10 replies to this topic

[walshy]

Hello there.

This is my first post on here, so be gentle with me.

I am currently trying to piece together information for an article I am writing about the circuit at Rufforth. I have some great quotes and most of the details I need.

The one thing I am struggling to find details on, is why the circuit ceased to be.

I would really appreciate any information anyone may have as to why racing stopped there?

If you also have any good stories to tell about the circuit, I would love to hear them. I would quite happily quote anyone in this article I am writing.

Many thanks
Chris

[CoulthardD]

Flicking through Swinger's 'Motor Racing Circuits of England', it just says "At some point in time the site was sold to a farmer and racing ceased in 1978."

DC

Edited by CoulthardD, 08 October 2010 - 11:47.

[Tim Murray]

This earlier thread doesn't answer your question about why it closed, but may be of interest:

So what about Rufforth?

[simonlewisbooks]

Flicking through Swinger's 'Motor Racing Circuits of England', it just says "At some point in time the site was sold to a farmer and racing ceased in 1978."

DC

I think it was more a question of track licensing requirements and the high cost of upgrading safety facilities that did-for Rufforth. I think the AUTOSPORT YEARBOOK 1979 mentions something to this effect in it's survey of operating tracks. I don't have one to hand at present.

[Ian Smith - Diz]

Oh how disappointing.
I told Walshy how brilliant and quick TNF was and so it sort of proved with three quick replies.
But then ........................................ nothing, it just dried up.

So it is time to bump the thread

[CoulthardD]

I think Simon hit the nail on the head...

DC

[Derwent Motorsport]

I think the issue was that the track was perhaps the last of the "temporary" tracks in the UK based on an airfield. For a long time it was still operational so no permanent barriers/banks etc could be put in place. It would seem likely that the cost of those and resurfacing would amke it not viable and perhaps the farmer just did not want motorsport on his land.
Where airfield were built during WW2 on land requesitioned from land owners, those owners had the first call on getting it back. This always caused complications as circumstances change in the perhaps 20 to 40 years after the war. I know of a local airfield where there were 8 land owners involved and another with five. This caused difficulty if we wanted to sue them for rallies and just one "anti" could stop the event happening.
I've got quite a few Rufforth programmes tucked way in my files.

[Jagracer]

As a Racing Mechanic back in 1972 with Brian Robinson We went to Rufforth, the paddock was just a field & the Start line was the other side of the track you went round to the Start with your driver & car, watched the flag drop & then jump into the back of an open flatbed truck where the driver raced like hell to get you back to the pit lane scared the hell out of all of us, then we would all get into our pit & give out the signals to our Drivers
That year Brian was in his F5000 McClaren M19 & was up against Tony Dean in his F5000 Chevron B24, it was one hell of a race Tony & Brian swapped the lead so many times you wouldn't believe. Tony Dean won by only half a car as Brian was along side him as they went across the line but they both shared fastest lap & outright lap record, which I believe was still standing when the Circuit closed

Phil Bradford

[john aston]

Happy days- cannot recall that meeting but I have vivid meories of BR in Lotus Cortina with FVA -? power howling down the back straight. Not the safest circuit ever but a regular haunt of mine before I could drive- bus to Pontefract, train to York and walk to Rufforth. Amazing to think of F3 races there with James Hunt et al , as well as the heavy metal which Tony Dean fielded - loved the Can Am winning 908 Porsche.

[JtP1]

The last meeting at Rufforth was surely late August/ early September 1977. Being in Yorkshire, it rained.

[PJC]

Hello,

Never done this before -so don't know what happens but !

 

I saw these bits about Rufforth and see that Walshy is the historian and Derwent Motorsport may have something I am interested in !

Albeit the last note seems to have been in 2010.

 

Derwent Motorsport seems to have some old Rufforth programmes and I am looking for one for the 1st of July 1972. A BRSCC meeting.

There was a paddock type pass tied to the car that I have and I would like to find out more about it.

Its a sad tale but bought the car in 1974 and its still totally dismantled today.

However if anyone has the programme I may be able to see who previously owned the car.

The car in question is a LANDAR  R6 BMC.

 PJC

Edited by PJC, 21 February 2014 - 22:30.