Biffo

I would love to see the 'Egg shaped' track and the "uphill/downhill" track made . Splinter, regarding the Uphill and downhill "Cross in Hand track. Can`t find much at the moment, been scratching around in programmes etc. and come up with these two. Must be rarer `cos the track only lasted about 7 years `till the council banned it due to traffic congestion. A victim of it`s own popularity. [attachmentid=7324]Under construction about 1965, it really is built on a hill. [attachmentid=7325] Top straight is a natural grandstand and good views Cya Biffo

That would be fine Nick. I`m not on Msn yet be I`ll let you know when I`ve set it up. Nice Photo from Splinter too, shows the main Aldershot grandstand and Clubhouse. Interesting bodywork and the cars not bad either ! - lol Biffo

Well Nick we seemed to have created some interest in the Aldershot track, heres some more photos if they`ll help the cause and I have raced on the track, just ythe once with a Hillman Minx in 1976 (562) [attachmentid=7278] 1. Me with the remains [attachmentid=7279] 2. Backstraight with spectator embankment [attachmentid=7280] 3. Start finish straight with Commentry box in the background [attachmentid=7281] 4. The sharp bend with half of the lap board in the background [attachmentid=7284] 5. Looking across the track to the Start /finish straight [attachmentid=7286] 6. The Pit area. The track was 305 yards , which compares to 390 yards at Wimbledon and 410 yards for Ipswich. Tarmac surface with a concrete apron around the inside edge. The sharp bend was tight but didn`t last long, being less than 180 degrees and the top bend just went on and on round as it was twice the distance, at least. May see a Virtual Aldershot one day ? Biffo

Wow interesting aerial shot Splinter. Yes I think that`s about it now , I was up that way recently and couldn`t find anything left. Nice roundabout though! Incidently your photos are at Aldershot and are in front of the clubhouse the Mini is just going towards the Start / Finish line . I`ve been scrabbling around through old programmes etc. and found these taken at Aldershot about 1960. The quality is a bit poor but interesting to see old F1`s and Number 38 is former F1 star Fred Mitchell. [attachmentid=7274] [attachmentid=7275] Be Lucky Biffo

Aldershot Stadium, a brief History Started in the late 1920`s for Pony trotting, Greyhound and Speedway Racing, Aldershot Stadium was actually built just outside of Aldershot in the village of Tongham. Which not only placed it outside of Aldershot , Hampshire but placed it in the next county, Surrey. In 1954 it became one of several tracks in the U.K. to host a new craze called "Stock Car Racing". Interest dropped off, and saw no racing at all here during 1957. Racing started up in 1958 and stopped again. No racing in 1959 either. New promoters started up again in 1960. Stock car racing at this time was Governed by the B.S.C.D.A. (British Stock Car Drivers Association) - Better known today as BriSCA. A new class of cheaper Stock Car Racing was now being introduced based around a limit of a 1200cc engine size etc. etc. These were known as "Junior" Stock Cars. The Originals Being "Senior" Stock Cars which of course became known as Formula One and Formula Two (F1 & F2). In 1961 the new Juniors were a great success but equally the number of Seniors began dwindle and were finally dropped altogether. Just as things were looking bright the Promoters fell out with the B.S.C.D.A. big time, over the licensing of their new track, Arlington Raceway at Eastbourne. Rumour has it that the Promoters only found out they hadn`t got a licence to race the morning of the first meeting, but raced anyway........." The show must go on!", as they say. Unfortunately the B.S.C.D.A. didn`t see the funny side and withdraw the licence to race at Aldershot as well. The Promoters decided to be the "Outlaws" of their day and promote independently taking with them a large chunk of the B.S.C.D.A.`s F2 drivers around the South-East of England, opening new tracks as they went on. Aldershot was to be the HQ for this risky enterprise calling themselves "The Formula Two Stock Car Company". Luckily this was changed to the more trendy, "Spedeworth" and the rest, as they say, is history. I think the first figure of 8 event was put on for Bangers about 1976 which was always a good crowd pleaser. Rumours of closure rumbled on for years with a few locals always complaining about the noise as there was racing every Thursday night during the season, but it was the new trunk road which finally decided the fate of Aldershot Stadium. Like most Government plans this also rumbled on for years until after numerous petitions and letters to Government officials the reply was basically.........There`s no land available for an alterative site so......... GET OUT ! So the last meeting took place on November 21st. 1992 and the little Stadium was packed out with cars and spectators alike. There were a few delays between races due to the pit area overflowing with cars but nobody minded as we were treated to some great racing with Saloon Stock Cars, Superstox, National Hot Rods,and Bangers and figure of 8 finishing with a Destruction Derby and then Fireworks. Some people I know got pieces of tarmac from the track as souvenirs as they brought out a huge crane on tracks which began digging up the track once and for all. Weather you like `em or not "Spedeworth" sure know how to make a show of closing a track! The meeting started at 6.00pm and should have finished at 10 pm. due to local council restrictions. It finished way passed 11pm......did we look bothered ? Now in place of it we have a fast trunk road so the good news is you can now get there really quickly! Biffo

Sorry for not coming back on the subjet of the old Alderstot track earlier but we`ve had a recent bereavement in the family and my times had to be given up elsewhere. But now the moment you`ve all been waiting for....... The Quick Guided Tour of Aldershot Stadium, as was. [attachmentid=7225] 1. Entrance 2. Start / Finish line 3. Car Parks 4. Pit Area 5. Greyhound Traps 6. Pit Gate 7. Small wooden bridge over the neighbouring stream 8. Main seated Grandstand 9. Sand covered Dog track 10. Souvenir shop 11. Glass fronted seating area and Clubhouse

[attachmentid=7152] Glad to oblige Splinter Have just been up in the attic and found all me photos and started some scanning. Heres the "egg" shaped Aldershot Stadium including the figure of 8 . I`ll see what I can do will the others ? Also I can`t spell, should be Matcham`s Park , missed out the "c". Regards Biffo

Just thought I`d put my own ideas into the great "New tracks" debate. The old Aldershot track got a mention which was always a bit of an oddity as being Egg shaped, it had one sharp bend and one long, pit bend. I can remember the old Cross-in-Hand track in Sussex which had one high straight and one low straight which meant climbing uphill on one bend and shooting downhill on the other and plenty of roll overs on the concrete surface. How many other weird and unusual tracks were or are out there ? Plus if anyone wanted Photos for track building I`m sure they`d get plenty just by requesting them on the Forum. I`ve got some of Mathams Park/Ringwood going back to the late 1960`s when Gerry Dommett promoted Brisca F1 , F2, and even built a figure of 8 track for banger racing, which Spedeworth seemed to do away with when they took over in 1970 and resurfaced the track. Strange to think that years later they would build a figure of 8 at Wimbledon. Be Lucky Biffo

AH-HA ! Think I`ve cracked it after looking at the future Banger fixtures. Just like the Dinosaurs the F1200 don`t seem to be around anymore and looks like the Unlimited class 1 and class 2 is to do with this 1st tex number, second tex number thingybob regarding using different cars for Nationals and unlimited (which I`m not). Also Pre 68 `s and A60 for me are the same so I`m just off to Mash all me zip files through the Upload tube and hope for the best... Cya Biffo720

Finished all my skins ready to "upload" to you two weeks ago just before going on holiday only to find .....SHOCK, HORROR.....the site had gone down. Back home now only to find Upload site looks different ? I assume "Banger" = Nationals ? But somewhat confused with Unlimited class1 and then class 2 ? Thought there was just one unlimited class ? Then there`s no "Farina" (A60) upload and no "F1200" (Anglia) upload, sure there used to be ? Will await reply before attemting uploads. Lastly how long will it take to use them and can I still use Novice skins in the meantime ? Regards Biffo720

Cheers guys that makes a whole lot of sense at last. Many thanks Biffo720

O.k. It`s like this....I find Banger practice is today on jolt 2, take note of P/W and shut down almost everything. Enter Multiplayer and grab a Novice Capri on the way through. Enter ISDN enter IP and get the Multiplayer screen. According to the guide "it will tell you how many players are in the server, and how many can join" so far so good... Long grey bar at top of screen shows:- 64 0/24 OPEN BANGERS (F2 8-10) As the first number changes from 32 to 64 and back it`s either the number of players (or my ping number?) 0/24 must be the number of players the server can take per race .. Open means it open? Bangers is the formula. (F2 8-10)....no idea?? guide continues" click on it."... couldn`t find anything that would click.... " and press connect, this will take you to the lobby of the server and you will see the other players". After giving the password there was only me there but I pressed Approve anyway and sat looking at a yellow light for fifteen minutes..?? Could somone enlighten me how this works as teddy has just had another leg ripped off him! Regards Biffo720

Thanx m8.......it was that simple............Like me.

Just get rid of one problem and find another... Thanks to DINO, reminding me that the Lada.tga file must be uncompressed, I finally got a tex file. I put my tex into the "Under 2 litre" file and found the drivers txt file. I added mine into the file, table driver,etc. etc. just as the guide says. When I go into the game in the "Under 2 litre" I don`t appear in the driver list so I can`t choose me and see what the car looks like ? ? Once I get this sorted I`ll be able to attempt some more templates.. I`m getting there..... slowly. Cheers Biffo720

Keep going round in circles at the moment. Every time I get my banger template saved as a tga file from the original psd file within Paint shop pro 9, and dragging off to the file (skins) containing the MKTEX.exe and then typing the magic words...MKTEX car720.tga car720.tex...(then enter) I keep on getting a message ..."Unsupported image file type 10" .....and no tex file. I have even taken the lada.psd template and within Paint Pro 9 saved as car720.tga without doing anything to it apart from flattening the layers. Then BINGO ... "unsupported image type 10 "... again. HOLY FUDGE CAKES ! It sounds a simple enough operation when reading the paint guide but somethings going wrong . Same thing was happenning on my previous P.C. which due to some problems has recently had to be replaced with a new one. Only difference is the old P.C. would let you place the file containing the mktex.exe and the car720.tga file into the C:\ but due to the new one being partitioned from C:\ into D:\ and an E:\ you can only put the file into the D:\ to run the mktex.exe.....hope that kind of makes sense. I went back through the Forum looking for anyone with the same problem and found that there is something known as TGA 2 TEX which sounds easier but how do I get hold of it ?......unless of course it`s me causing the problems somehow ? I would be greatful for any advice at all. Cheers Biffo720

Thanks anyway m8 I forgot to mention that I`d only downloded the Banger skins. Biffo 720

Thanks for the Download Gazmo The game works a treat with some cars to choose from. Must get a move on painting up my banger skins as I`ve paid all my Jolt fees . CHEERS Biffo 720

Thanks for the info m8 (still trying to get used to text lingo) I forgot to mention I`ve only downloaded the banger skins - nothing else yet. Had loads of trouble with a new computer from P.C.World freezing up, forever using recovery disks and losing everything so put most of the uk-dirt files onto disks to save me time loading them back again. Finally got another one out of them, this time with Pentium 4 chip, so far so good. Yes I have paid up my Jolt fees and due to the previous computer problems I`ve only managed to book into one banger meet only to have to cancel . Did try to get into a Banger practice but found 64 persons there ? So I guess it wasn`t a good time? Have to try again. Biffo seemed a good name for Banger racing and yes I remember Biffo the Bear too. I raced Bangers for real a few years back and had a go with Superstox (one season only) The original owner of the fibre-glass bodywork on the Superstox was Biffo Sweeney who raced with his more famous brother Todd now immortalised in Corgi Rockets...so there`s another connection. Thanks again Biffo 720

Hi all - As a new member I`m finding everything here an interesting learning curve. A couple of things I would like to ask. ... I`ve got onto the Mirc chat O.K. yesterday (got slapped by a Trout from Mick222 )...When are chat 2 and 3 used ?? I have downloaded all the available skinpacks but have found that in :- Unlimited & Nationals and in f1200 no cars appear `cos there are no drivers listed in the driver.txt file also there`s only one wolzy in Pre68`s I assume that I can use a novice car listed, if its in the correct class, and book into a coming meeting until I can get all my skins sorted and uploaded ? Cheers Biffo