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#1 Metroman

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Posted 19 May 2014 - 17:50

On August 3rd this year Croft Autodrome will celebrate 50 years of operation as a motorsport venue. This will be recognised at the Nostalgia Meeting over that weekend. I am desperately trying to find reports and / or photographs of the Darlington DMC opening meeting and anything else (vehicles?) from around that period.

Richmondshire Museum also wants to put on an appropriate display.

 

Can anyone help.



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#2 linuxrob

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Posted 29 July 2014 - 15:22

Got a few pics of me and other bikes going round Croft 1981, colour and black and white?

 

Rob B



#3 Alan Cox

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Posted 29 July 2014 - 15:28

Heads up for the Nostalgia weekend this weekend

Entry list can be found on the HSCC website http://www.hscc.org....ries-event-info



#4 Nick Savage

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Posted 29 July 2014 - 18:50

Should be a good weekend's racing, plus around 400 classic and military vehicles on show for the Nostalgia bit.

 

I will be in the 1969 Chev Camaro in Historic Road Sports, no 55, back to Croft for the first time in 5+ years and first time in the Camaro.

 

Happy to say 'hello' to any TNFers who happen to be in the Paddock.

Nick



#5 Dick Dastardly

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Posted 29 July 2014 - 21:54

I'll be there as spectating on Sat..... :)

 

Would love to read / hear more about Croft's history. There are books around of photos of Oulton Park / Brands / Thruxton etc through the decades, but I've yet to see one on Croft.  1st went there as a 12 year old schoolkid in April / May '66....watched the '68 or 69 Guards International [?] live on TV [Grandstand or World of Sport]...Denny Hulme etc in Lola T70s...then went to the 70 International that had the Interseries race featuring Helmut Kelleners in the March 707. Plus a few ITV World of Sport Rallycrosses.... :)

 

The original [not the current layout] circuit was remarkably similar to Goodwood.......exit the chicane onto the start/finish and down to Tower [Goodwood it's down to Madgwick]......then up through the Jim Clark Esses to Sunny [Goodwood through St Mary's to Lavant]...then a long straight [now used for an overflow paddock or car parking] then a left hander followed by a sweeping right hander back to the chicane [Goodwood its the Lavant Straight to Woodcote and the chicane]. I suppose that's because it too was a WW2 airfield and the perimeter roads were used for the circuit. 



#6 bradbury west

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Posted 29 July 2014 - 22:13

I am interested in info about any photographers who may have relevant shots of certain cars racing at Croft from 1965 through to 1973.
Any assistance will be appreciated.
Roger Lund

#7 john aston

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Posted 30 July 2014 - 06:52

If you search this site there is reference to an astonishingly detailed Croft Archive website, inter alia, profiles every car to have raced there in its first life up until early 80s .  There's even a piece from some TNFer with my name...



#8 Dick Dastardly

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Posted 30 July 2014 - 09:37

If you search this site there is reference to an astonishingly detailed Croft Archive website, inter alia, profiles every car to have raced there in its first life up until early 80s .  There's even a piece from some TNFer with my name...

 

Thanks for this....I've found the site

 

http://www.racing70s...n/croftinfo.htm



#9 Metroman

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Posted 30 July 2014 - 11:16

Dick Dastardl, when you arrive on Saturday have a look immediately behind the Grandstand and you will see the original Spa curbing then if you walk down the hill, the kerbing for Oxo is still visible. I've been trying to pull together history, programmes, photos etc for a number of years for Darlington DMC (who ran the first race meeting on 3rd August 1964) but there seems to be a sad lack of material from 1964 to about 1970. I would be interested to hear from anyone who would be prepared to share their knowledge.



#10 bradbury west

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Posted 30 July 2014 - 22:11

John, thanks for the link,but my people are not listed, and I go back to 1961 with entries and results on my database, drawn from programmes and race reports. So my original request stands. I will check through links with D&DMC officials and the usual foto sources.
Roger Lund

#11 Metroman

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Posted 31 July 2014 - 08:08

John, thanks for the link,but my people are not listed, and I go back to 1961 with entries and results on my database, drawn from programmes and race reports. So my original request stands. I will check through links with D&DMC officials and the usual foto sources.
Roger Lund

 

Hi Roger,

I look after the DDMC archives. Your original request didn't specify anything. Let me know what you are after and I will see what I have.

 

Terry Wright



#12 chunder27

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Posted 31 July 2014 - 09:06

Great to hear from an old face at Croft, one who acknowledges the rallycross days too Terry!

 

Croft was a friendly, happy place when I used to go in the late 80's a rickety old Hector but provided rallycross with a large number of drivers and some great champions.

 

And George Shield especially,  a lovelier bloke you could not find. A was Michael to be honest.

 

They saved it, he and Wally, and though it was a basic place, a haven of rallycross it was for those of us from Oop North.  And the basis for what is there now was laid.

 

Sadly the issues we all know about this past few years have prevented rallycross being a mainstay still, but at least it is still there!



#13 BRG

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Posted 01 August 2014 - 22:30

Croft was used on the RAC Rally in 1974 and 1982 (other years too?).  I went there in '82 and remember examining Alen's Lancia 037 in the service area at Croft.  The place was still pretty derelict at that time.



#14 bradbury west

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Posted 02 August 2014 - 12:00

Terry, thanks for the response. I am researching the small 1960's marque DRW, don't get me started..., and have a good database and photo archive, but there are some drivers and cars which have escaped so far.  If you pm me with your e mail address I will send a schedule of dates, races, drivers, and where possible, the race numbers.  I have a similar problem with Rufforth, but still have a couple of the old stalwart photographers to contact.

edit. I have a similar problem at Harewood, but have not checked with John Holroyd yet.

Roger Lund


Edited by bradbury west, 02 August 2014 - 12:02.


#15 Rob Ryder

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Posted 02 August 2014 - 19:18

Croft was used on the RAC Rally in 1974 and 1982 (other years too?).  I went there in '82 and remember examining Alen's Lancia 037 in the service area at Croft.  The place was still pretty derelict at that time.

Try looking here...

http://forums.autosp...c-rally-photos/

Rob

Edited by Rob Ryder, 02 August 2014 - 19:18.


#16 Dick Dastardly

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Posted 03 August 2014 - 08:52

Rather wet at Croft yesterday....rain before the racing started, I watched the 1st couple of races from the banking behind Clervaux then went to the paddock and briefly met Nick Savage and 1 or 2 others. Then the heavens really opened....Saw 1 car that I'm sure was at the 1970 International meeting.....the Petonyer March 703 F3 1 litre car, must check my old program and slides from then. Possibly ex-Tom Walkinshaw car.  



#17 Metroman

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Posted 04 August 2014 - 08:19

You think it was wet on Saturday afternoon then you should have been there on the night! All the grassed area about 2" of standing water! However, on Sunday morning there was no sign it had even rained. Lovely sunny Sunday albeit a bit windy. Excellent racing and a heck of a lot of people there.



#18 Rob Ryder

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Posted 04 August 2014 - 11:27

Hell, if many more TNFers attend the Croft weekend we'll have to arrange a true 'Northern' meeting a la Goodwood Revival :drunk:
 
I met Simon Arron, John Aston (again) and Nick Savage (for the first time).
Sorry I missed, but would not recognise, Dick Dastardly and Metroman - maybe next year.
 
Rob

Edited by Rob Ryder, 04 August 2014 - 13:29.


#19 Metroman

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Posted 04 August 2014 - 15:42

I was on the Darlington DMC stand a lot of the time, in A paddock.



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#20 Dick Dastardly

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Posted 04 August 2014 - 19:45

From a purely personal point of view....I would have liked to have seen big powerful single seaters and sports cars as well. F5000 / F2 etc used to be a mainstay of Formula Libre races at Croft....I well remember Tony Dean's F5000 Chevron...would have been nice for the HSCC to have a round or 2 of the Derek Bell Trophy. In the same vein, sports cars such as Lola T70s / GT40s etc that used to race in the Internationals late 60s / 70 plus the 2 litre cars Chevron B16/19/21s & Lola T210s/212s etc....OK the Guards race on Sat had Chevron B8s but nothing later. Not taking anything away from the races that were on the program, those were good.


Edited by Dick Dastardly, 04 August 2014 - 21:32.


#21 Metroman

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Posted 05 August 2014 - 09:27

My thoughts exactly. In fact we were just saying exactly that at the weekend. However, as the Silverstone Classic is just before and a few European events in August, I doubt they will be able to sustain an entry.



#22 Metroman

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Posted 06 August 2014 - 18:23

The weekend has spurred me on to start a project I have meant to do for sometime.

I am now entering, on to an excel spreadsheet, all the names and cars that have competed at Croft since 1950 - or at least the names from the programmes I have. That way, when anyone contacts me regarding past competitors, I will be able to quickly access whether or not I hold a programme of an event in which they competed.

It won't happen overnight however as I have 12 ring binders full!!



#23 Dick Dastardly

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Posted 22 August 2014 - 22:32

Just seen on Facebook that the Richmondshire Museum in Richmond is having a special exhibition displaying memorabilia etc commemorating Croft's 50 years as a motorsport venue. Exhibition on from now until end of October.  I might pay a visit next week....

 

http://www.richmonds...latestnews.html


Edited by Dick Dastardly, 26 August 2014 - 18:24.