Silverstone

Glancing through the thread, so apologies if I’ve missed it, No one has mentioned the Motorcycling circuit at East Fortune.

The circuit uses sections of 2 runways and perimeter route. It’s adjacent to, though seperately owned from the Museum of Flight.

Well, I’ll put in a mention for Kabrit, where I had the dubious pleasure of watching the 1952 Kabrit Grand Prix. This event whetted my appetite for GP racing, nearly as big an obsession as old aircraft.

I had a wander around North Witham a while ago and had, what I think were, rally cars for company. I also seem to remember a Karting track at Kimbolton airfield.

Andy

On the subject of motor sport at airfields there is Santa Pod drag strip aka ex RAF Podington in Northants I think.

Yes and it was used by the 8th Air Force from 1942. They usually have a flypast of some sort at the big FIA events. Here’s the BBMF dakota from a few years back.

I believe that the former Heathfield Aerodrome, which later expanded as Prestwick Airport, was used for some sprint meetings in the 1950s.

I have not heard of any racing at Wittering.

I am sure that someone has already mentioned Debden but rereading this thread reminded me that the 1968 Debden Air Fair included a motorcycle sprint with an appearance by Alf Hagon and also Marlene Parker on the works Lambretta sprinter – she was well known for record breaking on Lambrettas – as well as an appearance by Spitifres and Buchons from the Battle of Britain film which has already been covered in another thread. I had to pester the life out of my dad for weeks to get him to take me.

RAF Honiley, south west of Coventry, was the Girling test track, and is now used by Prodrive.

There was an aero engine test cell there as well, which was a great place for a young Lucas Aerospace student apprentice to disappear to years ago…

Richard

To add to the list, Wymeswold near Loughborough is used regularly for track days (although is the constant target of complaints from local nimbys), and Manby near Louth is also used for similar activities.

And there’s even more historical stuff on RAF Silverstone here 😮

RAF Silverstone – from Wikipedia

Information about RAF Silverstone here. Was a Wellington bomber base during WW2 apparently

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Silverstone

Silverstone

Haddenhan, RAF Thame was a motorcycle race track for a short while in the late 40’s early 50’s.

Dave

Thanks Dave – see http://www.haddenhamairfieldhistory.co.uk/motorcycles.htm

Peter

There was aleast one motorcycle meeting at Biggin Hill. i was there but I don’t remember the date (1960-ish), only the sound of Manx Nortons, G5 Matchless’s, BSA Gold Stars and 7R AJSs.

I love the smell of Castrol R in the morning…smells like……racing.!

Rod.

PS I also went, as a schoolboy, to the first meeting run on the long track at Brands Hatch.

And Shakespeare County Raceway, Long Marston airfield.
Davidstow Moor was a Formula 1 track immediately post-war, and Pembrey and Llandow both have racing circuits on them.
The aforementioned MIRA test-site is the old RAF Nuneaton.

A few old airfields seem to hold small informal race and rally meets, understandably really

York Raceway, RAF Melbourne. Still drag racing there…

I don’t know if it’s already been mentioned but let’s not forget Station 109 Podington in Bedfordshire.

Once home to 92BG, 100BG, and 301BG of the US 8th AF, and current home to Santa Pod Raceway.

Link for further info:
http://www.podlook.co.uk/history.html

Anyone mention Blyton?

I went here for a trial many years ago and it was obviously an old airfield.
You can make out the old runways in the map in this link – http://www.motorsport-central.co.uk/blyton_63.html

RAF Blyton
Opened: Nov 1942
Closed: 1954

Squadrons based here:
199 Sqn :: Nov 1942 – Feb 1943
1662 HCU :: 26 Jan 1943 – 1945
18 (Polish) Op Training Unit :: ??
1481 Bomber Gunnery Flt :: ??
7 Aircrew Holding :: ??

Airfield Code: X4BL

RAF Blyton opened as a heavy bomber station in Nov 1942 with 199 Sqn. Within months the role of the station changed, 199 Sqn departed and 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit was resident for the rest of the war at the training base.

Subsequently there were many crashes in the farmland around the airfield which became quite unpopular.

http://www.raf-lincolnshire.info/blyton/blyton.htm

did anyone mention Castle Coombe?

The family that own and farm Dunholme Lodge has undertaken a lot of research into the site’s aviation and motor racing history!

Croft is still, of course, used for aircraft movements though they use a grass strip adjacent to the old Wellington/Whitley runway. They were this site’s sort of aircraft when I was up there in 2009 – a Cessna 120 G-AKVM and a Bolkow 208C, G-ATUI.