RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 17, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 17, 2015 On the news tonight >> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31506646 On the news it was implied that the circuit will be completely rebuilt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter220950 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 As far as I recall there's a housing estate on some of the old track? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Shame that the local NIMBY’s will never allow racing there. Houses have really encroached onto Brooklands. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edge Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 There is only a short section of the track remaining, and a fair bit of it has been covered up with an industrial estate and housing. Full reconstruction of the track is incredibly unlikely. The grant money will almost certainly be used in the visitors centre etc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Shame that the local NIMBY’s will never allow racing there. Houses have really encroached onto Brooklands. Best, Pete. Sacrilege! Get 'em knocked down and rebuild the track! And let's 'av some blower Bentley's while we're at it!!! . Seriously, how could that have been allowed to happen? Cheers, John E. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 On the news tonight >> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31506646 On the news it was implied that the circuit will be completely rebuilt. On the news I was listening to they said it was just moving the hanger off the finish straight to "uncover a hundred metres of the original race track". Brooklands press release here http://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/index.php?/news/story/brooklands-museum-secures-hlf-investment Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Abel Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Interesting that folks would question "...how could this be allowed to happen..." in 2015! The better time would have been 40+ years ago - at least! I grew up in Weybridge, my dad worked at Vickers who owned the entire space and the track created a sort of boundary and I was on the property a ton of times over the years including the ATC unit I was in was located on the west side in a building next to the remains of the track. Even in the late 50's early 60's there would have been little or no chance that the track could have been completely restored. Much of the factory and offices took up the section of straight on the east side of the track including the main entrance to the place, the runway encroached on the south end, and that area was removed, and much of the west side of the track had factory buildings on it for years before that, from the second world war and before. There is some "relatively" new housing on the eastern south end of the straight, but that's the least of any problems or challenges there are with the overall site. I'm sure Sony Europe and Proctor & Gamble wouldn't be very interested in relocating for starters and they are right on the east section of track The fact the hangar they want to move "off the finish straight" is, best I recall, the one NEXT TO the one that my uncle was in when it was bombed in WWII means even THAT has been there for about 70+ years, so I think in this instance I am prepared to give the folks in houses that were built in the last 20+ years a pass, as they aren't the principal miscreants in this case, simply the last of a long line of folks, mostly businesses, encroaching on the space - the true time to save the race track was probably closer to 70 years ago! Whilst it's a great piece of heritage, I'd bet serious money it'll NEVER be completely usable again... it barely was "substantially intact" in 1959. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 ...Houses have really encroached onto Brooklands. ...Seriously, how could that have been allowed to happen?... When we used to regularly take FiL's ancient foo-bang to VSCC events at Brooklands, I got to walk the banking for a little marshalling, and it ain't fit for any racing, ever. Great lumps out of the surface, steps between the massive cast concrete sections four inches high, cracking here, there, and everywhere. It's a shipwreck basically. (I totally salute the fellow who restored Parry Thomas' 'Babs' and would go for a medium speed blast on the banking, watching him weaving and sliding about to stay on the least rough parts of the surface was quite a thing.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted February 17, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 17, 2015 Adrian, on 17 Feb 2015 - 20:24, said: On the news I was listening to they said it was just moving the hanger off the finish straight to "uncover a hundred metres of the original race track". Brooklands press release here http://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/index.php?/news/story/brooklands-museum-secures-hlf-investment Slightly less than £5m doesn't buy a whole lot these days, sadly. And the racing that took place here in Pre-War days bears little resemblance to what happens now. And, after all, yielding to the needs of the War Effort could hardly be called unsporting. My late schoolmate's parents met at Vickers Weybridge during the Hitler war, when the latest and best technologies were used to fight a just cause. Banked tracks are a very specialised field (sorry) nowadays, but any attempt to Bring Back Brooklands must be worth a raised glass or two . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 The fact the hangar they want to move "off the finish straight" is, best I recall, the one NEXT TO the one that my uncle was in when it was bombed in WWII means even THAT has been there for about 70+ years, The Brooklands press release states it was "built in 1940 on top of the Finishing Straight of the Race Track, it was used for the assembly of Wellington bombers" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Abel Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 The Brooklands press release states it was "built in 1940 on top of the Finishing Straight of the Race Track, it was used for the assembly of Wellington bombers" Exactly!!! Not sure exactly when it was bombed (often according to my uncle!!) but he was in one of the hangars along the straight when another of them was hit, so any time after 1940 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
relaxinghobby Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 On the James May TV show they rebuilt Brooklands race track temporarily with a giant Scalectrix toy track, following the path of the original as closely as possible, they ran it across the gardens where the new housing estate is built, maybe you can find that TV show on You Tube? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Abel Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 On the James May TV show they rebuilt Brooklands race track temporarily with a giant Scalectrix toy track, following the path of the original as closely as possible, they ran it across the gardens where the new housing estate is built, maybe you can find that TV show on You Tube? Seen the episode..they also go THROUGH at least one of the major business buildings with the track. The track never has been "rebuilt" except for the pit straight area which is part of the museum. The majority of the track is in desperate/poor condition as seen in the show. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 On the James May TV show they rebuilt Brooklands race track temporarily with a giant Scalectrix toy track, following the path of the original as closely as possible, they ran it across the gardens where the new housing estate is built, maybe you can find that TV show on You Tube? James May's Toy Stories: Scalextric While the whole episode is not available on YouTube, someone has uploaded it in 4 parts on Daily-motion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatB Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 When I was in the UK a few years ago, I visited Brooklands for the first time. My visit coincided with a local kit car club doing a fundraiser. For a quid I got a blast up the Test Hill and around some of the remaining banking, chauffeured by a mad old boy in a Ford Essex powered street rod. No windscren, seat belts, roll bar or mudguards and he wasn't hanging about. It were great . As for noise issues, they were always present at Brooklands. hence the development of the Brooklands silencer and the splitting of 24 hour races into the Double Twelve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 18, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted February 18, 2015 I was wondering if there are any other similar circuits in existence. I know that there are a few test facilities but do these form a complete circuit? I'm not sure that Ford's facility near me at Dunton has a complete circuit and part of the site has been sold off for housing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted February 18, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 18, 2015 PhilJ W, on 18 Feb 2015 - 09:25, said:I was wondering if there are any other similar circuits in existence. I know that there are a few test facilities but do these form a complete circuit? I'm not sure that Ford's facility near me at Dunton has a complete circuit and part of the site has been sold off for housing. Circuits with banking are rather less numerous in Europe than they were between the wars. I think Monza was the last to use the banking for top-level competition, and that was decades ago. In the US many circuits are banked, from Indianapolis and Daytona downwards to the tight NASCAR tracks at Darlington and Bristol. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Yep, come here for banked Ovals and Tri-Ovals there’s even one relatively close to New York, the Nazareth Speedway in the LeHigh Valley. I find them incredibly boring for racing with the honorable exception of Daytona, FLA. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I was wondering if there are any other similar circuits in existence. I know that there are a few test facilities but do these form a complete circuit? MIRA test track has a complete banked bowl. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chris116 Posted February 18, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 18, 2015 The old New Brighton stock car track was banked, but that is long gone. I don't think there are any banked ovals in this country except for Rockingham in Northamptonshire and as a spectator venue that failed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I was wondering if there are any other similar circuits in existence. I know that there are a few test facilities but do these form a complete circuit? I'm not sure that Ford's facility near me at Dunton has a complete circuit and part of the site has been sold off for housing. There is a similar circuit just down the road from me in the woods between Rüsselsheim and Trebur. http://goo.gl/maps/O8V7X It was originally used as a test track for Opel, and for racing up until WW2. It's an oval circuit, but hasn't been used since the war when holes were knocked in various sections and trees were planted. Although the banking is pretty much in tact, sadly, it is in even worse condition than Brooklands. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 *Snip!* Whilst it's a great piece of heritage, I'd bet serious money it'll NEVER be completely usable again... it barely was "substantially intact" in 1959. Many thanks for the comprehensive reply Ian! Unfortunately that was all way before I was born, I guess just after the war was the best time to *save* Brooklands but then I guess there were rather more important priorities to hand at that time. (politics!). One might chalk this up as another loss due to the Hitler war and really, it is a small price compared to what the nation suffered as a whole. Still a sad loss though. Cheers, John E. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
avonside1563 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Another 'classic' banked track is still in existence (although no in the UK), the Fiat test track on the roof of the old Fiat factory in Milan, as featured in the classic chase through the streets of Milan in the 'Italian Job' (the proper one not the paltry American remake!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Circuits with banking are rather less numerous in Europe than they were between the wars. I think Monza was the last to use the banking for top-level competition, and that was decades ago. Actually, it would probably be the Lausitzring (EuroSpeedway Lausitz) that was used for a couple of CART (Indycar) races in 2001 and 2003. As mentioned above, Rockingham is also a banked circuit and was used by CART in 2001 and 2002. Monza was probably the last of the classic European banked circuits to have a race on the banking, but AVUS did host races in the '50s (including Formula 1) using the banked north turn. Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Abel Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Many thanks for the comprehensive reply Ian! Unfortunately that was all way before I was born, I guess just after the war was the best time to *save* Brooklands but then I guess there were rather more important priorities to hand at that time. (politics!). One might chalk this up as another loss due to the Hitler war and really, it is a small price compared to what the nation suffered as a whole. Still a sad loss though. Cheers, John E. John, Definitely a sad loss - I also feel the same way about the airfield in fact. I remember going there to watch some of the planes depart and it was rather unfortunate when the ceased doing that. I'd go in to work with dad sometimes on school holidays and it was "fun" having to wait to cross the runway in the car because there was some aircraft movement going on. The runway neatly (in some folks eyes ) split the factory in two, and going between buildings or even going somewhere at lunch time meant having to cross the runway and taxiways and watch for planes! Rather different than it'd be today, I'm sure the safety folks would have a fit if they realized how it was handled back then I'd love to have seen both the track and airfield preserved and useable... Here's a nice 1964 Pathe News stream of the first Super VC10 (one of my favorite aircraft, that and Concorde!!) departure from Weybridge/Brooklands - I was there. though NOT on the airfield, down at the end of the field on the public road. -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKayqKmyGes Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.