We all know Hangar Straight . I was watching the F3 races at Silverstone the other day on television. Kelvin Burt mentioned that he didn’t know the name of the straight between Club and Abbey. I don’t think it has a name. I could be wrong.
I was thinking it would be a very nice gesture to call this little bit of track the Murray Walker straight.
Any thoughts?
Silverstone straights
Started by
chdphd
, Aug 30 2005 22:53
27 replies to this topic
#3
Gary Davies
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Posted 31 August 2005 - 00:25
I have to dissent. I've never got over the metallic rasp of Mr. Walker's shouting at me via the telly usurping the melliflouous tones of Raymond Baxter. Gimme a Spitfire pilot over a tank driver any day!
Baxter Straight anyone?
Baxter Straight anyone?
#4
Roly
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Posted 31 August 2005 - 06:58
Isn't this part of the track called "farm"?
Roland
Roland
#5
LittleChris
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Posted 01 September 2005 - 21:57
I always thought that Farm Straight was the section between Abbey & Woodcote before they started putting new corners like Bridge in.
#6
Ray Bell
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Posted 02 September 2005 - 03:44
Originally posted by Vanwall
I have to dissent. I've never got over the metallic rasp of Mr. Walker's shouting at me via the telly.....
I wonder how many found this a good reason to give up following GP racing on television?
I know my wife got pretty stroppy about the screaming and carry on disturbing the night air... and worse still, it seems to have encouraged others to emulate the stupidity.
#8
eldougo
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Posted 02 September 2005 - 08:23
Photo of front and back cover of this book.(However no help ) .
#9
Gary Davies
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Posted 02 September 2005 - 08:28
Originally posted by Darren Galpin
Gee you gotta admire those WW2 RAF pilots. Can't imagine how you'd land anything on an aerodrome like that!
#10
BRG
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Posted 02 September 2005 - 09:29
It is curious - apart from Hanger Straight, the other ones at Silverstone don't seem to have ever had names. The first (1948) layout of the track, which used the central runways, featured the Seagrave and Seaman Straights but after that - nothing. Maybe it is something to do with the BRDC not wanting to favour one of its members over another!
But at Britain's premier track, we should be commemorating Britain's premier drivers. So I propose that:-
* The start straight be named the Clark Straight
* The one from Copse to Maggots be named Stewart Straight (although given recent BRDC internal politics, that might prove a bit controversial!)
* Hangar Straight be renamed Moss Straight
* The current Vale be renamed Hill Vale.
* The not-really-named left hander at the end of Hill Vale becomes Hunt Corner
* The one from Club to Abbey be named Surtees Straight
* The current Bridge Corner becomes Mansell Corner
* Priory be renamed Hawthorn Corner (do we need a corner named after a drug rehabilitation clinic, after all?)
As for Murray, rename the media centre in his honour - that would be far more appropriate.
But at Britain's premier track, we should be commemorating Britain's premier drivers. So I propose that:-
* The start straight be named the Clark Straight
* The one from Copse to Maggots be named Stewart Straight (although given recent BRDC internal politics, that might prove a bit controversial!)
* Hangar Straight be renamed Moss Straight
* The current Vale be renamed Hill Vale.
* The not-really-named left hander at the end of Hill Vale becomes Hunt Corner
* The one from Club to Abbey be named Surtees Straight
* The current Bridge Corner becomes Mansell Corner
* Priory be renamed Hawthorn Corner (do we need a corner named after a drug rehabilitation clinic, after all?)
As for Murray, rename the media centre in his honour - that would be far more appropriate.
#11
Peter Morley
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Posted 02 September 2005 - 09:59
Originally posted by MonkeyBoy
I was thinking it would be a very nice gesture to call this little bit of track the Murray Walker straight.
Any thoughts?
It might be more appropriate to name a corner the Murray Walker straight, that would reflect the accuracy of some of his comments!!
#12
Andrew Kitson
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Posted 02 September 2005 - 11:00
At the original perimeter road racing circuit at Silverstone, all of the corners were named after local landmarks except for Woodcote and Club.
The start/finish and pits were located nearest to the main entrance near Luffield Abbey Farm.
The farm is near to the site of the Luffield Abbey, hence Abbey Curve. The ruins of the Chapel of Thomas a Becket are on the other side giving us Chapel curve and Becketts. Stowe school is not far from Stowe corner, Maggotts and Copse come from nearby Maggotts Moor and Seven Copses Wood. The 2 huge aircraft hangars which were alongside the Hangar straight housed many Rootes Group cars for export at the time of the first race. Woodcote is named after the RAC's Woodcote Park in Surrey and Club after their Pall Mall establishment. The straights that link these corners never had names except for hangar, the pit straight and club straight on the short circuit.
The Farm straight is a new addition along with the Vale, Priory, Brooklands and Luffield.
The start/finish and pits were located nearest to the main entrance near Luffield Abbey Farm.
The farm is near to the site of the Luffield Abbey, hence Abbey Curve. The ruins of the Chapel of Thomas a Becket are on the other side giving us Chapel curve and Becketts. Stowe school is not far from Stowe corner, Maggotts and Copse come from nearby Maggotts Moor and Seven Copses Wood. The 2 huge aircraft hangars which were alongside the Hangar straight housed many Rootes Group cars for export at the time of the first race. Woodcote is named after the RAC's Woodcote Park in Surrey and Club after their Pall Mall establishment. The straights that link these corners never had names except for hangar, the pit straight and club straight on the short circuit.
The Farm straight is a new addition along with the Vale, Priory, Brooklands and Luffield.
#13
Ray Bell
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Posted 02 September 2005 - 11:12
Isn't it great when names are there for a reason?
The same thinking shone through at Warwick Farm... Paddock Bend went either around the paddock where the cars were or near the paddock where the horses were, I'm not sure. Then there was the Western Crossing, the first crossing of the horse track... with was, unsurprisingly, to the west... and Homestead Corner went right by the homestead that stood there. Hume Straight was right alongside the Hume Highway and Creek Corner... it was down where Cabramatta Creek brought an end to the property. The Esses were just that, the Northern Crossing was an apt name for the next bit, then came the Causeway, which was a causeway across the artificial lake... Polo Straight led to Polo Corner, which was on the outside of the Polo field... Leger Straight led to Leger Corner, so named I guess because it was opposite the Leger Grandstand. Guess what they called the straight past the pits?
The same thinking shone through at Warwick Farm... Paddock Bend went either around the paddock where the cars were or near the paddock where the horses were, I'm not sure. Then there was the Western Crossing, the first crossing of the horse track... with was, unsurprisingly, to the west... and Homestead Corner went right by the homestead that stood there. Hume Straight was right alongside the Hume Highway and Creek Corner... it was down where Cabramatta Creek brought an end to the property. The Esses were just that, the Northern Crossing was an apt name for the next bit, then came the Causeway, which was a causeway across the artificial lake... Polo Straight led to Polo Corner, which was on the outside of the Polo field... Leger Straight led to Leger Corner, so named I guess because it was opposite the Leger Grandstand. Guess what they called the straight past the pits?
#14
Andrew Kitson
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Posted 02 September 2005 - 11:21
And 'Bridge' of course.Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
The Farm straight is a new addition along with the Vale, Priory, Brooklands and Luffield.
#15
Darren Galpin
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Posted 02 September 2005 - 11:21
Pit straight?
#16
Ray Bell
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Posted 02 September 2005 - 11:28
Originally posted by Darren Galpin
Pit straight?
Clever boy!
Exactly... but there was one part of the 'Farm was unnamed... the bit where Bob and I used to flag. It was between the Northern Crossing and The Causeway, a fast ess bend.
With the black swans that used to live in the lake, perhaps it could have been called Swan Reach?
#17
SEdward
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Posted 02 September 2005 - 12:11
I far prefer seeing names that mean something or refer to local history or geography (thank you Andrew Kitson for an informative post about Silverstone) rather than drivers' names being gratuitously chucked around the circuit map.
This was done at Brands Hatch at some point. But as far as I'm concerned, Bottom Bend, Pilgrim's Rise, Pilgrim's Drop, Paddock Hill Bend, Clearways, Top Straight, Bottom Straight, Kidney Bend, Westfield Bend, Dingle Dell and Dingle Dell Corner are eternal.
Edward
This was done at Brands Hatch at some point. But as far as I'm concerned, Bottom Bend, Pilgrim's Rise, Pilgrim's Drop, Paddock Hill Bend, Clearways, Top Straight, Bottom Straight, Kidney Bend, Westfield Bend, Dingle Dell and Dingle Dell Corner are eternal.
Edward
#18
Darren Galpin
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Posted 02 September 2005 - 12:33
Can't help but remember Fawlty Towers at this point... ".... Mastermind... specialist subject: the bleedin' obvious".
#19
Barry Boor
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Posted 02 September 2005 - 20:47
Brands..... don't forget Stirling's....
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#20
Roger Clark
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Posted 02 September 2005 - 23:36
The existence of a straight bit of road between two corners doesn't mean that it has to be named a Straight. When Silverstone was first opened only Hanger Straight was long enough to be worthy of the name.
#21
Tom Glowacki
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Posted 03 September 2005 - 01:37
I think that some recognition for that great American per-WW2 club racer is long over-due and therefore suggest Whitney Straight!
#22
David McKinney
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Posted 03 September 2005 - 05:11
Club racer?
I think the term you're looking for is "Grand Prix driver"
I think the term you're looking for is "Grand Prix driver"
#23
David Beard
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Posted 03 September 2005 - 16:58
Originally posted by Roger Clark
The existence of a straight bit of road between two corners doesn't mean that it has to be named a Straight. When Silverstone was first opened only Hanger Straight was long enough to be worthy of the name.
But it had Seaman Straight and Segrave straight in 1948, using the central runways...
#25
David McKinney
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Posted 03 September 2005 - 17:23
You could still just about drive that circuit
#26
David Beard
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Posted 03 September 2005 - 17:28
I wouldn't have wanted to have brake failure at the end of Seagrave straight and go through the straw bales onto Seaman!
#27
danielking
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Posted 03 September 2005 - 23:01
The organisers had thought of that possibility: the right-hand side of each straight was closed off at the approach to the hairpins so that cars coming from opposite directions weren't on a potential collision course. Not with anything as fluffy as straw bales though, instead it was decided that metal drums filled with concrete would be a much more durable barrier. 
#28
Andrew Kitson
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Posted 04 September 2005 - 06:59
They also put up large canvas screens so cars coming towards were unseen.Originally posted by danielking
The organisers had thought of that possibility: the right-hand side of each straight was closed off at the approach to the hairpins so that cars coming from opposite directions weren't on a potential collision course. Not with anything as fluffy as straw bales though, instead it was decided that metal drums filled with concrete would be a much more durable barrier.
Its not that far removed in layout to a modern F1 circuit, except the straights are longer. Lots of tight corners with 'point and squirt' straights.
