51 replies to this topic

[Mistron]

Imagine my wife's surprise when I offered to give her a lift to a knitting and emboidery show today, "perhaps we could go for a family walk afterwards" I said................

Here's a load of photos to show a full lap. The thing that struck me was just how good the circuit remains, and that apart from the start grid, completly intact. What a waste!

You may notice young Robins racing lines - Start 'em young I say!

[roadmap]

Inglestone was a very nice track. I visited it regularly in the 60's and 70's. There were two cars that I remember but not the drivers. A 2 litre Alf gtv that was an Edinburgh garages car. No saloon car could live with the Alfa. I couldnt afford a 2000 at that time so I bought a 1300gt junior. Another was a 7 litre ford escort. again I cannot remember the driver but it was wonderful to hear it going round the circuit.

[HistoricMustang]

It is always wonderful to visit these former tracks via TNF for those of us who could not make the original events.

Thanks for taking the time to share.

Henry

[Graham Gauld]

Reference the Alfa this was entered by Jack Fisher of Fishers garage who were Alfa dealers at the time. The driver was Edward Labinjoh who also raced a couple of Fisher's specials. The Alfa had originally been raced by Roger Clark's brother Stan Clark.
The Boss Escort was probably the Celtic Homes car raced by Jim Clark's cousin, Douglas Niven. Celtic Homes built timber framed houses and was formed by Bernard Buss, Ian Scott Watson and Brian Boydell. Buss is today Vice-President of Scottish Motor Racing Club and has been responsible for most of the organisation of SMRC events at Knockhill for the past fifteen years or so. Ian Scott Watson, who designed some of the houses along with Bernard is also well known for his involvement in motor racing and Brian Boydell had no interest in motor racing whatsoever. However in 1970 they sponsored the Escort to promote their company. Ian Scott Watson continues to design houses but has been poorly of late. Bernard has now retired but is still involved in racing.

[Terry Walker]

From the eye in the sky we get these two nmages:

(a) General neighbourhood



And, boundaries delineated in red, the circuit.



Good old Google Map...

[Mistron]

Incidentally, the shed building at Caravan which used to be the Scottish agricultural museum and more recently home to 'The cars of the stars 2' - (an annex to the main museum in Keswick) is now empty.

The thought that struck me was 'what a great location for a scottish motor racing museum'! We deserve one, and an on site historic circuit next to the airport would seem the ideal setting. I have heard rumours off and on over the years that one has been on the cards, but nothing has ever come of it. Perhaps Graham can enlighten us...........

Baggsy job of curator!

[Mistron]

From you tube - a few laps with Warren Hughes in 1991

[Stephen W]

The grandsatnd for the show jumping ring has been built on part of the track used for sprints!

[taylov]

The Ingliston circuit on the stunning footage of Warren Hughes (YouTube) is obviously different (and longer) than the original 1960's lap of 0.76 miles.

I can recognise the section from the old Merchants corner before the start-finish through Farmers, Bankers, Foresters and the 90 degree RH bend at Gardeners. However then the circuit is different with a less sharp bend where Shepherds had been and a new longish straight leading to a sharp RH corner - all absent from the circuit plan in my programmes of 1965-67.

When was the Ingliston circuit extended and how long did the circuit last in that longer configuration?

[richie]

I'm not familiar with the history and/or closure of the circuit.

Looking at the pictures, it looks like a Crystal Palace scenario.

[Cirrus]

That Warren Hughes sequence is just about as realisic as in-car shots can get...

[Mistron]

Originally posted by taylov
The Ingliston circuit on the stunning footage of Warren Hughes (YouTube) is obviously different (and longer) than the original 1960's lap of 0.76 miles.

I can recognise the section from the old Merchants corner before the start-finish through Farmers, Bankers, Foresters and the 90 degree RH bend at Gardeners. However then the circuit is different with a less sharp bend where Shepherds had been and a new longish straight leading to a sharp RH corner - all absent from the circuit plan in my programmes of 1965-67.

When was the Ingliston circuit extended and how long did the circuit last in that longer configuration?

Looking at the ariel view, think the original circuit was the same up to the far corner from the grandstands in the arena section, and then cut across to the lefthander after the hairpin, then on through to farmers. (making an almost kidney shaped circuit)

The extension therefore comprising the long straight, the hairpin, and the lefthander into Farmers.

(I'm afraid I'm using the corner names from the little orange book 'club motor racing' from the '70s, so the names have changed).

The ariel shots above probably show it clearer , as the old layout is still visible.

I'm afraid I never saw racing there, my interest starting just after the circuit closed in the early-mid '90's, leaving me to enjoy racing in the tropical oasis that is Knockhill!

My pal's dad has a load of slides from the 60's and '70's - Team Lotus 47s debut race, great mini races etc. I'll see if I can borrow them and scan a few.

[PhilG]

I 've actually been there and raced supermoto , and never realised it was an existing circuit.

We used mostly the new loop , but ran it the other way round. with a few of the infield roads. Have to say i'm gutted i didn't walk the track now, but its all still there , although i'd say its a tad on the iffy side safety wise now.

[taylov]

I can help with some of the original corner names -

Farmer's = Paddock
Banker's = Esses
Gardener's = Caravan
Shepherd's was a 90 degree right which became the curve at Southstand
Vet's = Clock
Merchant's was the 180 degree that led to Start/Finish was later was called Arena.

At the end of the first season the lap record on the 0.76 mile circuit was 38 seconds (71.8 mph) to W.J. "Bill" Stein in the Ecurie Ecosse, Ecosse-Climax 2.5 litre.

[JtP1]

Originally posted by taylov
The Ingliston circuit on the stunning footage of Warren Hughes (YouTube) is obviously different (and longer) than the original 1960's lap of 0.76 miles.

I can recognise the section from the old Merchants corner before the start-finish through Farmers, Bankers, Foresters and the 90 degree RH bend at Gardeners. However then the circuit is different with a less sharp bend where Shepherds had been and a new longish straight leading to a sharp RH corner - all absent from the circuit plan in my programmes of 1965-67.

When was the Ingliston circuit extended and how long did the circuit last in that longer configuration?

The last meeting to the original shape would be August 68 and from September 68 till closeure in the new shape. Thus most of the original track shape was in use for the life of the circuit. Much of the track layout was decided by existing fixtures, roads and buildings on site.

[Mistron]

Originally posted by Graham Gauld
Reference the Alfa this was entered by Jack Fisher of Fishers garage who were Alfa dealers at the time. The driver was Edward Labinjoh who also raced a couple of Fisher's specials.

Graham,

You were going to post a bit of info on the Fisher specials after they came up on the Bo'ness thread. Did you ever find the article you wrote about testing them at Ingliston?

[brakedisc]

A little birdie told me ages ago that the proposed Ingliston showground move accross the road to Norton Park in preparation for the airport expansion has been postponed for 12 years. This seems to be confirmed by this RHASS press release.


Statement from Ray Jones, Chief Executive of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS)

Response to Edinburgh Airport news release on new development plans

“RHASS has suffered planning and business blight since December 2003 when the Aviation White Paper was published. To be told two years into a BAA Master Plan that the company has changed its mind and that there are to be further delays doesn’t seem fair or reasonable. BAA still says it wants our land in the future, but they want to cherry pick what and when they buy, over a longer period of time, and so avoid paying for the full relocation of the showground. This leaves the Society and Scotland’s national show ground with no business certainty, no ability to plan properly for the future and puts in jeopardy the opportunity to relocate to an appropriate site at Norton Park which would still enjoy the benefits of being in the capital and close to the airport.

“We do not believe it is fair that any company should have this level of power over another commercial entity such as ourselves. We feel it is wrong that the UK Government considers it appropriate to hand over compulsory purchase powers of our land to BAA at the same time as both it, and the Scottish Government, says that this is a matter for the two commercial interests to sort out.

“From the outset, we clearly stated that we thought the costs of a like-for-like relocation could cost in the region of £200-400million. Independent experts evaluated our land and property and reached the conclusion in the Feasibility Study of February 2007 that relocation would cost approximately £275million, plus or minus 25% (up to £343million). This was based on 2007 prices for the build. This year’s Deliverability Study gave a figure of £353million, based on 2013 prices. This should have come as no surprise to BAA.

“It is regrettable that the airport feels it is appropriate to move the goal posts and as result, leaves the Society more restricted in moving forward with its business planning for what could be many more years to come.

“We have always supported the growth of Edinburgh airport and feel that a successful airport can only help the continued success of Scotland’s national showground and the UK’s largest agricultural show. This growth however shouldn’t be at the expense of our success and the substantial contribution that we make to the Scottish economy. To suggest otherwise, and to imply that the fair and appropriate relocation costs needed to facilitate the airport’s growth and expansion could be responsible for increased costs to airlines and passengers is disingenuous and misleading.

We will now take some time to study the new long term development plan and its implications.”



The same little birdie also told me that part of the existing circuit could, with a little work, be made into a race circuit again and that because of the airport delay there was interest from the RHASS to make this happen. The reason for this is that when the compensation figures for the showground were listed, a race track was amongst the items on that list even though it had no MSA licence and was last used as a race track many years ago.

Is there anyone in Scotland with the organisational skills to take this forward?

[bradbury west]

My own research recently put me in touch with a Scots photographer who covered Ingliston. He seems to have a superb archive. Since he was a neighbour and friend of Jim Clark, JC persuaded him to attend all the big races where JC raced, so his archive is very comprehensive in period. He is also a very entertaining raconteur of matters relating to Jim Clark. If anyone has any serious need for period shots from Ingliston especially, pls e mail me and I will send his details. Usual disclaimer other than as a very satisfied customer.
Roger Lund.

[Wee-Scamp]

Brakedisc...

Sad to say I think this is a non starter. A revived Ingliston would have to be capable of running races of at least double the length it used to. Tim Harvey said that racing a Porsche around Knockhill was like driving a BMX around your living room which implies that any new track would have to be a lot longer and a lot wider than KH. That would be a very expensive exercise..

It's also a fact that if you want to revive Ingliston then to make it a success you have to put KH out of business... There isn't room in what is a very small Scottish market for two circuits that close together.

KH is a circuit with "character" in that it has hills and other features... Ingliston is completely flat.. Boring !!

No - for me the answer is to improve KH...... Somehow make it longer, wider in places and improve the facilities.. That means investment but I think it would easier to achieve that than it would be to start from scratch....

[JtP1]

Originally posted by Wee-Scamp
Brakedisc...

Sad to say I think this is a non starter. A revived Ingliston would have to be capable of running races of at least double the length it used to. Tim Harvey said that racing a Porsche around Knockhill was like driving a BMX around your living room which implies that any new track would have to be a lot longer and a lot wider than KH. That would be a very expensive exercise..

It's also a fact that if you want to revive Ingliston then to make it a success you have to put KH out of business... There isn't room in what is a very small Scottish market for two circuits that close together.

KH is a circuit with "character" in that it has hills and other features... Ingliston is completely flat.. Boring !!

No - for me the answer is to improve KH...... Somehow make it longer, wider in places and improve the facilities.. That means investment but I think it would easier to achieve that than it would be to start from scratch....

The two circuits could and have survived together. They are not in competition, they just happen to be in the same business. The spectator that goes to one, will probably go to the other. The competitors will be almost exactly the same.

As for Ingliston being completely flat and boring compared to Knockhill, I can safely take you have never raced at Ingliston or even possibly Knockhill.

[Wee-Scamp]

JtP1 - No need to get so emotional or personal... If and whether I've raced, spectated or indeed done anything else related to motorsport and where is completely irrelevant to this discussion.

Anyway - that notwithstanding I can assure you that Ingliston and KH would be in competition unless they did entirely different things. There are a limited number of competitors in Scotland and a limited number of spectators as well.. I've never seen KH packed out at SMRC meetings and the only time it really gets topped up is at the BTCC meetings.

Scottish motorsport also gets extremely poor coverage in the Scottish press and the only TV coverage it gets now is on Motors TV..

Justifying the investment to rebuild Ingliston would therefore be extremely difficulty.. Investing in an existing track like KH wouldn't be easy to justify either.

[JtP1]

Originally posted by Wee-Scamp
JtP1 - No need to get so emotional or personal... If and whether I've raced, spectated or indeed done anything else related to motorsport and where is completely irrelevant to this discussion.

Anyway - that notwithstanding I can assure you that Ingliston and KH would be in competition unless they did entirely different things. There are a limited number of competitors in Scotland and a limited number of spectators as well.. I've never seen KH packed out at SMRC meetings and the only time it really gets topped up is at the BTCC meetings.

Scottish motorsport also gets extremely poor coverage in the Scottish press and the only TV coverage it gets now is on Motors TV..

Justifying the investment to rebuild Ingliston would therefore be extremely difficulty.. Investing in an existing track like KH wouldn't be easy to justify either.

I wasn't getting emotional or personal, but describing Ingliston as flat and boring is not how anyone who drove on it ever viewed it.

As for spectators, there might be a limited amount of spectators in Scotland, but they will go to both circuits.

I was once at a talk on preserving historic ships giveb by the curator of Liverpool Maritime Museum. One of the audinence took the speaker to task about depriving their ship of funds to make his attraction better. It was pointed out by the speaker that their research found that Marks & spencer was in fact their competitor. There are apparently people out there who's first port of call in a new town is M&S. The people who visit one historic ship are exactly the same people who will visit another and the same applies to motor racing spectators. The latter fact was totally lost on the SMRC when Knockhill opened and they effectively refused to acknowledge its existence.

[brakedisc]

Bradbury West. I think the gentleman you refer to has done more than his fair share regarding Ingliston. I doubt he missed many meetings and it is a pity his vast photographic collection of the place is not available to view.

Wee Scamp. What can I say? Two posts since registering and both mince. Get real this is nostalgia we are talking about. Ingliston means so much to Scottish motor racing and now that it is no longer likely to become an airport car park those of us that love the place can dream of a revitalised circuit, Scottish motor racing museum and anything else that can generate interest in a sport that the Scottish people have done well at.

[Stephen W]

Originally posted by brakedisc
Ingliston means so much to Scottish motor racing and now that it is no longer likely to become an airport car park those of us that love the place can dream of a revitalised circuit, Scottish motor racing museum and anything else that can generate interest in a sport that the Scottish people have done well at.

As Ingliston is unlikely to become a "permanent circuit" what would be required is a short season where there was racing or sprinting every week-end for 6 to 8 weeks. This would allow the infrastructure to be set-up and left in place throughout the period. One of the big problems for venues that have to dismantle crash barriers etc between events is the manhours to do the work.

A Scottish Racing Museum on the site would be ideal and would keep the money rolling in throughout the rest of the year - I know I would visit it at least once a season!

[rallycross]

its great to see some photos from ingliston (also a bit sad as I remember it in full swing)

I used to go there with my dad, I was too young to remember him racing but do remember going and spectating and then in later years (late 80's?) he used to do the video filming for the circuit which I helped with - and got a great trackside view.

I do still have a load of the video tapes from the 80's in the attic and one day when I get time I will try and revive them - would be a nice bot of nostalgia to see how it was - full grids of FF, Road saloons, mod sports, clubmans, plus there would be the occasional historics, or visiting series like R5, Fiestas, Metro's etc -

It was great to sit in the grandstand and watch the good guys oversteering the whole way round arena, looking at those pics of just how narrow it was I now realise how good they were if they could do that lap after lap - lotus sunbeems, old escorts, even an a avenger were very entertaining....

[JtP1]

Originally posted by Stephen W


As Ingliston is unlikely to become a "permanent circuit" what would be required is a short season where there was racing or sprinting every week-end for 6 to 8 weeks. This would allow the infrastructure to be set-up and left in place throughout the period. One of the big problems for venues that have to dismantle crash barriers etc between events is the manhours to do the work.

A Scottish Racing Museum on the site would be ideal and would keep the money rolling in throughout the rest of the year - I know I would visit it at least once a season!

One of the factors, now ignored by the RHSS, is that motor racing actually kept them solvent for many years.

This is what I was told and learnt about the site and is not confirmed in any way.

After years of wandering about from site to site, someone gifted Ingliston to them as a permanent home. Unfortunately, it became a millstone around their necks as it barely generated enough revenue in the few days the show was held there to be financially viable.

Having been gifted the site, they could not dispose of it and were thus stuck. Motor racing arrived in 65 and brought much improved income and addition to the infra structure. It also opened up the site to other events run through out the year. From this it generated a steady and much improved income through out the year.

From the little I have seen there is the last few years, the site is in almost constant use through out the year and now financially viable. Albeit, now without motor racing.

The track could be put back in use if the main grandstand was replaced in its original position. The cost of barriers and the other equipement for racing would probably preclude the project being financially sound. Though I believe the track is occasionally used for rallies by the simple expedient of driving round the back of the grandstand and joining the track at Milk pavilion just before the esses. This apparently gives a really strange entry into the esses.

[brakedisc]

JTP1, the barriers are still available as are the posts and sockets. The RHASS do not own them so for the venue to operate there would have to be a considerable amount of co-operation from various people. As the posts from our new poster, Wee Scamp, shows, there are some who think that motor racing in Scotland is only about Knockhill. Sadly and to the detriment of the sport this has been the case since Ingliston closed.

[JtP1]

Originally posted by brakedisc
JTP1, the barriers are still available as are the posts and sockets. The RHASS do not own them so for the venue to operate there would have to be a considerable amount of co-operation from various people. As the posts from our new poster, Wee Scamp, shows, there are some who think that motor racing in Scotland is only about Knockhill. Sadly and to the detriment of the sport this has been the case since Ingliston closed.

Brakedisc, I really doubt that the desire or the co-operation for the project exists with people that would have to be involved.

[Stephen W]

According to a poster on another forum the tarmac is in an appalling state and his Mistsubishi found the bumps hard to cope with.

Maybe it will need a complete resurface?

[Graham Gauld]

Ingliston was an important and life-saving circuit as far as Scottish motor racing and the development of Scottish racing drivers were concerned. It kept motor racing alive in Scotland at a time where there was no alternative and was the springboard which was to lead to Knockhill.
As Hugh McCaig and I ran the circuit from 1983 to 1991 there was no future for the circuit. It was commercially successful in its first fifteen seasons but the upgrading of the circuit virtually every year and the increasing costs payable to the Royal Highland Society was making it impossible to even wash its face. When we did not renew our lease Tom Brown bravely stepped in and tried to make a go of Ingliston but he too realised that it would not work.
As for resurfacing the existing circuit etc there have been seventeen years of safety requirements since then and though our safety record was probably better than most circuits it would be ridiculous to suggest that it could ever become a circuit again. It was great whilst it lasted and it did a hell of a lot for Scottish motor racing. Let us treasure and relish the happy memories.

[Derwent Motorsport]

I spectated at race meetings over many years and also did some of the sprints in later days. the very last sprint did not use the arena due to the new grandstand.
In the early days (say up to the mid eighties) crowds of up to 10,000 were common and you had to get there early to get a seat. Of course the facilities were much better than at most circuits in terms of food etc and the paddock was under cover in the (cattle) stalls.

There was a "New Ingliston" project in the nineties backed by Jackie Stewart for a site further west of Edinburgh. Knockhill objected to the planning permission on the basis that there was no need for two circuits in Scotland. However since they have had the monopoly, the amount of genuine motorsport at KH has gradually been reduced with rallies and sprints in particular being pushed out by price rises that were often more than 10% a year. A bit of competition for the market would have been a good thing.

[Graham Gauld]

Derwent Motorsport

The sinking of New Ingliston circuit was mainly caused by politics. Lothian Regional Council and Edinburgh City Council aided by a local special interest group used the "green belt" argument to scupper the plan even though the circuit was approximately 300 yards from Edinburgh Airport !!!!!! and not by any objection by Knockhill.
My history of Scottish Motor Racing book explains all.

[brakedisc]

It was the Forrestburn project that Knockhill had issues with. The point they made was that public money given to projects ( Forrestburn were looking for grants) should not disadvantage companies already operating in that field. It is my opinon that the team at Knockill have done a great job on a terrible site but that any monopoly is bad for an industry. At a time when two Scottish universities offer motorsport engineering courses it is sad that those freshly qualified have to leave Scotland because of the lack of facilities on which to show their skills.


I understand that safety has moved on in the car racing world but I am sure that within the showground a circuit could be developed using some of the existing track. Motorsport, through stage rallies and bike events, already generates income for the RHASS and I am sure that if a proper plan was put to them utilising the circuit they would be more than interested in the revenue.

[Stephen W]

Originally posted by brakedisc
I am sure that if a proper plan was put to them utilising the circuit they would be more than interested in the revenue.

Therein lies the problem. Once any circuit is up and running and the revenue stream has been established then the grass-roots motorsport (rallies & sprints) will slowly get marginalised by repeated price increases more often than not at many times the rate of inflation. It has happened at so many venues and has seen circuits like Oulton Park, Thruxton and Silverstone (where sprints were regularly held) dropping this form of racing in favour of more profitable events.

Maybe if any central or local government grants were tied to providing the facilities at fixed prices for a specified period, like 20 years, then you would probably find all interest by the landowners would wane.

[Wee-Scamp]

Originally posted by brakedisc
As the posts from our new poster, Wee Scamp, shows, there are some who think that motor racing in Scotland is only about Knockhill. Sadly and to the detriment of the sport this has been the case since Ingliston closed.

You're putting words into my mouth. Actually I would very much like to see at least one additional circuit in Scotland and preferably two - one North and one South of KH...

It may well be that in fact this new circuit near the borders and being proposed by an Irish company turns out to be a good idea because it could attract some of the National ie mainly English series N of the border.

[britishtrident]

Ingliston in spite or perhaps because of its tight confines was tens times the fun to drive Knockhill was, it was a a circuit where a driver with local knowledge & nimble car could humble the visiting star driver. Looking back from almost 25 years since I last drove round Ingliston I suspect the tightness of the circuit perhaps stifled the development of rising Scottish drivers.

The run round Arena up through the Esses to the old Caravan corner to Backstand was probably the most satisfying section of any circuit I have driven --- but the one Ingliston question that stumped me was "the best line through lefthander ? ---

[JtP1]

Originally posted by britishtrident
Ingliston in spite or perhaps because of its tight confines was tens times the fun to drive Knockhill was, it was a a circuit where a driver with local knowledge & nimble car could humble the visiting star driver. Looking back from almost 25 years since I last drove round Ingliston I suspect the tightness of the circuit perhaps stifled the development of rising Scottish drivers.

The run round Arena up through the Esses to the old Caravan corner to Backstand was probably the most satisfying section of any circuit I have driven --- but the one Ingliston question that stumped me was "the best line through lefthander ? ---

The surprising thing is , that Ingliston hardly assisted any top Scottish driver in his career beyond the initial racing. You had to go south and that's where Scottish drivers of the period made their names. There was/is a definate perception among the southerners that only a bunch of yockels raced there and a lot that visited found out they were wrong. Gerry Marshall even warned potential racers in his book and he was one of the regular southern visitors.

As for the run around arena, I reckoned the fun started entering the left hander at race control.

Now as for the best line through the left hander after the hairpin? If you find out, please let me know because I never found it much like most drivers of the track.

[Graham Gauld]

JtP

Quite right Jimmy. Going south to get on in racing has ALWAYS been the case as far as Scottish racing is concerned and there were a number of Scottish drivers who had great promise but not enough serious will to go south. However, there were a number who did and had some good results in England but who are forgotten today. Like Jimmy Mackay from Scrabster who spent every penny trailing his Lotus Eleven from the very north of Scotland to places like Brands Hatch and I believe he held the club circuit class record there for many years. It took him two days to get to Brands and he was not a rich man but he was a determined one. His neighbour but no relation, Ronnie Mackay from nearby Thurso did the same and today he is the Ford dealer there and the most northerly member of the BRDC. These guys roughed it and gave it a go whereas a number of our Scots tended to feel that other people had to throw money at them to make life easy.
I don't think anyone expected to see big time International racing in Scotland but the great thing about Ingliston was that many of the "stars" were prepared to come to Scotland, race and even enjoyed it.
Potentially the best funded project as far as Scotland was concerned was New Ingliston but the project was defeated mainly by local left-wing politics. The amusing thing was that after they had rejected all the plans Lothian Regional Council might have regretted their decision for some time later they went back to Jackie Stewart and offered him the old British Leyland factory site at Bathgate as a possible site for a racing circuit. Now that would have been a thrill !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say the offer was rejected totally out of hand.

[markpde]

A couple of nostalgic reminiscences:

Dougal Niven in either a) a 'Beetle' or b) a 'Skoda' (!) (can't recall which, but neither, anyway...) being overtaken by Bill 'Twiggy' Dryden (my hero, then) in the 'Droopsnoot' SMT Firenza - legend - down into the Hairpin...

And...

An epic 'David and Goliath' encounter between Frank Gardner’s lumbering SCA Camaro and Masahiro Hasemi’s diminutive Datsun Sunny. Within Ingliston’s tight confines, on a soaking wet track, the big Chevy was like a whale in a goldfish pond, whereas Hasemi’s 'wee Datsun' was in its element. Urged on by the crowd, and tastelessly referred to by the local commentator as "Harry Karry", Hasemi closed relentlessly on the Camaro, until Gardner was held up by traffic on the approach to the Hairpin. Hasemi seized his chance and dived down the inside… only to break a steering arm on the corrugated kerb and be forced to retire.

Hasemi went on to be one of the great Japanese race drivers, setting fastest lap in the Kojima in the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji*

*well, maybe...

http://forums.autosp...threadid=104498

[Iain Nicolson]

Mistron, I've just joined the forum and was intrigued by your post about Ingliston. I've had some of my old Ingliston photos up on the web for several years now and I've just re-done my website to make it a bit better looking than the original lash-up! And by co-incidence I've just spent the last couple of evenings adding in some recent photos of Ingliston 'today', which are rather similar to yours (although I've managed to substitute the childs buggy for a small car at least!!). So thought you might want to take a look - www.ingliston-circuit.co.uk.
There are quite a few photos of folks who get a mention on this thread!

[brakedisc]

Welcome Ian,

I have enjoyed your site many times and I am looking forward to more pictures from the earlier years.

Ingliston was a great track and will always have fond memories for all who raced there. I cannot get over the crowds in the photographs. Where have they all gone ?

[Mistron]

Me too!

In fact, for many years images 'lifted' from the site featured as my screensaver!

[Iain Nicolson]

Originally posted by Mistron
Me too!

In fact, for many years images 'lifted' from the site featured as my screensaver!

Gosh, glad someone's making use of them! Hopefully I'll get around to digging out some more after Christmas (the attic is not very enticing in the winter....!)

[brakedisc]

Grid shot from 1979. FF Qualification race with a good selection of cars.

[Graham Gauld]

Brakedisk : thanks for placing my son Lance Gauld (78)on the front row of the grid the cheques in the post. For those interested the car is the worlds oldest Lotus 51 with suitably modified nose by the previous owner. Thanks to the late Andrew Fergusson of Lotus we were able to check that it was one of the first Lotus 51s delivered to Jim Russell for his racing school.We sold it to Chris Smith - the new owner of Chevron.

[brakedisc]

Was this the race that Lance had the wheel come off in his hand?

[Graham Gauld]

I honestly don't recall but will get him to have a look at the photo

[Mistron]

One would imagine it's the sort of thing he would remember!

[IanMH]

In the photo of Lance going off at Caravan when the steering wheel came off there is no number on the nose of the car. I think this might be the occasion when the throttle cable snapped on the line. I'm pretty sure the car was the one driven by Martin Simpson, Archie Boyle and Gerald Docherty, and that my friend Archie may have had some hand in running the car for Lance. It turned out that there was no throttle stop fitted to the car and in the excitement Lance may have had a very heavy right foot! Cheers Ian

The 55 car is the unfashionable Hawke DL12 car , ex - Ecurie Ecosse car ( driver Stuart Lawson ?) later driven by fellow Lauriestonian Peter Jamieson and then Archie Boyle.

[brakedisc]

What did you drive Ian?