 13 Apr 2005, 14:13 (Ref:1277192)   #23
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Thanks very much for your information - are there any photos available of John Houldsworth and where can I get a copy of your book.

Helen
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Old 13 Apr 2005, 14:27 (Ref:1277197)   #24
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Originally Posted by Vitesse
Boddy's description of Houldsworth's accident says that his car hit the straw bales and cartwheeled up the banking. That presumably means he hit the first bale of the deviation with the offside front wheel as he was leaving the banking?

Like Tim, I'm not aware of him having any previous 'form': there's no apparent trace of him at Donington in 1933-4 either.

Thanks very much for your infirmation - John was 22 years old when he died, probably not very experienced.

Helen
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Old 13 Apr 2005, 17:30 (Ref:1277322)   #25
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Originally Posted by TimD
Boddy's History of Brooklands Motor Course is the thing to find. Try to locate the 1979 printing, as it clears up some errors in the 1957 edition. Mainly typos, nothing horrendous. Rendering "Alta" as "Alfa", for example.

Still working....
Tim, I think you will find that it was revised again in 1990 and then further revised and expanded in 2001. At least that is what my copy (No. 880 of a Ltd Ed. of 2000 - yes, I now feel lucky!)), says!

I wish you well in your endeavours, since a book providing all the results and statistics would complement 'Bill' Boddy's book superbly. Please put me down for a copy!
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