13 replies to this topic

[carrotcruncher]

Gentlemen,

                 many of you will recall my self confessed preoccupation with all things Snetterton.

Thing is, was there ever a name give to the part of the circuit betwixt Sears and the Hairpin on the ORIGINAL circuit,built in the fifties.?

                                       Stupid that I never asked before,but in an idle moment I  just wondered.

                                                                                       Regards to all

 

                                                                                                   Carrotcruncher.

[Allan Lupton]

As it was parallel to the A11 Norwich road (and shared a petrol station with it!) it was the Norwich Straight as I recall.

 

What I can't remember, which will perhaps be your next question, is what we called the straight between the hairpin and the esses.

[2F-001]

I've always thought of it as 'Norwich Straight' too, but I had to look up a few maps for the 'return' stretch; the map in the RAC Blue Book for 1971 has it labelled 'Home Straight'.

[alansart]

I think it went from Sear, along the Norwich Straight to the Norwich Hairpin, down the Home Straight to the Esses where it rejoins the current layout and on to the Bomb Hole.

[Allan Lupton]

I don't remember anything called "bomb hole" before the shortening. I thought the Esses led into Coram and then the Start/Finish Straight.

[DouglasM]

The Norwich Straight.

Onto the straight in my Triumph Spitfire Mk1, do The Times Crossword, then brake for theThe Hairpin.

Edited by DouglasM, 29 November 2014 - 19:39.

[Doug Nye]

Norwich Straight by my reckoning. 'Bomb Hole' always infuriates me beyond all reason - suggesting insufficient experience or education to term such a thing a 'bomb crater'. I feel this is just about the one area in which I, as a proud council 'ouse boy, can justifiably be labelled a snob. For which I do not apologise...'bomb hole' indeed...dear me.

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 29 November 2014 - 19:44.

[BRG]

According to the Snetterton website:

 

"Folklore says that the bike races found it a great challenge where several fell off..it became known as a 'Bumhole' of a corner, a name which stuck.

Of course commentator Norman Greenway could not use that name so in the early 80s the 'Bombhole' was born. 

Many think the dip was from a wartime bomb, but Snetterton Heath airfield was never attacked and no bomb ever fell there."

 

What was that wartime saying?  "If you knows of a better 'ole, go to it"

[TEJ]

Peter Swinger's book Motor Racing Circuits In England Then & Now ISBN 978-0-7110-3104-3, Ian Allan Publishing shows a map of the circuit from 1951 calls it Norwich Straight. In describing the 1951 circuit, it says "The principle feature of the circuit was the Norwich Straight that ran alongside the main A11 road and was just short of a mile in length, culminating in a very tight right-hand hairpin." the map shows the shorter straight after the hairpin to be named the home straight.

If the book is correct, there is your answer. Maps for 1974 and later show a revision to create a club circuit that bypasses both the Norwich and Home Straights.

Tom Johnston in West Vancouver, Canada

[alansart]

I don't remember anything called "bomb hole" before the shortening. I thought the Esses led into Coram and then the Start/Finish Straight.

 

I did say "on to the Esses where it rejoins the current layout and on to the Bomb Hole -  which infers the Bomb Hole, bomb hole, bum hole etc. is on the bit that wasn't castrated by the revised circuit 

Edited by alansart, 29 November 2014 - 20:40.

[LittleChris]

So did the left handed kink onto the Norwich Straight ever have a name ?

[Stephen W]

According to the 1956 RAC Motor Sport Year Book the Snetterton course was as follows:

 

1) Start & Finish

2) Riches Corner

3) Sear Corner

4) Norwich Straight

5) Home Straight

6) The Esses

7) Coram Curve

8) Paddock Bend

and back to #1

 

The corner onto Norwich Straight and the corner at the end of that same straight were both unnamed. 

 

[nicanary]

Crikey, my senility is worse than I'd imagined. I thought that the short straight from Sear to the bend onto the Norwich Straight was called Revett, but I've just checked and it wasn't named that until 1974. And Russell didn't get built until 1965. I suppose that's because my regular visits began about then, cycling 18 miles from Norwich on my Haddon tourer, with Sturmey-Archer 3-speed and dynamo hub.

 

I had always assumed that Russell was always there, or at least had been for some time. You're all correct about the Bombhole - I've read a history of Snetterton Heath airfield, and no bombs exploded there intentional or otherwise.

 

The proximity of the Norwich Straight to the main road was a cause of great joy to me as a  child, since it was not uncommon to see a Lotus being tested there off-season, and because of the time of year there were few leaves on the trees and bushes, and a good view could be had. All gone now, although I understand that modern-day competitors rather like the new circuit.

[carrotcruncher]

Thank you to all who replied,

                                             however I fear I have led you all on an (interesting) wild goose chase!.The answer to the what I MEANT was/is Wyatts for I had intended to describe the bend which led onto the short straight running into the Hairpin.!

                                             By fate I found the answer the next day on the excellent series of pictures published as Snetterton  Archives.

                                                                       The answer was right there in front of me. Sincere  apologies to all for my lack of clarity , and No I had NOT been imbibing the carrot whisky.(probably been clearer if I had)

                                                        Regards to  all,

                                                                            Carrotcruncher.