A Kenyan track called Nakuru

In the 1960s there existed a track in Kenya called Nakuru. It was mentioned in this months Motorsport magazine, with Joginder Singh testing a Volvo PV544 there in 1964. This is all I know about it - can anyone fill in any more? Distance, map, history etc etc?

Originally posted by Darren Galpin
In the 1960s there existed a track in Kenya called Nakuru. It was mentioned in this months Motorsport magazine, with Joginder Singh testing a Volvo PV544 there in 1964. This is all I know about it - can anyone fill in any more? Distance, map, history etc etc?

It seems to have been around until quite recently - check out the tail of this article:

from the East African Standard...
(although it seems broken - the way I found out that it still exists was doing a Google search for "nakuru circuit race" and followed the "cached" version of it.

An alternative name for the circuit seems to be "Langa Langa" - see this article...


pete

As an exercise in raising the obscure this is pretty extreme but we have some pix of racing at Nakuru's Langa-Langa circuit. I'm pretty sure 'The Motor' did a feature story on the place around 1954-56, but I can't lay my hands on it to see if it included a map. I may have one somewhere else, but for the moment I can at least show you what the place looked like.

It looked like this - an Aston Martin DB2 victorious:



...perhaps not surprising considering the strength of the opposition - Renault 750:



...but some rival British sports cars were racing too - like this Healey:



...and evidently a very quick local special was this 'Flying A Austin' which used a tuned A90 engine:

http://members.atlas...a - Austin A90

...and fun and games was had by all, MG, Simca etc at the course's Piccadilly Corner:



And thanks Bira for re-educating me in exactly what levers to pull, buttons to press etc to get the three oranges all in line...

DCN

The 3.3-mile Langa Langa circuit was first used in March 1951. Several meetings were held each year before the Mau Mau rising brought an end to activities in 1953 or 1954

PS
Nakura and Langa Langa were different beasts. The 1.3-mile Nakuru circuit in the Rift Valley northwest of Nairobi was inaugurated in February 1956

Aaah - interesting - the pix are of Langa-Langa (original contemporary prints captioned on the reverse) not Nakuru then.

DCN

Thanks for the pictures - great to see. Also thanks to David for clarifying the difference between Nakuru and Langa Langa. I'm off to modify this file yet again.......

Fantastic pictures Doug, thank you

Originally posted by Darren Galpin
In the 1960s there existed a track in Kenya called Nakuru. It was mentioned in this months Motorsport magazine, with Joginder Singh testing a Volvo PV544 there in 1964. This is all I know about it - can anyone fill in any more? Distance, map, history etc etc?

It not possible it was a dirt circuit or a test area rather than a racetrack ?

I was fortunate to see Joginder drive in a couple of Southern Cross Rally's in the early 70's.

Originally posted by David McKinney
PS
Nakura and Langa Langa were different beasts. The 1.3-mile Nakuru circuit in the Rift Valley northwest of Nairobi was inaugurated in February 1956

On reflection, I wouldn't rule out the possibilty of a connectionm between the two. It is not impossible that Langa Langa was revived in a shortened version and under a new name. My problem is I don't have a geographic location for the earlier track

Originally posted by David McKinney

Nakura and Langa Langa were different beasts. The 1.3-mile Nakuru circuit in the Rift Valley northwest of Nairobi was inaugurated in February 1956

Found this in the Daily Nation published in Nairobi. It's from a story about Eric Cecil who was one of the pioneers of the East African Safari Rally.

"Although motorsport was not the preferred pastime then, Cecil started the famous Langa Langa motor circuit in Nakuru."

Not sure that solves anything. I'll enquire of a few Kenyan friends.

Just had an e-mail from a friend in Nairobi who says:

"Langa-Langa and Nakuru were two different Circuits. Langa Langa was at Gil Gil.

Will comeback to you with dates."

Gil Gil is about 40 kms on the Nairobi side of Nakuru. I trust this information 100%

Many thanks for that Fred.

I can confirm that Langa Langa and Nakuru were different tracks.

First the geography. Nakuru is 97 miles from Nairobi and Gilgil is 70 miles from Nairobi on the road to Nakuru. Langa Langa was near Gilgil and Nakuru track is/was just to the south of Nakuru town on the road leading to the Lake Nakuru Bird Sanctuary / National Park.

Langa Langa was the earlier track. In his "Shell History of the East African Safari" Charles Disney describes the track thus: "This was a track situated on Major Ray Scholes's farm, some 70 miles from Nairobi, and consisted of the tarmac perimeter roads of what had been a war-time military cantonment, forming a narrow but very sporting circuit of about 3 miles". Incidentally Disney claimed that the Safari grew out of a conversation when Eric Cecil, chairman of the competitions committee of the REAAA, was trying to persuade his cousins Neil and Donald Vincent to race there and they said they would rather race around the country. Gilgil was reactivated as an army base during the Mau Mau state of emergency so as David said this is the likely reason that racing ceased. I never managed to persuade my parents to take me there.

Nakuru Park I knew well. It was a purpose-built tarmac circuit about 1.3 miles long, roughly triangular in shape. Viewing was good. Rather like the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit you could see the whole track from the grandstand on a hill . I say "grandstand" for lack of a better word - it was an open sided wood pole and thatch structure with permanent wooden benches. Facilities were primitive - toilets were pit latrines in thatched structures. The timekeepers had a thatched shelter similar to the stand. The paddock was unsurfaced apart from a 200 yard long tarmac stretch of road that was used for push starting cars and bikes.

From the start line the track went over a small rise down to a tight right handed hairpin then through a gentle sweeping right hander, Rhonda Bend onto the back straight then came a right hander, Town Bend, so named as it was the closest point to the town. Then came the left-right esses and the right handed Lake View corner brought you back onto the start and finishing straight. As I described on another thread, the track had a separate pits entry road inside Lake View. The pits themselves didn't exist, simply a 3ft high fence with advertisments painted on it. The pit lane was separated from the track by a white line.

A single flying lap of the track was used as a special stage and tie breaker for the 1956 Safari. The average speeds had been set too low as a reaction to the previous year, it was also that rare event, a dry Safari. As a result there were 13 clean sheets on the road and the track test decided the result. The lap speeds were converted to penalties using a formula that was capacity based. The smaller cars were at an advantage and the winner was a DKW driven by Eric Cecil (the same) and Tony Vickers.

Usually there were four meetings a year. These were combined car and motorcycle meetings with scratch races in the morning and handicaps in the afternoon. When the track opened the organisers put up a prize for the first lap under 60 seconds. John Manussis couldn't quite do it in his D-Type Jaguar, nor could Jim Heather Hayes with the 2 litre Lotus XV which he later sold to Louis Jacobsz, who in turn sold it to Peter Huth. Manussis then bought a Porsche Spyder (a 550A which has been restored and sold in 2018-19 for about £3 million), but never raced it as he had a bad road accident that hospitalised him for a while. Lucille Cardwell raced the Porsche and although she took the championship 2 years running she couldn't break the 60 seconds. Then in 1961 Vic Preston (Snr) imported a Lotus XX which he shared with Peter Hughes. After the 997 engine had been enlarged to 1340 cc, or possibly 1500 cc, the 60 second lap finally fell with one of the drivers breaking the record in the morning and the other in the afternoon. By now the prize had grown to quite a tidy sum.

I remember the Silverstone Healey - it was raced by Mary Wright at Nakuru for several years. Incidentally, Mary took the Coup des Dames in the 1955 and 1958 Safaris.

Other cars that I remember racing include
Eddie Grattan's Mercedes 300SL (he had owned the Healey before Mary Wright and raced it at Langa Langa),
The Jaguar-powered Le Gallais Special that Doug recently posted a picture of,
An Alta-Jaguar - a red cycle winged sports / racer driven by Frank Brown and Peter Sergeantson amongst others. This was my favourite car
Colin Mc Naughton's Elva Mk2, initially with an 1172 cc Ford engine, and possibly later a 1475 cc Climax (I think - memory is a fallible thing)
J Hickman's Elva - Climax Mk 4
Paddy Robson's Lotus Mk VI - Climax
Marshall Bubole's Lotus Super 7 - Ford in which he had a very nasty accident that (I think) left him confined to a wheelchair
"Hutch" Hutchence's Jaguar XK140 and E Type
Martin-Norton which may have been a Kieft-Norton
Several Cooper-Nortons and Cooper-JAPs
Allard J2
Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica
AC Ace-Bristol
Connaught L2 - an ex Langa Langa car which enjoyed a fresh lease of life when it had a V8 transplanted into it in the 60's
MGA's, Austin Healeys, TR2's, TR3's, Porsches, Jaguar XK120's and various saloons.

Most, but not all, the race drivers also drove in the Safari, but there were several Safari drivers who never raced.

The track was still being used in 1970 when I left Kenya but it closed in the 1980s.

 

Edit: Information updated

Edited by D-Type, 21 November 2019 - 15:28.

Can anyone pinpoint the Nakuru circuit location as I've spent hours on Google Earth trying to find it and have failed so far.

Looks like it's been built over completely. You can see some of the landmark names, Rhoda, Lake View, also "race track primary school" and, not visible at this scale, "race course shopping centre" in the gray area. The whole area is fully built over.

Space view:

Originally posted by Mark A
Can anyone pinpoint the Nakuru circuit location as I've spent hours on Google Earth trying to find it and have failed so far.

As Terry has said it is completely built over with no trace left. Just to the south of the area Terry has posted you will find Honeymoon Hill (which is indexed on Google map). The start/finish straight was at the foot of the hill and the grandstand and main spectator area was on the hill so you could see virtually the whole track. As far as I can see no trace remains.

I have just acquired programmes from five of the first six meetings held at the Langa Langa circuit.

1 - 26th March 1951
2 - 8th October 1951
3 - 30th December 1951
5 - 6th July 1952
6 - 13th October 1952

I also have the following programmes

Nakuru Park
11 - 21st December 1958
23 - 10th december 1961
24 - 4th March 1962

Kileleshawa Speed Trials - 13th December 1953

Third Menengai Hill Climb - 1st August 1955


If anyone wants any information from these programmes please let me know.

I would love copies or scans. Please PM me.

Where did you get hold of them?

Originally posted by Milan Fistonic
If anyone wants any information from these programmes please let me know.

To paraphrase The Italian Job:
"Which one do you want, Charlie?"
"Er, all of it"
My own interest is 500s in Africa (and even if there aren't any appearances I can cross the events off). But perhaps if you get scans to D-Type he could disseminate it through to interested parties.

If you're happy to do that, Milan, can I add my name to the list of those who'd like copies

In the 1960s there existed a track in Kenya called Nakuru. It was mentioned in this months Motorsport magazine, with Joginder Singh testing a Volvo PV544 there in 1964. This is all I know about it - can anyone fill in any more? Distance, map, history etc etc?

BRIAN JEFFRIES 3RD AUGUST 2009 Cant remember the length of the Nakuru circuit but I did compete there and was involved with the Management Committee. Will look through my records to see if I can locate the track distance. Joginder Singh and I at one time both served on the Nakuru Track Joint Management Committee. Prior to Nakuru, the other track which was refered to before, was Langa Langa which was near to Gilgil - in the Rift Valley between Nakuru and Nairobi. Langa Langa was a track from memory which was essentially "connected roads". As a youg student I recall assisting my father as a Marshal at Langa Langa when Mike Satherswaite driving an XK120 was killed. After Nakuru closed, a track was built adjoining Nairobi's international airport - Embakasi. In my opinion was never a great sucess and as far as I know, no longer exists.
Racing at Nakuru was always on a Sunday with practice on the Saturday. What parties were held at the Stags Head Hotel in Nakuru the Saturday nights!!

Hi Brian,

Have you seen this website? Details of all four Kenya tracks

I never got to Langa Langa, once went to the original Nairobi track aged about 6, went to Nakuru whenever I could badger my dad to take me (from Nairobi) and got to Embakasi a couple of times - once when it was dirt and once when it was tarmac.

The REAAA magazine listed races at "Tanga Aerodrome Circuit" at one time, do you recall whether these ever took place?

Edited by D-Type, 03 August 2009 - 15:30.

Welcome Brian! Glad to see you here.

Kenya Motor Sports Federation has a website, but I presume that nostalgia is not high on their agenda:


http://www.motorsportkenya.com/

[/quote
Have you seen this website? Details of all four Kenya tracks

I never got to Langa Langa, once went to the original Nairobi track aged about 6, went to Nakuru whenever I could badger my dad to take me (from Nairobi) and got to Embakasi a couple of times - once when it was dirt and once when it was tarmac.

The REAAA magazine listed races at "Tanga Aerodrome Circuit" at one time, do you recall whether these ever took place?
[/quote]

I remember reading a report in "Motoring News" of a race meeing at Nakuru. It would have been early 1960's and the "municipal" aspect of the circuit stuck in my mind - confirmed by etracksonline site. For some reason, a driver named Gurbux Sagoo sticks in my memory. I don't know why.

Some time over the same period I am sure there was at least one "reminiscences" type story in "Motor Sport" mentioning Langa Langa, Nakuru, and also racing at Eldoret(I think). Perhaps someone with the 1960's "Motor Sport" archive disc might be able to look it up.

I remember reading a report in "Motoring News" of a race meeing at Nakuru. It would have been early 1960's and the "municipal" aspect of the circuit stuck in my mind - confirmed by etracksonline site. For some reason, a driver named Gurbux Sagoo sticks in my memory. I don't know why.

Some time over the same period I am sure there was at least one "reminiscences" type story in "Motor Sport" mentioning Langa Langa, Nakuru, and also racing at Eldoret(I think). Perhaps someone with the 1960's "Motor Sport" archive disc might be able to look it up.

I am sure that Gurbux Sagoo must be the GS Sagoo I referred to in this thread, the creator and driver of the Sagoo Special.

There was no race circuit as such at Eldoret. But they did hold grass track meetings there in the early fifties as they also did at Nakuru. These are described in an article on a Buckler cars site - I'm afraid I don't know the URL.

There's a "Cars I have owned" feature in Motor Sport some time in the mid fifties that refers to Langa Langa and Nakuru and includes a photo of the hairpin at Nakuru but there's nothing on the sixties disc that I could find.

Edited by D-Type, 04 August 2009 - 09:40.

But they did hold grass track meetings there in the early fifties as they also did at Nakuru. These are described in an article on a Buckler cars site - I'm afraid I don't know the URL.

Would it be this one, Duncan?

http://www.bucklerca...A-K/cjk_132.htm

Would it be this one, Duncan?

http://www.bucklerca...A-K/cjk_132.htm

Yes, that's the one! Thanks for finding it for me. I'm posting at work in between earning a living so I can't spend too long looking for things.

Brian Jeffries asked me to show you this map of the Nakuru circuit from an old race programme:

BRIAN JEFFRIES 3RD AUGUST 2009 Cant remember the length of the Nakuru circuit but I did compete there and was involved with the Management Committee. Will look through my records to see if I can locate the track distance. Joginder Singh and I at one time both served on the Nakuru Track Joint Management Committee. Prior to Nakuru, the other track which was refered to before, was Langa Langa which was near to Gilgil - in the Rift Valley between Nakuru and Nairobi. Langa Langa was a track from memory which was essentially "connected roads". As a youg student I recall assisting my father as a Marshal at Langa Langa when Mike Satherswaite driving an XK120 was killed. After Nakuru closed, a track was built adjoining Nairobi's international airport - Embakasi. In my opinion was never a great sucess and as far as I know, no longer exists.
Racing at Nakuru was always on a Sunday with practice on the Saturday. What parties were held at the Stags Head Hotel in Nakuru the Saturday nights!!

Re a circuit at Tanga. I vaguely remember something of a Street Race in that part of the world - then Tanganyika, subsequently Tanzania. I'm sure any racing there would have been a one off, nothing too serious. There was definately occasional Kart Racing in that vicinity.

I received the following request from Raoul Esnouf, a former competitor in Kenya:

"Both my brother and I, namely Jack and Raoul Esnouf, raced at Nukuru. We used to race DKW Auto Union 1000 Ss, very successfully, and I'm wondering if you might have some photographs accordingly. Our numbers were 73 and 74".

Perhaps someone can please assist Raoul. Many thanks.

BRIAN JEFFRIES 3RD AUGUST 2009 Cant remember the length of the Nakuru circuit but I did compete there and was involved with the Management Committee. Will look through my records to see if I can locate the track distance. Joginder Singh and I at one time both served on the Nakuru Track Joint Management Committee. Prior to Nakuru, the other track which was refered to before, was Langa Langa which was near to Gilgil - in the Rift Valley between Nakuru and Nairobi. Langa Langa was a track from memory which was essentially "connected roads". As a youg student I recall assisting my father as a Marshal at Langa Langa when Mike Satherswaite driving an XK120 was killed. After Nakuru closed, a track was built adjoining Nairobi's international airport - Embakasi. In my opinion was never a great sucess and as far as I know, no longer exists.
Racing at Nakuru was always on a Sunday with practice on the Saturday. What parties were held at the Stags Head Hotel in Nakuru the Saturday nights!!

About Mike Sathersthwaite's accident, in the Motorsport Memorial there is this page
http://www.motorspor...hp?db=ct&n=6435

One Sid White was killed at Langa Langa circuit, on 2 March 1951.

The sources are two old TNF's postings by our Doug Nye
http://forums.autosp...w...t&p=1095879
and by "Vitesse-2"
http://forums.autosp...w...t&p=2541789

Possibly this was the same accident (the name Sid White seems very similar to Sathersthwaite...).
What do you think about?

Can you give more informations?

Hello everyone,

I realise i am a little late entering this forum but wanted to share something with you. My father, Parminder Singh Sagoo, built and had his brother Gurbux drive the Sagoo Special MkI and MkII in the '60's

We have started a facebook page as well as a blog spot page to recollect some of the old memories and pictures of the events from those memorable days. If anyone has and fond memories and pictures they would like to share please feel free to do so on these pages.

Thanks and looking forward to hearing more from you all

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/gr...id=288528593770

http://sagoospecial....n.html?spref=fb

This thread brings back a few fond memories!

Some pics:

Thanks for posting these - they bring back memories.

From deep in the memory bank:

Picture 1 is the approach to Lake View. I think the Mk 2

Picture 2 is the exit from Lake View from the paddock with the pit road in the foreground - yes Nakuru had a pit road before all the grand prix circuits did! Is that the Mk 1 or have I got them mixed up?

Picture 3 puzzles me - Is it a later development of the Mk 2? It originally didn't have wings or wedge-shaped body and was blue. Or is it another car? Is it at Embakasi as it looks too flat for Nakuru?

Picture 4 is the Esses . One of the Cortina GT's, possibly Peter Hughes.

Any more?

Thanks for the info D-type! If I find anything else, I'll be sure to post it here.

Some more photos from their page:

Blurry pic from Nakuru track:

I think that's the Alta-Jaguar on the left and if it's not one of the Sagoos on the right it's Vic Preston's Lotus XX

Edited by D-Type, 27 February 2010 - 18:49.

A poster on Kuksees's blog says that the Nakuru track closed in 1986.

Moving this thread a little further South I wonder if there is anybody out there that attended any motor races in Zambia ?

My folks took me to several between 1970 and 1977 but I have more or less forgotten where the tracks were let alone what they were called.

We were living in the copperbelt Mufulira then Luanshya, I think we might have visited 3 tracks near Ndola, Kitwe and Chambishi.

Most of the events featured races for cars and bikes.

The cars I remember were a beige Mini with white roof driven very quickly by my mums boss who's name included 'George', a very noisy GP2 Purple Anglia, a Green Fiat 850 Coupe, a purple Formula Ford and FF2000 and lastly a 2 (?) litre Alfa powered GP6 like sports car (like a Abarth/Chevron/Lola) it was red with no front lights and later after a hefty airborne shunt somewhere round the back of one of the tracks the car appeared with a red and silver paint job, I seem to remember it was owned by a couple of brothers who had a fabrication workshop in Kitwe ?

I also remember seeing Sanwat Singh's Datsun 1600 sss rally car but I think that was in the pits rather than on track.

I was only 10 - 17 at this time and needless to say someway from owning my own camera and whatever records I kept got lost somewhere in the move back to Europe.

Feels a bit like sending a message in a bottle so if you read this anytime over the next few years I'll still be thrilled to hear what anybody else can remember from those times :-) Even more so if you have any pictures :-)

I found this outside Ndola:

Edited by Terry Walker, 11 May 2010 - 02:14.

Wikipedia says, about Ndola:

About 10 km north-west of the city centre, there is a motor racing track popular with weekend motorbike enthusiasts.

I don't know how you found the track amongst all the termite hills Terry but well done, the quality of Google earth imaging for the area has improved immeasurably since I first looked several years ago :-)

Looks like the tarmac track is disused and the infield has been given over to dirt bikes.

Hard to fathom that 40 years ago my folks took me to see my first motor race there and some spark was ignited that has led me to take many trips to Brands Hatch, the Nurburgring, Silverstone, Le Mans, Donington Park, Thruxton, Cadwell Park, Castle Combe, Indianapolis, Norisring and most recently Talladega to name but a few :-)

Thanks Terry :-)

Edited by arttidesco, 11 May 2010 - 10:02.

A poster on Kuksees's blog says that the Nakuru track closed in 1986.

I lived in Kenya from 1966 -1984 and attended Nakuru race meetings a number of times. I'm certain the track closed in the 1970s. I have some pictures that I took at a meeting in June 1975, but I don't think there were many more after that. The track was owned by the Nakuru Town Council and they were under pressure to build more housing, so they closed the circuit and turned it into a housing development.

The Nairobi (Embakasi) track was built (I think) around 1970. Nakuru was always the better circuit of the two, both for drivers and spectators. The Nairobi circuit was flat and rather featureless. By the time I left Kenya interest in motor racing was waning and it was difficult to attract entries, so it is possible that the Nairobi track closed in 1986, though I could well be wrong.

I think that's the Alta-Jaguar on the left and if it's not one of the Sagoos on the right it's Vic Preston's Lotus XX

Hi D Type,
Do you remember that Lotus XV. My father owned it in 67-69. Then we returned to UK.
He also owned the Le Gallais Special in the preceding years.
The Lotus is being restored for a second time at the moment (Chassis 607).
I am trying to find out if anything remained of the LGS just as the makers son is looking for it.
I have included a couple of pictures to help.
Regards Saxa


https://mail.google....1...mzm011n0

https://mail.google....1...p=inline

Im not a 100% sure but i think joginda singh was a relative of mine.My father was born in Nakuru in 1947,Joginda Singh was my dads uncle who was a rally driver

Edited by Callisto, 29 April 2011 - 21:44.

Re a circuit at Tanga. I vaguely remember something of a Street Race in that part of the world - then Tanganyika, subsequently Tanzania. I'm sure any racing there would have been a one off, nothing too serious. There was definately occasional Kart Racing in that vicinity.

Hi Brian

My dad Roger used to race a Saab and Renault Gordini at Nakuru - I have a bunch of photos (and I remember my Dad making mention to the DKW on numerous occassions) so I'll take a look through for you...

Neville

P.S. How do I post pics to the site???

P.S. How do I post pics to the site???

You need to upload the photos to a website, either your own (if you have one) or one of the image-hosting sites such as Imageshack. Check out the 'How to post images' sticky thread towards the top of the threads list.