58 replies to this topic

[picblanc]

Not much left of old Snett now in any of its past configerations, even less that gives a clue to its war time past as a USAAF bomber base, just the parts of three aircraft hardstands on the right of start finish straight.

[RC162]

There is a memorial with an interesting sculpture depicting B17's rising into the sky with their vapour trails supporting them on the left hand side of the access road just before the main gate to the track. At least the reason for Snetterton being there in the first place is remembered in some small way.

[GD66]

Nice pic, Gra. You're actually a bit taller than I'd imagined...

[dommieracer]

Blimey, thats changed alot.

[fil2.8]

Nice pic, Gra. You're actually a bit taller than I'd imagined...

Think he has a set of steps , Glenn ......................

[picblanc]

Very amusing Glenn........

And Philip!

Edited by picblanc, 23 March 2011 - 09:15.

[fil2.8]

Very amusing Glenn........

And Philip!

You coming to Mallory , old chum ??

[picblanc]

You coming to Mallory , old chum ??

Sadly I cant justify the £90 for a day out at the moment Phil, you running your bike? if so hope you have a good weekend.

[fil2.8]

Sadly I cant justify the £90 for a day out at the moment Phil, you running your bike? if so hope you have a good weekend.

Thats a shame , Yep , all ready to go , i'll give you a bell later , shall I ??

[greg1953]

A question....in the seventies at a big meeting at Snett. Dennis Ireland beat Barry Sheene, both on RGs, I was there but due to the size of the crowd didn't do much walking about tending to stay in one spot, was this meeting on the old layout, the Norwich Straight & hairpin track or the later layout with the Revett straight ? not a quiz, I'd just like to know.
Greg

[Arthur]

Palmer has made a good job of that. There are now 3 circuits for use with 2 start/finish & pit positions.Mind you there was local opposition on noise factors from the green wellie brigade voiced in our local press One of these lived at Hethersett around 10 miles away who reckon he could hear it from his. No its a good situation with mainly industry nearby and it do'snt disturb the horses in the nearby horse sanctuary so why do humans moan

[peterd]

Re Ireland beating Sheene at the Race of Aces, I've just heard from Dennis:

"As far as I can remember, all bike meetings at Snetterton were run on the shorter circuit other than the ' Race of Aces' which once a year was on the full circuit."

[fil2.8]

Palmer has made a good job of that. There are now 3 circuits for use with 2 start/finish & pit positions.Mind you there was local opposition on noise factors from the green wellie brigade voiced in our local press One of these lived at Hethersett around 10 miles away who reckon he could hear it from his. No its a good situation with mainly industry nearby and it do'snt disturb the horses in the nearby horse sanctuary so why do humans moan

Well said , Arthur , sounds typical ' nimbys ' to me

[mikecapon]

Re Ireland beating Sheene at the Race of Aces, I've just heard from Dennis:

"As far as I can remember, all bike meetings at Snetterton were run on the shorter circuit other than the ' Race of Aces' which once a year was on the full circuit."

Not always Peter. From my own (limited) experience I rode the Race of Aces in '82 and it was on the 'short' circuit with the Revett straight and in '81 Bemsee ran at least one meeting on the 'long' circuit with the Norwich straight which was a cracking circuit. I'd never been so fast on my 350 TZ and towards the end of the Norwich straight the bike was taking off over the bumps. At the same time you could look to the left and see people going by in their cars on the road very close by. They were all watching the bikes go by too!

It was bloody fast. My best lap that weekend was 1.38.7 or 99.84mph.....

[picblanc]

In the back of my mind the last time the full Norwich straight haipin circuit was used for Motorcycle racing was 1978 & that was only the Race of Aces.

[Robin127]

In the back of my mind the last time the full Norwich straight haipin circuit was used for Motorcycle racing was 1978 & that was only the Race of Aces.

This came up fairly recently in another thread. Bemsee ran a meeting on the full circuit over the weekend of 23rd/24th May 1981. It was very wet (and dark) for practice on Saturday morning, it cleared up later though and was a mixture of sun and cloud but breezy for the rest of the weekend (or so my notes form the weekend tell me).

[peterd]

Have to ask the question: Is this Palmer's long-term showpiece circuit when the nimbys inevitably get their way and force the closure of Brands and probably Oulton?

[fil2.8]

Have to ask the question: Is this Palmer's long-term showpiece circuit when the nimbys inevitably get their way and force the closure of Brands and probably Oulton?

I sincerely hope not .....

[Risil]

Have to ask the question: Is this Palmer's long-term showpiece circuit when the nimbys inevitably get their way and force the closure of Brands and probably Oulton?

I would sincerely hope TNF forms some kind of torch-and-pitchfork militia should it come to that.

[dommieracer]

Hi, would some of you be on about this old layout?

http://www.flickr.co...N06/5556131812/

Kevin

[greg1953]

Hi, would some of you be on about this old layout?

http://www.flickr.co...N06/5556131812/

Kevin

Yes thats it, the photos are great, really takes you back.
Greg

[LCRider]

HI
With Snetterton being my local circuit I am pleased to see the modifications and they look really good,
Bryan made reference to a FB comment that Mr Palmer was threatening to charge for anybody who ran onto the newly prepared grass -= glad theres no LCs then...

I think The Race of Aces was last held on the long circuit about 1980 - theres nothing on the net re motorbikes but the mk 1 version of the previous track was opened in 1973. Mk2 involved a change to the esses with a tighter bend tasking it more away from the bridge that was there (after a fatal car crash) the Mk3 and Mk4 involved changes to Russell bend.

Other than the race of aces Bemsee ran races on the long circuit on the trot I don't remember the year(s) but Greg Page, Eddie Boldizar and Steve Trasler were running in the proddy class on LC250s and X7 respectively. I remember 2 things specifically - 1 that I was marshalling at Sear with the usual crew. As has been said it rained on the Saturday and the racing didn't finish until very lkate (maybe 7-7.30) and the first day programme wasn't finished! There were loads of crashes and stopped races. 2 that I rode on the circuit and I recall a groove in the track that just kept going and if you got in it then it became difficult to get round the hairpin...

I loved the old circuit and the slipstreaming was fantastic (Bikes AND cars). Barry Sheene once fell off at sear when the brake shoes fell out of his RG. In the early 70s though the meeting clashed with a GP (possibly Czech) and the first year I went (1974) Peter Williams and Dave Croxford on JP Nortons gave chase to Barry Ditchburn and Mick Grant on Works Kawas. There were few "international" riders though Patrick Fernandez was a regular show until he got into GPs.

The year Dennis beat Barry was on the short circuit. As was the year that there was SO much rain in a heavy shower that the bombhole flooded and on the Sunday it was still wet and the guys had to ride around a lot of thick mud...

Certainly Snett had more than its fair share of controversy

[LCRider]

Further to my post above - I seem to recall that Dave Potter won the first ever race of aces on the new circuit (mk1 or maybe 2) it was wet (alternatively he won the MCN superbike fist leg). He was on the works Mitsui Yamaha (white with red flash)

[jaybee49]

I attended quite a few meetings at Snetterton before they axed the Norwich Straight part and altered it and created the short circuit without the Norwich straight/ hairpin part. I don’t recall any meetings taking place on a ‘shorter circuit’ prior to that though. In fact, in a club race my Cotton broke down with a big end or crank giving up at the end of the Norwich straight/hairpin in practise.

I was stood on Sears when Barry Sheene fell off. I had run out of film and I noticed that as he approached that bit of the straight he started dragging his feet on the track and then turned left and hit the grass but he eventually lost it and ended up in a big heap in the bushes that were between the circuit and the A11. I was almost the first to get to him and he said, ‘ I had no brakes Jim - I had no f**king brakes. I also have some shots of Barry Ditchburn on the big Kawasaki going down there as well but I don't think that was down to brakes (or lack of them)

[jaybee49]

Further to my post above - I seem to recall that Dave Potter won the first ever race of aces on the new circuit (mk1 or maybe 2) it was wet (alternatively he won the MCN superbike fist leg). He was on the works Mitsui Yamaha (white with red flash)

I think these shots are maybe from that ROA meeting of Dave Potter.

[suzrg500]

HI
With Snetterton being my local circuit I am pleased to see the modifications and they look really good,
Bryan made reference to a FB comment that Mr Palmer was threatening to charge for anybody who ran onto the newly prepared grass -= glad theres no LCs then...

I think The Race of Aces was last held on the long circuit about 1980 - theres nothing on the net re motorbikes but the mk 1 version of the previous track was opened in 1973. Mk2 involved a change to the esses with a tighter bend tasking it more away from the bridge that was there (after a fatal car crash) the Mk3 and Mk4 involved changes to Russell bend.

Other than the race of aces Bemsee ran races on the long circuit on the trot I don't remember the year(s) but Greg Page, Eddie Boldizar and Steve Trasler were running in the proddy class on LC250s and X7 respectively. I remember 2 things specifically - 1 that I was marshalling at Sear with the usual crew. As has been said it rained on the Saturday and the racing didn't finish until very lkate (maybe 7-7.30) and the first day programme wasn't finished! There were loads of crashes and stopped races. 2 that I rode on the circuit and I recall a groove in the track that just kept going and if you got in it then it became difficult to get round the hairpin...

I loved the old circuit and the slipstreaming was fantastic (Bikes AND cars). Barry Sheene once fell off at sear when the brake shoes fell out of his RG. In the early 70s though the meeting clashed with a GP (possibly Czech) and the first year I went (1974) Peter Williams and Dave Croxford on JP Nortons gave chase to Barry Ditchburn and Mick Grant on Works Kawas. There were few "international" riders though Patrick Fernandez was a regular show until he got into GPs.

The year Dennis beat Barry was on the short circuit. As was the year that there was SO much rain in a heavy shower that the bombhole flooded and on the Sunday it was still wet and the guys had to ride around a lot of thick mud...

Certainly Snett had more than its fair share of controversy

I rode in the 350 race at the 1980 race of aces and it was not on the long circuit, it was the year of the rain and the Sunday was abandoned. I remember my TZ wheelspinning in 4th gear in a straight line simply because it had an inch of water between it and the track It really was unrideable and very dangerous, they did'nt call off internationals lightly in those days, but it was the correct thing to do.

I seem to remember that our loony french friend, Bernard Fau out qualified everyone by a large margin for the Race of Aces, but still somewhere in the high 1min 40s region when a good dry lap was in the 9's or 10's!!!

I also rode in the last Bemsee race on the old long track when they resurrected it for a couple of meetings, that was definitely 1982, it was ridiculously bumpy, even with the damper on max it was lock to lock through the left hander onto the Norwich straight I went up a tooth on the front from normal Snett gearing and it was still running out of revs and could have done with a bit more, but it was going to mess up a lot of the other corners so I just revved the s**t out of it. I worked out the theoretical top speed to be 162mph! and it felt like it! IIRC Martin Rice dominated the 250's Greg Page, Roger Marchant and Phil Lovett had some good scraps in the 1000's and I managed to win all four 500 races, I won't put that down to to talent though, I think there were only 2 other RG's in the race with the rest of the grid on "fablon special" TZ's. Still, all good memories.

cheers Martin

[burton500]

Not much left of old Snett now in any of its past configerations, even less that gives a clue to its war time past as a USAAF bomber base, just the parts of three aircraft hardstands on the right of start finish straight.

I was there over the weekend watching the Bemsee meet. It has certainly changed a lot since I raced there from 80 to 82. One thing however that has not changed is the phone box to the left of the start line. I remember using that after my first race to let the folks at home know I was still in one bit - maybe its got a preservation order on it!

[GD66]

Wow, graphic shot, Jim ! You can almost hear them launch.

Is that Horton on #28 ? He doesn't seem too enthused, but the front row certainly is... top pic !

[picblanc]

John Weeden Glenn, good old phonebox in this pic!

[dommieracer]

Many a rider has used that phone box to ring home to say i am ok but the bike is a bit bent! lol

[bobness]

I rode in the 350 race at the 1980 race of aces and it was not on the long circuit, it was the year of the rain and the Sunday was abandoned. I remember my TZ wheelspinning in 4th gear in a straight line simply because it had an inch of water between it and the track It really was unrideable and very dangerous, they did'nt call off internationals lightly in those days, but it was the correct thing to do.

cheers Martin

My one and only visit to Snett when I was 12. It threw it down all day. We sat in the car for most of it, somewhere along the straight. I remember very little except Graeme Geddes winning a race by a mile. My programme was lovingly kept, but still got a bit damp....

While I'm on, in the 1979 start pic, who is #31, who is behind Woody and who are the 2 helmets between Ron and Bernard Fau?
Not a quiz, I don't know!

Edited by bobness, 28 March 2011 - 21:30.

[picblanc]

~31 looks like Steve Henshaw, & the rider with Star on helmet is Gary Lingham, dont know other guy.

[picblanc]

Behind Wood could be Nigel Corby?

[picblanc]

Behind Wood could be Nigel Corby?

Or probably not!

[Shieldsmariner]

~31 looks like Steve Henshaw, & the rider with Star on helmet is Gary Lingham, dont know other guy.

I have just checked the programme & 31 is indeed Steve Henshaw.

Andy

[Shieldsmariner]

Or probably not!

Possibly Kenny Blake behind Wood?

Andy

[Shieldsmariner]

Looking at the results from this meeting, Dave Potter had a cracking day. He won the Race of Aces and the 2nd Superbike race (he was 2nd to Steve Parrish in the first). Stavros also won the Shellsport 500cc race.

The Honda 125cc race was won by a certain Mr Scivyer.

Andy

[greg1953]

My one and only visit to Snett when I was 12. It threw it down all day. We sat in the car for most of it, somewhere along the straight. I remember very little except Graeme Geddes winning a race by a mile. My programme was lovingly kept, but still got a bit damp....

While I'm on, in the 1979 start pic, who is #31, who is behind Woody and who are the 2 helmets between Ron and Bernard Fau?
Not a quiz, I don't know!

Most of the Snett. shots I have posted are from that meeting, I've got a shot of Geddes in the loft and will post it asap but at present I am suffering from a frozen shoulder and can't get up there. If I remember correctly Geddes was on a Bimota TZ.
Greg

[GD66]

Correct. Black, red and yellow and entered by Ron Angel and Jack Walters.

[tonyed]

Looks like they demolished the old Club House.

Sunk many a pint in their after a meeting.

They could have held a final evenings' of poetry and fine music for all the old lags before they pulled it down.

I wouldn't mind betting that on a dark moonless night you can still hear the ghostly sounds of well worn racers relaxing (relapsing).

Where's it all going to end? First the Norwich and Home straights, then the bank at the Bomb Hole where I broke some vertebrae in 1978, then Russell chicane became Russell bus stop, now the bars gone, all my misspent yoof, 20 billion brain cells and I bet not a plaque to commemorate it.

[Russell Burrows]

Looks like they demolished the old Club House.

Sunk many a pint in their after a meeting.

They could have held a final evenings' of poetry and fine music for all the old lags before they pulled it down.

I wouldn't mind betting that on a dark moonless night you can still hear the ghostly sounds of well worn racers relaxing (relapsing).

Where's it all going to end? First the Norwich and Home straights, then the bank at the Bomb Hole where I broke some vertebrae in 1978, then Russell chicane became Russell bus stop, now the bars gone, all my misspent yoof, 20 billion brain cells and I bet not a plaque to commemorate it.

....to be replaced by two go kart tracks and er... a go kart track with a long straight.

[Russell Burrows]

....to be replaced by two go kart tracks and er... a go kart track with a long straight.

No one's biting..... Alright, its not quite that, but why so many twiddly slow bits ? The original circuit was such a contrast.

[tonyed]

Let’s face it:

ITS BLEEDIN' 'ELF AND SAFERTY INIT

When you'd had a couple at Lunchtime, you ain't bovvered abart the speed. Old Dutch INIT.

Now feres no bar they too scared to open de frottle, slow slow the buggers darn.

Nuffink agin go-karts but it's vere speed INIT.

They ruined Muggello, used to be a death trap, what happened to Clermont-Ferrand with all the walls.

The car racers had the best ideas, shag up the close circuits with all the run offs, Jackie 'EFFIN' Stewarts killer Armco barrier, chicanes and demolish the 'Haven' bar, introduce breathalysers *uck off to a series of steel lined road circuits and what have you got.

MOTO *UCKIN* GP that's what you got.

MOTO 'FFIN' lawnmower with that spotty Antipodean *ANKE* Casey StoneFACE and his anorexic stick insect of a wife on a soddin HONDA (DOG I hate that bunch of CRETINS).

Where are the characters?

Where’s the Bill Ivys, the Mike Oilwoods.

I’d rather watch paint dry than watch that pathetic bunch of Tosser* *ank their way round some clinically clean man made drag strip.

You all suck, you’re all a bunch of nerds and I hate you heap of MotherFuc***.

Russell is that 'bit' enough?

Edited by tonyed, 30 March 2011 - 17:46.

[Russell Burrows]

Er..yes, I think I'm getting your general drift.

[fil2.8]

Er..yes, I think I'm getting your general drift.

Another gem from Tony , , Russ !!!

[Rennmax]

Please tell us about last weekend's Mallory meeting Phil Any pics ?

[fil2.8]

Please tell us about last weekend's Mallory meeting Phil Any pics ?

It's all on Facebook at the mo , Renn , i'll try and move it over , if I can

[Rennmax]

It's all on Facebook at the mo , Renn , i'll try and move it over , if I can

Seems it's high time for me to register there although I'm not fond of the FB data squid at all

[tonyed]

It's all on Facebook at the mo , Renn , i'll try and move it over , if I can

Any idea what fairing this is?

http://www.sport-pic...15/1cmu4020.htm

Thanks

[fil2.8]

Any idea what fairing this is?

http://www.sport-pic...15/1cmu4020.htm

Thanks

No , I haven't , Tony , Mark George ( in pic ) is using a totally different colour scheme this year , not sure if it's even the same bike .............