22 replies to this topic

[RTH]

Local residents have just won a partial ban on car testing at this venue

http://www.thisisyor...1030118.0.0.php

Planners have reduced the number of days activity can take place, this cannot have been helped by the Richard Hammond jet car crash which attracted so much publicity.

Having just watched a 1963 BRSCC Northern centre film by David Roscoe or a club racing meeting, which was splendid stuff on big expanses of concrete, just re-issued by www.motorfilms.com vol 17 I had not realised that a full circuit was laid out there of a mile and a half of so and that club meetings were regular events.

I wondered just what the history of the place was, what period racing went on there, was it just minor club events , or something more substantial ? I know we have a number of members that live near that neck of the woods who may well have personal experience. When and why did racing there stop ?

Just what does actually go on there now ?

[ian senior]

Originally posted by RTH
Local residents have just won a partial ban on car testing at this venue

http://www.thisisyor...1030118.0.0.php

Planners have reduced the number of days activity can take place, this cannot have been helped by the Richard Hammond jet car crash which attracted so much publicity.

Having just watched a 1963 BRSCC Northern centre film by David Roscoe or a club racing meeting, which was splendid stuff on big expanses of concrete, just re-issued by www.motorfilms.com vol 17 I had not realised that a full circuit was laid out there of a mile and a half of so and that club meetings were regular events.

I wondered just what the history of the place was, what period racing went on there, was it just minor club events , or something more substantial ? I know we have a number of members that live near that neck of the woods who may well have personal experience. When and why did racing there stop ?

Just what does actually go on there now ?

It's nearer to York than Leeds, only about 4 or 5 miles away, to the South East. I went there for the first time in September or October of 1968. It was just straight line sprints or time trials - not sure what you really call that kind of thing, but really a question of "who's quickest over the quarter mile (or whatever the distance was)". In September of 1971, I was there again, for a similar kind of thing, which this time was enlivened by the appearance of some dragsters (including Arnie Sundqvist's bizarre device). I think they were going for record attempts on that occasion.

I was somewhat surprised to learn years later that Elvington had been used for racing - there were no signs that it had ever been a circuit when I was there.

[Dutchy]

Elvington has been used for motorcycle racing for many years.

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by ian senior

I was somewhat surprised to learn years later that Elvington had been used for racing - there were no signs that it had ever been a circuit when I was there.

The runway surface was apparently too abrasive for anything but short car races, which contributed to Elvington's demise.

There is a certain amount of F1 and sports car aero testing done there, but finding out when has always been near-impossible, even a friend who's a pilot could't see when the airfield is closed!

Elvington's about 3-4 miles from York (a couple of miles from my old office) and has a very good air show around August Bank Holiday weekend. It's still used for track days and motorbike events, too.

A very young Adrian Reynard set some motorbike speed records there in 1971... and TV viewers will no doubt be aware that Top Gear's Richard Hammond had his jet-car accident there a few months ago.

[Scuderia SSS]

Elvington has been used recently for quite a few car club timed runs and sprints and a fair few magazine performance day activities.

[ian senior]

Originally posted by petefenelon



A very young Adrian Reynard set some motorbike speed records there in 1971

Ah, to think that might have happened when I was there. I was in the presence of greatness...and also Adrian Reynard.

[amr2]

Up until recently Elvington was used by Maclaren FI team for testing, along with other significant others.

Also, as stated for Trackdays for cars and bikes.

Another northern venue gone down the tube..................

Info could be found on their web site at www.elvington.biz/news

Not sure what will happen after this recent ludicrous decision.....

NIMBY!!!!!!


Andrew

[RS2000]

Still used for the odd sprint (not just straight line) and was used for stage rallies (eg. a stage on Mintex National in 1973, which ran around buildings on roads with kerbs etc. - the sort of thing that frightens the speed event crowd!)

[roger ellis]

Originally posted by RTH
Local residents have just won a partial ban on car testing at this venue



Just what does actually go on there now ?

Well there is the Yorkshire Air Museum...

About 12 years ago, when son Richard decided to see if he could become a failed racing driver like his dad, we turned up at Elvington to throw £100 away in the direction of some "arrive & drive racing school" based there. The "circuit" consisted of a coned off layout on the runway. Instructors on the day were Tim Sugden & Michael Vergers - " Ooh Richard you are going too quickly for me!"

Bollockings & post mortems were held in the museum clubhouse, a fabulously authentic wartime setting, you could just imagine some moustachioed Spitfire jockey walking in and exclaiming - "I say chaps, I've just dropped the bally kite in the briney".

[Stephen W]

Elvington was the scene of a great number of Record attempts and was popular from the 50s for such week-ends. Patsy Burt set many of her UK & European records at Elvington.

Auto 66 have been holding motor bike racing at the venue as well as various layouts for sprints.

Fingers crossed that yet another venue has gone for good!

[RAP]

As far as I know the only car races were an annual BRSCC club meeting held in JUly 1962 and 63.

RAP

[bradbury west]

[i]Originally posted by ian senior [/
I was somewhat surprised to learn years later that Elvington had been used for racing - there were no signs that it had ever been a circuit when I was there. [/B]

Ian, you will be admitting next that you never heard of motor racing at Linton on Ouse, circuit shaped like a keyhole, IIRC.

Roger Lund.

[john aston]

And , of course, we have Melbourne drag strip down the road from Elvington.And Rufforth only about 12 miles NW- a fine circuit which used to host F3 and everything else.A particular treat would be Tony Dean's Porsche 908 annihilating the U2s and FF cars in the Formula Libre curtain closers. Anorak alert - I still have the programme from the 1971 world record weekend- sponsored by Chandy ISTR. Recall Reynard, Sundquist and David Hepworth in his hill climb weapon.

Still lots of track days at Elvington- and the Yokshire Air Museum is superb to visit.Highly recommended.

[JSF]

It's also a designated emergency landing site for the space shuttle due to it's runway length. I bet that would wake the NIMBY's up.

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by bradbury west


Ian, you will be admitting next that you never heard of motor racing at Linton on Ouse, circuit shaped like a keyhole, IIRC.

Roger Lund.

Or Full Sutton.;)

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by roger ellis

Bollockings & post mortems were held in the museum clubhouse, a fabulously authentic wartime setting, you could just imagine some moustachioed Spitfire jockey walking in and exclaiming - "I say chaps, I've just dropped the bally kite in the briney".

Much more likely to be a Lancaster pilot, possibly Canadian (although most of them were further North, Croft was home to quite a lot of Canadian squadrons...)

[simonlewisbooks]

Originally posted by JSF
It's also a designated emergency landing site for the space shuttle due to it's runway length. I bet that would wake the NIMBY's up.

The NIMBY brigade would probably be OK with the shuttle actually landing as it glides in with no engine noise.... but imagine the fuss when the 747 arrives to take it back to Florida !

[TonyCotton]

There's a fascinating account of a successful record attempt at Elvington in his Terrapin by Allan Staniforth c1967 in his book "High Speed Low Cost".

[RTH]

Originally posted by simonlewisbooks


The NIMBY brigade would probably be OK with the shuttle actually landing as it glides in with no engine noise.... but imagine the fuss when the 747 arrives to take it back to Florida !

What like this you mean ?



I took this photo from my garden here in June 1983 when the shuttle visited Stansted

[simonlewisbooks]

Originally posted by RTH


What like this you mean ?



I took this photo from my garden here in June 1983 when the shuttle visited Stansted

Thats the one Richard ! I had forgotten it ever visited these shores. Imagine them whinge when thet takes off accompanied by half a dozen fighter escorts....

As someone who posted a comment on that news website says; perhaps if they get the airfield closed completely it will end up as an open prison or a camp for asylum seekers and the NIMBYs will have some new 'cause' to occupy their dreary lives ?

[JSF]

Originally posted by simonlewisbooks


The NIMBY brigade would probably be OK with the shuttle actually landing as it glides in with no engine noise.... but imagine the fuss when the 747 arrives to take it back to Florida !

Dont forget it goes through the sound barrier shortly before landing.;) Imagine them coming to complain to be met by a hairy marine politely sugesting they go home.

[Paul Rochdale]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Stephen W
[B]Elvington was the scene of a great number of Record attempts and was popular from the 50s for such week-ends. Patsy Burt set many of her UK & European records at Elvington.

....and not forgetting George Brown's record breaking rides on 'Nero' and 'Super Nero' too.

[bradbury west]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Paul Rochdale
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Stephen W
[B]Elvington was ..........................
....and not forgetting George Brown's record breaking rides on 'Nero' and 'Super Nero' too. [/QUOTE]

For those not familiar with those names, Nero was a highly developed 1,000cc Vincent sprint m.bike and Super Nero was the same but with, IIRC a, Shorrock?, blower on it.

Inevitably they were the dream machines for Jenks, calling them "Men's Bikes" IIRC, or some other apt soubriquet. Just the sort of thing about which he would rave in MS, just as he did when the American dragster guys came over here . He saw the likes of Ronnie Sox and Dante Duce at Blackbushe. They came north and ran IIRC at Elvington. Wherever it was I saw them. This was, of course in the early 1960s. Must look it up in MS.

Roger Lund