Biffo Posted April 7, 2007 Report Posted April 7, 2007 Looking for somewhere interesting to visit this year, how about a museum thats really interesting. The World`s first ever oval racing circuit opened in 1907 "Brooklands" Weybidge , Surrey. I`d promised myself I`d get to visit the place one day and finally have. Loads of old racing cars still in situ in the original garages and most of the original buildings are still there which isn`t bad considering they closed the circuit officially in 1939. Originally planned as a test track to help us jolly British chaps do better racing our motor cars ( you`d take your mechanic along for the ride, very handy) when competing against those foreign folk over the Channel, cos up to 1906 the speed limit over here was 20 m.p.h. which stayed that way up until 1930. Added to that we couldn`t race motor cars on public roads, where as over the water they could, some things never change. A certain Hugh Fortesque Lock-King stumped up the cash and built the oval circuit ,3.25 miles including the separate start/finish straight with banked bends up to 30 feet high on 300 acres of swampy woodland and it cost him £150,000 in 1906 . The track opened June 17th 1907, most notable event being a Darracq racing car reaching 90 mph , within 3 years the record was raised to 110 m.p.h. Brooklands went on to become a World famous track with other tracks being built inside the main oval. Then came WW2 and the track closed and the War department took over and used the Brooklands areodrome in the centre. Meanwhile the track was planted with trees to prevent enemy aircraft seeing it . After the War the owners sold the site to Vickers Aircraft who expanded it and now it has a long history to aviation as well as motor racing. The Aircraft museum on the same site is good too with several aircraft you can actually climb on board including a Vc10 and a Concorde . [attachmentid=14915] [attachmentid=14916] [attachmentid=14917] For more information try www.brooklands.museum.com Happy Hunting Biffo
Nick M48 Posted April 8, 2007 Report Posted April 8, 2007 Nice one Biffo, might try to get there myself one day
Lee Posted April 8, 2007 Report Posted April 8, 2007 Nice one Biffo, might try to get there myself one day i used to live in chertsey 5 minutes from brooklands.... went there on a school trip and i was the only one interested in the cars... amazing isnt it..... stupid tescos buying the land and taking down some of the track... they still do races there with lotus club and fords and that u need to get info its well worth it.... nice to see where i used to live again... thanks
Lee Posted April 8, 2007 Report Posted April 8, 2007 did u go see the hillclimb / test area near the main track ??????
Biffo Posted April 8, 2007 Author Report Posted April 8, 2007 did u go see the hillclimb / test area near the main track ?????? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes thanks , did it all , I hope. They`ve even got the original Gentlemans urinal in the other end of the Toilets in the main building, it`s all roped off to stop you using it , you have to use to modern one. Not that I`ve got a thing about Gents toilets you understand......lol
The London Allstar Posted April 8, 2007 Report Posted April 8, 2007 Im lucky enough to live about 20 minutes away and have visited severall times now. The place is full of history and you get a real feel of how it would of been. I also went on a school trip and was lucky enought to sit in Micheal Schumachers ferrari! My teacher new how much i love motor racing so when the tour guide said anyone wanna sit in it, she said "i think i know someone who does " If your going to visit i suggest a sunday could be a good day, every now n then they have old classic car days. I drive past on the way home from fishing (que the old man jokes) and see loads of lovely old cars pulling out. As for the hill climb test, i have watched caterhams (spelling :/ ) doing that, one of which burnt the clutch out Certainly worth a visit
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