20 replies to this topic

[ghinzani]

Anyone remember a circuit up near Middlesborough called I think 'Lanbaugh'? Have I got that right? Did this become what is know Teeside kart circuit? Just curious, Ive probably spelt it very wrong which is why my search comes back with zilch!

[Vitesse2]

Langbaurgh ;) Now Teesside Karting circuit.

Edited by Vitesse2, 01 January 2012 - 23:05.

[ghinzani]

Langbaurgh ;) Now Teesside Karting circuit.

cheers, thats why I cant find the b*gger! Looks like I spelt most of it wrong too...

[LittleChris]

Wasn't one of their early ambitions to run an F3 race there ?

[john aston]

Wasn't one of their early ambitions to run an F3 race there ?

They did have aspirations but the track was fine for karts but bloody useless for cars. I did a track day there in my Caterham years ago - one decent corner- banked- the rest micky mouse stuff. And terribly badly run I seem to remember- near non existent marshalling and very little regard for safety.Watched a rallycross event there too- only motor sport event have been to with security guards in the car park...

[Derwent Motorsport]

I think you will find it is much better now with decent facilities. Technically it is now the "South Tees Motor Sport Park" or similar, it also has the local speedway track as well. We've run sprints on the now longer track and it does actually have a licence for racing although none have taken place. It's not used much for motorsport as the commercial karting brings in more money than clubs can pay for a day's hire.

[CoulthardD]

My dad used to work for Langbaurgh Council (the local authority) and his office overlooked this facility, so he watched it being built. It has multiple names and web sites. Teesside Karting has been mentioned, ("...The longest fastest kart circuit in the World") but it also used the name Teesside Autodrome and rather grandly declares itself "...the home of motor racing in the north east.. (Erm, not Croft then???) It also offers tuition and ARDS courses.

Yes, the initial fanfare was to get F3, but it never came to fruition. But as you can see, the owners aren't afraid of a bit of hyperbole. It now makes a good sprint venue, and I hear its a good place to test, especially now Croft no longer offers any pre-race testing.

By the way, Langbaurgh is pronounced Lang-bar, it's spelt Middlesbrough, not borough and it's beside the River Tees, so its Teesside!

Regards,

DC

Edited by CoulthardD, 02 January 2012 - 11:54.

[Derwent Motorsport]

Bob Pope who holds the lease for it used to be involved in some of the big indoor karting arenas in London. He is a real "wheeler dealer" ! LOL

Edited by Derwent Motorsport, 02 January 2012 - 13:42.

[ghinzani]

By the way, Langbaurgh is pronounced Lang-bar, it's spelt Middlesbrough, not borough and it's beside the River Tees, so its Teesside!

Regards,

DC

Yes I did admit to spelling it all wrongly though - I suppose I could have written it all in Gee-or-dee, but then I cannot be held responsible for people tekin offence as Boro's not in the same county an al, tho but.

To be fair Langbaurgh sounds Welsh to me, but thats a whole new can of words, see.

[Gatmo]

Bob Pope was Playscape Indoor Karting wasn't he? They were in right at the start of the indoor karting boom when bus garages/disused factories etc were being converted into race circuits.

[Derwent Motorsport]

Yes, that's the guy!

[24hourman]

Yes, that's the guy!

Bob Pope and Martin Howell. Were the creators of Playscape racing which revolutionised karting in the UK and probably the world. Their arrive and drive format opened up racing to everyone without the need to purchase any equipment. Indoor karting took off in a huge way with every entrepenauer jumping on the bandwagon, within two years there was over 70 indoor tracks operating in the UK alone all copying the Playscape business model. With so much competition the high prices that everyone was originally willing to pay was falling, So Bob Pope in his inimitable way changed the format of kart racing indoors and instead of running heats and a final he changed the format to endurance racing and along with Martin Hines the twin engined prokart was born. Arrive and drive endurance racing turned to conventional kart race tracks and was eventually run at all the major tracks in the UK and Europe including Silverstone, Le Mans and Monaco. With championships for 6 And 24 hour races. It was not long before the hardly used kart tracks all around the world copied the format, bought there own equipment and arrive and drive was born on huge scale transforming the fortunes of many of the struggling UK kart tracks. The rest they say is history.

Edited by 24hourman, 04 January 2012 - 22:13.

[Gatmo]

Martin Howell did some circuit racing in the good old Renault 5TS Championship running Playscape decals on the car.

[24hourman]

Martin Howell did some circuit racing in the good old Renault 5TS Championship running Playscape decals on the car.

His son Gareth also races. Bob Pope had a certain amount of success coming 2nd in the Willhire 24 hours in a sierra cosworth.

[garyfrogeye]

If Bob Pope drove a Vauxhall Carlton (or possibly a Lotus Carlton) at some point in the 1980s, It was him who gave me one of the most frightening drives in my life.

[24hourman]

If Bob Pope drove a Vauxhall Carlton (or possibly a Lotus Carlton) at some point in the 1980s, It was him who gave me one of the most frightening drives in my life.

Would you like to elaborate?

[Dutchy]

If Bob Pope drove a Vauxhall Carlton (or possibly a Lotus Carlton) at some point in the 1980s, It was him who gave me one of the most frightening drives in my life.

There was a John Pope who shoehorned an Aston Martin V8 engine into a Vauxhall Viva in the 1970s. Could it be him you are referring to?

[elansprint72]

Yes I did admit to spelling it all wrongly though - I suppose I could have written it all in Gee-or-dee, but then I cannot be held responsible for people tekin offence as Boro's not in the same county an al, tho but.

To be fair Langbaurgh sounds Welsh to me, but thats a whole new can of words, see.

Geordie? I think you'll find that folks in Middlesboro' are known locally as "smog monsters".

[Derwent Motorsport]

I think these days it counts as North Yorkshire.

[LittleChris]

Does that now make them Woolybacks or Farm Yakkers ?

http://www.communiga...ak/page31.phtml

[CoulthardD]

My birth cirtificate say's I was born in the North Riding of Yorkshire. After Teesside, we became Cleveland, but I'm not sure if 'Cleveland' still exists.

Anyway, this Smoggie is off for a parmo.

DC