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Oldest Motorsport Events


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#1 JeordieX

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Posted 30 June 2016 - 18:53

Watched the Guy Martin Speed programme on the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, in which it mentioned it was the second oldest event (first being Indy). I was just wondering what are the oldest Motorsport events (two or four wheels), in particular which ones have achieved their centenary?

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#2 Tim Murray

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Posted 30 June 2016 - 19:10

Shelsley Walsh hillclimb has been running since 1905. The Targa Florio, which dates back to 1906, is still run as a rally. The TT races in the Isle of Man were first run in 1905 for cars, 1907 for motorcycles.

#3 Hati

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Posted 30 June 2016 - 20:24

Do you mean single or reoccurring event? If later, how often it has to be arranged to count?

https://en.wikipedia...Peking_to_Paris



#4 Cynic2

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Posted 30 June 2016 - 21:15

The Milwaukee Mile held its first automobile race in September 1903.  (It had been a horse racing track before that.)  The first race at Indianapolis was in 1909.



#5 Rob

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Posted 30 June 2016 - 22:11

The Scottish Six Days Trial started in 1909.



#6 Vitesse2

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Posted 30 June 2016 - 23:07

The Brighton Speed Trials also date back to 1905, although the second running wasn't until 1923. There was another gap from 1925-31 and it was one of the first 'casualties of war' in September 1939. But it's been held almost every year since 1946. And always on Madeira Drive.

 

Tim mentioned the RAC TT - another September 1939 cancellation - but its history is similarly patchy and it's also been held on several different circuits in the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland and England.

 

Theoretically, the now defunct French GP had a 113-year history spanning (with gaps) 1895-2008, because the ACF applied numbers retrospectively to the early city-to-city races which ended in 1903. Even ignoring those, it was still over a century: 1906-2008.