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Pre-war British motor racing meetings


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#1 Kvadrat

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Posted 17 May 2005 - 09:22


25.03.33 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (7 races)

						Event One							850cc u/s or s/c

						Event Two							850cc s/c & 1100cc u/s (two heats)

						Event Three						  850cc s/c

						Event Four						   1500cc u/s

						Event Five						   1500cc u/s (two heats)

						Event Six							1500cc u/s or s/c

						Event Seven						  1500cc in any trim (ie Formule Libre)

13.05.33 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (7 races)

						Event One							MG Midgets & Austin 7s u/s

						Event Two							MG Magnas, Wolseley Hornets, Singer Nines and Rileys other than Brooklands models

						Event Three						  850cc in any trim

						Event Four						   1500cc u/s

						Event Five						   850cc s/c & 1100cc u/s

						Event Six							1500cc u/s

						Event Seven						  1500cc u/s or s/c

19.08.33 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (9 races)

						Event One							850cc Sports Cars

						Event Two							MG Magnas, Wolseley Hornets, Singer Nines and Rileys other than Brooklands models

						Event Three						  850cc s/c or u/s

						Event Four						   1500cc u/s Sports cars

						Event Five						   850cc s/c, 1100cc u/s

						Event Six							1500cc s/c or u/s

						Event Seven						  1500cc s/c or 2500cc u/s

						Event Eight						  3000cc u/s or 2500cc s/c

						Event Nine						   3000cc u/s or s/c

07.10.33 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (6 races)

						Event One							850cc

						Event Two							1100cc

						Event Three						  1500cc u/s

						Event Four						   Invitation, up to 3000cc

						Event Five						   3000cc

						Event Six							1500cc s/c 2500cc u/s











xx.04.34 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (7 races)

						Event One							850cc u/s

						Event Two							850cc s/c

						Event Three						  1100cc

						Event Four						   1500cc u/s

						Event Five						   1500cc

						Event Six							3000cc

						Event Seven						  1500cc s/c 2500cc u/s

12.05.34 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (7 races)

						Event One							850cc u/s

						Event Two							850cc s/c

						Event Three						  1100cc

						Event Four						   1500cc u/s

						Event Five						   Not specified: probably 1500cc s/c

						Event Six							3000cc Handicap

						Event Seven						  Not specified: probably 1500cc s/c 2500cc u/s

xx.xx.34 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (7 races)

						Event One							850cc

						Event Two							1100cc u/s

						Event Three						  3000cc Handicap

						Event Four						   1500cc u/s (2 heats)

						Event Five						   1500cc

						Event Six							3000cc Class Handicap

						Event Seven						  3000cc Handicap (2 heats)

18.08.34 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (7 races)

						Event One							850cc

						Event Two							1100cc u/s

						Event Three						  3000cc Handicap

						Event Four						   1500cc u/s

						Event Five						   1500cc

						Event Six							3000cc Class Handicap

						Event Seven						  3000cc Handicap

06.10.34 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (3 races)

						1500cc Handicap

						Donington Park Trophy

						Nuffield Trophy









11.05.35 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (7 races)

						Event One							850cc Handicap

						Event Two							3500cc Handicap

						Event Three						  1500cc Handicap

						Event Four						   3500cc 

						Event Five						   1500cc

						Event Six							1500cc Ladies' Race

						Event Seven						  3500cc Handicap

13.07.35 Donington	  Nuffield Trophy meeting (3 races)

						Junior Handicap					  1500cc Handicap

						Senior Handicap					  4000cc Handicap

						Nuffield Trophy Handicap

xx.08.35 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (6 races)

						Event One							850cc Handicap

						Event Two							3500cc Handicap

						Event Three						  1500cc Handicap

						Event Four						   3500cc Handicap

						Event Five						   1500cc

						Event Six							3500cc Handicap

03.10.35 Donington	  Donington Grand Prix (1 race)

						Donington Grand Prix				 750 kg racing cars

xx.xx.35 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (7 races)

						Event One							850cc Handicap

						Event Two							3500cc Handicap

						Event Three						  1500cc Handicap

						Event Four						   3500cc Handicap

						Event Five						   1500cc

						Event Six							3500cc Handicap Heat 1

						Event Seven						  3500cc Handicap Heat 2







04.04.36 Donington	  British Empire Trophy meeting (1 race)

						British Empire Trophy Handicap

09.05.36 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (6 races)

						Event One							850cc

						Event Two							5000cc Handicap

						Event Three						  1500cc Handicap

						Event Four						   5000cc Handicap

						Event Five						   1500cc

						Event Six							5000cc Handicap

04.07.36 Donington	  Nuffield Trophy meeting (3 races)

						Junior Handicap					  1500cc 

						Senior Handicap					  5000cc 

						Nuffield Trophy Handicap

29.08.36 Donington	  JCC 200 Miles (1 race)

						JCC 200 Miles Handicap

03.10.36 Donington	  Donington Grand Prix (1 race)

						Donington Grand Prix				 750 kg racing cars









10.04.37 Donington	  British Empire Trophy meeting (? races)

						British Empire Trophy

24.04.37 Crystal Palace Coronation Trophy meeting (? races)

						Coronation Trophy					1500cc racing cars

12.05.37 Donington	  Coronation Trophy meeting (4 races)

						Coronation Handicap				  race car handicap

						?

						?

						?

29.05.37 Donington	  UH&ULMC meeting (11 races)

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

12.06.37 Donington	  Nuffield Trophy meeting (2 races)

						Nuffield Trophy

						?

10.07.37 Donington	  BOC/VSCC meeting (10 races)

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

17.07.37 Crystal Palace London Grand Prix meeting (? races)

						London Grand Prix					scratch race car handicap

24.07.37 Donington	  D&DMC President's Trophy

						D&DMC President's Trophy			 12 hours sports car race

14.08.37 Crystal Palace Grand Composite meeting (? races)

						Sydenham Trophy					  scratch race car handicap

						Sydenham Plate					   sports car handicap

28.08.37 Donington	  JCC 200 Miles

						JCC 200 Miles

04.09.37 Donington	  RAC Tourist Trophy

						RAC Tourist Trophy

04.09.37 Donington	  Donington Grand Prix

						Donington Grand Prix				 750 kg racing cars

09.10.37 Crystal Palace Imperial Trophy meeting (? races)

						Imperial Trophy					  scratch race car handicap











02.04.38 Crystal Palace Coronation Trophy meeting (? races)

						Coronation Trophy					scratch race car handicap

09.04.38 Donington	  British Empire Trophy meeting (? races)

						British Empire Trophy

14.05.38 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (6 races)

						Coronation Trophy					race car handicap

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

21.05.38 Crystal Palace Grand Composite meeting (4 races)

						Sydenham Trophy					  scratch race car handicap

						Sydenham Plate					   sports car handicap

						?									motor-cycle race

						?									side-car race

25.06.38 Crystal Palace London Grand Prix meeting (? races)

						London Grand Prix					scratch race car handicap

09.07.38 Donington	  Nuffield Trophy meeting (? races)

						Nuffield Trophy

13.08.38 Crystal Palace Crystal Palace Cup meeting (? races)

						Crystal Palace Cup				   scratch race car handicap

						Crystal Palace Plate				 sports car handicap

03.09.38 Donington	  RAC Tourist Trophy

						RAC Tourist Trophy

08.10.38 Crystal Palace Imperial Trophy meeting (? races)

						Imperial Trophy					  scratch race car handicap

						Imperial Plate					   sports car handicap

10.07.38 Donington	  UHCC meeting (9 races)

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

22.10.38 Donington	  Donington Grand Prix

						Donington Grand Prix				 3000cc racing cars

xx.xx.38 Donington	  VSCC meeting (11 races)

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

xx.xx.38 Donington	  SSCC meeting (12 races)

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?









01.04.39 Donington	  British Empire Trophy meeting (? races)

						British Empire Trophy				race car handicap

15.04.39 Crystal Palace Frazer Nash BMW & Vintage CC meeting (? races)

						Stanley Cup						  handicap

20.05.39 Crystal Palace Sydenham Trophy meeting (4 races)

						Sydenham Trophy Heat 1			   scratch race car handicap

						Sydenham Trophy Heat 2			   scratch race car handicap

						Sydenham Plate					   sports car handicap

						Sydenham Trophy Final				scratch race car handicap

20.05.39 Donington	  UH&ULMC meeting (6 races)

						Event 1							  up to 1500cc sports car handicap

						Event 2							  over 1500cc sports car handicap

						Event 3							  unlimited sports car scratch race

						Event 4							  unlimited racing and sports car handicap

						Event 5							  unlimited sports car handicap

						Event 6							  all capacity racing and sports car handicap

10.06.39 Donington	  Nuffield Trophy meeting (? races)

						Nuffield Trophy

xx.06.39 Donington	  CUAC meeting (7 races)

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

01.07.39 Crystal Palace Crystal Palace Cup meeting (5 races)

						Crystal Palace Cup Heat 1			scratch race car handicap

						Crystal Palace Cup Heat 2			scratch race car handicap

						Crystal Palace Plate				 sports car handicap

						Vintage Cup

						Crystal Palace Cup Final			 scratch race car handicap

08.07.39 Donington	  SSCC meeting (? races)

12.08.39 Donington	  VSCC meeting (6 races)

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

						?

26.08.39 Crystal Palace Imperial Trophy meeting (5 races)

						Imperial Trophy	Heat 1			scratch race car handicap

						Imperial Trophy	Heat 2			scratch race car handicap

						Imperial Plate					   sports car handicap

						2nd Vintage Cup

						Imperial Trophy	Final			 scratch race car handicap


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#2 Kvadrat

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Posted 17 May 2005 - 09:23

That's all I know so far. I'll collect Southport races information. Brooklands is almost unknown for me, but I'm going to research it's history.

#3 Vitesse2

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Posted 17 May 2005 - 13:06

Vladimir: here's the 1933-36 Donington races. The handicap methods for the races vary, so I haven't attempted to explain them here! If an event is not marked Handicap, then assume it's a scratch race. Unless otherwise specified s/c cars were admitted.

Originally posted by Kvadrat


25.03.33 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (7 races)

						Event One 850cc u/s or s/c

						Event Two 850cc s/c & 1100cc u/s (two heats)

						Event Three 850cc s/c

						Event Four						   1500cc u/s

						Event Five 1500cc u/s (two heats)

						Event Six 1500cc u/s or s/c

						Event Seven 1500cc in any trim (ie Formule Libre)

13.05.33 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (7 races)

						Event One MG Midgets & Austin 7s u/s

						Event Two MG Magnas, Wolseley Hornets, Singer Nines and Rileys other than Brooklands models

						Event Three 850cc in any trim

						Event Four 1500cc u/s

						Event Five 850cc s/c & 1100cc u/s

						Event Six 1500cc u/s

						Event Seven 1500cc u/s or s/c

19.08.33 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (9 races)

						Event One 850cc Sports Cars

						Event Two MG Magnas, Wolseley Hornets, Singer Nines and Rileys other than Brooklands models

						Event Three						  850cc s/c or u/s

						Event Four 1500cc u/s Sports cars

						Event Five						   850cc s/c, 1100cc u/s

						Event Six							1500cc s/c or u/s

						Event Seven 1500cc s/c or 2500cc u/s

						Event Eight 3000cc u/s or 2500cc s/c

						Event Nine 3000cc u/s or s/c

07.10.33 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (6 races)

						Event One 850cc

						Event Two 1100cc

						Event Three 1500cc u/s

						Event Four Invitation, up to 3000cc

						Event Five 3000cc

						Event Six 1500cc s/c 2500cc u/s









xx.04.34 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (7 races)

						850cc u/s

						850cc s/c

						1100cc

						1500cc u/s

						1500cc

						3000cc

						1500cc s/c 2500cc u/s

12.05.34 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (7 races)

						850cc u/s

						850cc s/c

						1100cc

						1500cc u/s

						Not specified: probably 1500cc s/c

						3000cc Handicap

						Not specified: probably 1500cc s/c 2500cc u/s

xx.xx.34 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (7 races)

						850cc

						1100cc u/s

						3000cc Handicap

						1500cc u/s (2 heats)

						1500cc

						3000cc Class Handicap

						3000cc Handicap (2 heats)

18.08.34 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (7 races)

						850cc

						1100cc u/s

						3000cc Handicap

						1500cc u/s

						1500cc

						3000cc Class Handicap

						3000cc Handicap

06.10.34 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (3 races)

						1500cc Handicap

						Donington Park Trophy

						Nuffield Trophy

 xx.xx.35 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (7 races)

						850cc Handicap

						3500cc Handicap

						1500cc Handicap

						3500cc Handicap

						1500cc

						3500cc Handicap Heat 1

						3500cc Handicap Heat 2					  

11.05.35 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (7 races)

						850cc Handicap

						3500cc Handicap

						1500cc Handicap

						3500cc 

						1500cc

						1500cc Ladies' Race

						3500cc Handicap

13.07.35 Donington	  Nuffield Trophy meeting (3 races)

						1500cc Handicap ("Junior Handicap")

						4000cc Handicap ("Senior Handicap")

						Nuffield Trophy Handicap

xx.08.35 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (6 races)

						850cc Handicap

						3500cc Handicap

						1500cc Handicap

						3500cc Handicap

						1500cc

						3500cc Handicap

03.10.35 Donington	  Donington Grand Prix

						Donington Grand Prix				 750 kg racing cars





04.04.36 Donington	  British Empire Trophy meeting (1 race)

						British Empire Trophy Handicap

09.05.36 Donington	  D&DMC meeting (6 races)

						850cc

						5000cc Handicap

						1500cc Handicap

						5000cc Handicap

						1500cc

						5000cc Handicap

04.07.36 Donington	  Nuffield Trophy meeting (3 races)

						1500cc Junior Handicap

						5000cc Senior Handicap

						Nuffield Trophy Handicap

29.08.36 Donington	  JCC 200 Miles

						JCC 200 Miles Handicap

03.10.36 Donington	  Donington Grand Prix

						Donington Grand Prix				 750 kg racing cars



#4 Vitesse2

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Posted 17 May 2005 - 13:09

Originally posted by Kvadrat
Brooklands is almost unknown for me, but I'm going to research it's history.


Good luck! (You'll need it ..... :rolleyes: )

#5 Darren Galpin

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Posted 17 May 2005 - 13:19

Some of the Brooklands race results can be found here - http://www.teamdan.c...n/brooklan.html - this is what I have pulled together from various recent articles in Motorsport by Bill Boddy and "The Brooklands Giants", also by Bill Boddy.

#6 Kvadrat

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Posted 18 May 2005 - 01:28

Thank you Richard and Darren!

It seems that there were many minor events at Brooklands. I've seen a lot references to them in Hulton, Corbis and British Pathe archives.

#7 Vitesse2

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Posted 18 May 2005 - 12:10

Vladimir: if I might offer some advice....

Stay away from Brooklands - or at least the minor meetings - much of what happened at those is so trivial as to be totally inconsequential.

As examples: in 1927 there was an Alvis Day, run by Henly's Garages. Among the events was a "Stopping and Starting Race", won by one WH Green, who had earlier won the "Historic Handicap". There was also a "Stopping and Starting Race" at the Middlesex County AC meeting the same year. Then there was the Lagonda Fete, where they had a "Slow-running Race"!

There are Long Handicaps, Short Handicaps, Lightning Long Handicaps, Lightning Short Handicaps, 50-mile Handicaps, Impromptu Handicaps, Sealed Speed Handicaps, Winners' Handicaps, even Disabled Drivers' Handicaps (not exactly a PC name these days). Then there are Sweepstake Handicaps, Match Races, Ladies' Races, Acceleration Plates, hillclimbs, speed trials ....

#8 petefenelon

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Posted 18 May 2005 - 14:12

Originally posted by Vitesse2


Good luck! (You'll need it ..... :rolleyes: )



With all due respect to Kvadrat, I think he'd be duplicating Bill Boddy's immense efforts at long distance and from a starting point 60-odd years too late. And, as has been said further down the thread, so much that happened at Brooklands was footling and unimportant - and is still documented at length in WB's book.

Note that this isn't an attack on WB's scholarship - but I did find that his lack of perspective and the even light he casts over every race at the Track, be it the JCC Double Twelve or be it a match race between two near-forgotten amateurs, made his Brooklands history tougher going than it might otherwise have been.

Brooklands is a project that (IMHO) has been done fairly thoroughly. What it needs (as far as the community at large is concerned) is synthesis rather than analysis, an attempt to draw out the influences it had on the rest of the racing scene rather than trivia about every Ladies' Short Handicap.

#9 Vitesse2

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Posted 18 May 2005 - 14:36

Amen to that, Pete.

WB's book is a monumental work of scholarship/labour of love (delete according to taste). But it's so frustrating! He must have had the information at his fingertips, but (for example) he seldom gives an exact date for anything. That's also true of his book on Montlhéry. So, if you want the stats for a race, you still need to plough through volumes of old magazines.

He also makes the assumption that everyone reading his book knows exactly what a Lightning Long Handicap was (I do, but only now I've invested in Tony Hutchings' excellent monograph). Having read that twice so far, I now have a better idea of what was going on, but I still don't think I've fully grasped it.

Brooklands was, to a great extent, a world of its own upon which the real world only occasionally impinged. Equally, Brooklands reached out to the world, sometimes in surprising ways. A couple of weeks ago, a local Sunday paper published a picture of Hornsted's 15 litre "Big Black Benz" taken in 1913 at what appears to be a beach race at Weymouth! The mind boggles .....

#10 Darren Galpin

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Posted 18 May 2005 - 14:43

Any chance you could scan the article Vitesse? I'd be interested to take a look.

#11 humphries

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Posted 18 May 2005 - 14:53

Please don't tell me that people don't want the complete entry lists, race reports and results of every Brooklands race!!! Mind you I haven't bothered with the gymkhana events or the one-make speed trials etc. Good job I didn't!

As Pete and Vitesse say, don't try to replicate what has been published and what is waiting to be published;life is too short!!

John

#12 Boniver

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Posted 18 May 2005 - 18:55

http://forums.atlasf...ight=brooklands

I was start ......................

#13 GIGLEUX

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Posted 18 May 2005 - 19:06

Please Richard, what is a Lightning Long Handicap?

#14 Vitesse2

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Posted 18 May 2005 - 20:56

Originally posted by Darren Galpin
Any chance you could scan the article Vitesse? I'd be interested to take a look.


Short answer is - no!

It's a bit more than an article - I described it as a monograph, but perhaps thesis would be better! There are 105 A4 pages of text and 121 illustrations, mostly full-page, showing every track layout ever used and reproducing some of the entry lists and other documents to clarify the text.

A work of genius. Thirty-five quid, but worth every penny.

Originally posted by GIGLEUX
Please Richard, what is a Lightning Long Handicap?


It's like a Lightning Short Handicap - but longer! :p

Seriously, I'll answer that later, Jean-Maurice!

#15 Vitesse2

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Posted 18 May 2005 - 22:08

Okay - first of all we have to define Short and Long Handicaps. The terms date back to 1911. In a Short Handicap, competitors completed one lap, passing the Fork and then racing up the Finishing Straight to the Special Short Finishing Line - distance "about 5¾ miles". For a Long Handicap they completed 2 laps - distance "about 8½ miles".

Lightning races were limited to only the fastest cars: originally competitors had to be capable of a flying lap of at least 90mph but this was dropped in 1922 in favour of a minimum capacity of 1500cc. There was a separate Lightning Finishing Line, 100 yards before the Special Short. As speeds increased, so it became obvious that it was becoming difficult for cars to pull up in the Finishing Straight, so Lightning races were shifted to start and finish on the Railway Straight in 1924. As above, Lightning Shorts were one lap, Lightning Longs were two laps.

#16 GIGLEUX

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Posted 18 May 2005 - 23:05

Thank you Richard. Now I can peacefully sleep. :wave:

#17 Kvadrat

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Posted 19 May 2005 - 03:54

I'm not scared of Brooklands' minor events indefinite history. Yes, I don't want to do the same work which was done by someone, but I don't know, what's done. I don't have all those books and haven't even heard of some of them. Everything I have - is Internet and TNF in particular. While it's interesting I'm going to do it.

Please, advise which books on the subject I must have.

#18 Vitesse2

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Posted 19 May 2005 - 08:26

Bill Boddy's book is called "Brooklands: The Complete Motor Racing History". Originally published in 3 volumes as "The History of Brooklands Motor Course". A one-volume edition appeared in 1957. This was revised in 1969 and again in 1990. In 2001 it was reissued, again revised, and retitled.

He's written several other Brooklands books, including a history of the JCC 200, Brooklands Giants, Aero-engined cars at Brooklands etc etc.

None of them come cheap and all are out of print except "Brooklands: The Complete Motor Racing History".

The monograph I mentioned is "The Administration of Racing at Brooklands", published by the Brooklands Society.

For a good introduction to Brooklands, I'd recommend PJ Wallace's "Brooklands", which was part of the Ballantine Illustrated History of the Car (Special Volume 1) and published in 1971.

#19 RAP

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Posted 19 May 2005 - 09:44

Vitesse

In a Short Handicap, competitors completed one lap, passing the Fork and then racing up the Finishing Straight to the Special Short Finishing Line - distance "about 5¾ miles". For a Long Handicap they completed 2 laps - distance "about 8½ miles".



I think you description of "Shorts" and "Longs" is somewhat over-simplified. As a lap was 2.767 miles, a race of 81/2 miles has to be more than 2 laps!!

Sometime in the 1920s the organisers realised that the Finishing Straight was too short for cars to pull up safely, so the finish was (generally) moved to the Railway Straight - about as far away from the spectators gathered in the main viewing area as you could manage. I woder if anyone knows why they did not finish at the Fork and slow down around the Members banking. That way spectators could have had a much better view.

To quote from a 1935 programme, at that time, a Short was 6 1/2 miles, starting at the Pond, doing 2 complete laps and finishing on Railway Straight, ie abot 2 1/2 laps. A Long was 3 1/2 laps or about 9 miles.


RAP

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#20 Vitesse2

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Posted 19 May 2005 - 10:44

Originally posted by RAP
Vitesse

I think you description of "Shorts" and "Longs" is somewhat over-simplified. As a lap was 2.767 miles, a race of 81/2 miles has to be more than 2 laps!!

Sometime in the 1920s the organisers realised that the Finishing Straight was too short for cars to pull up safely, so the finish was (generally) moved to the Railway Straight - about as far away from the spectators gathered in the main viewing area as you could manage. I woder if anyone knows why they did not finish at the Fork and slow down around the Members banking. That way spectators could have had a much better view.

To quote from a 1935 programme, at that time, a Short was 6 1/2 miles, starting at the Pond, doing 2 complete laps and finishing on Railway Straight, ie abot 2 1/2 laps. A Long was 3 1/2 laps or about 9 miles.


RAP


Sorry - not so much over-simplified as badly phrased. A better attempt:

In a Short Handicap, competitors started at the Pond, passing the Fork and then going once round the track before returning to the Fork and entering the Finishing Straight to finish at the Special Short Finishing Line, which was 250 yards before the usual Long Finishing Line. In a Long Handicap they passed the Fork twice, doing two complete laps from that point before entering the Finishing Straight.

The distances were quoted from a 1911 programme - Tony Hutchings makes the point that Brooklands had already been accurately measured to within about six inches!

The exact figures, measured on the 50 foot line for cars -

Pond Start plus one lap to Special Short: 5.565891 miles
Pond Start plus two laps to Special Short: 8.332769 miles
Pond Start plus one lap to Lightning: 5.509073 miles
Pond Start plus two laps to Lightning: 8.275951 miles

#21 Kvadrat

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Posted 01 June 2005 - 06:10

I updated the list adding some data on 1939 Crystal Palace races (thanks to RAP). I have scans of July 8, 1939 SSCC meeting programme (partial), no races list. By the way, what is SS in SSCC?

#22 petefenelon

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Posted 01 June 2005 - 09:29

A rather sobering thought here.

WB is not getting any younger; have any steps been taken to make sure that his archives (which must be pretty monumental) are preserved for posterity?

#23 275 GTB-4

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Posted 26 December 2014 - 11:26

Amen to that, Pete.

WB's book is a monumental work of scholarship/labour of love (delete according to taste). But it's so frustrating! He must have had the information at his fingertips, but (for example) he seldom gives an exact date for anything. That's also true of his book on Montlhéry. So, if you want the stats for a race, you still need to plough through volumes of old magazines.

He also makes the assumption that everyone reading his book knows exactly what a Lightning Long Handicap was (I do, but only now I've invested in Tony Hutchings' excellent monograph). Having read that twice so far, I now have a better idea of what was going on, but I still don't think I've fully grasped it.

Brooklands was, to a great extent, a world of its own upon which the real world only occasionally impinged. Equally, Brooklands reached out to the world, sometimes in surprising ways. A couple of weeks ago, a local Sunday paper published a picture of Hornsted's 15 litre "Big Black Benz" taken in 1913 at what appears to be a beach race at Weymouth! The mind boggles .....


Perving on Fiona Bruce tonight watching Antiques Roadshow...Basic, Better, Best...a Postcard was valued at 100 pounds as it was considered rare...Filmed at the Stukeley Family home who have lived there for a 1000 years...

http://www.hartlandabbey.com/Abbey.htm

BasicBetterBest_zpsa63b655e.jpg

The 15 litre "Big Black Benz" taken in 1913 at Weymouth?

BigBlackBenzWeymouthBeach1913_zps0d7f85b

[EDIT: interestingly, that looks like a Flag bottom right]

Edited by 275 GTB-4, 26 December 2014 - 11:50.