UK Street circuits?
Discussion
I was wondering if there are currently any races held on Street Circuits in the UK? I've done a search but all I can seem to find is Street Racing / Cruising websites.
I do enjoy seeing street circuits and I was wondering if there are any currently or when the last one was. Surely there must be some cities/towns which are suitable for it in the UK?
I do enjoy seeing street circuits and I was wondering if there are any currently or when the last one was. Surely there must be some cities/towns which are suitable for it in the UK?
Britcar have tried to get a street race of the ground for the last couple of years, i think, but haven't yet managed it. IIRC their proposal was for a circuit somewhere near/ around the Reading football stadium area. Might be wrong, though. A few years ago there was also a rumour of a F3 "street race" in the area around the Manchester City football ground & Bernie Ecclestone routinely tries to stir things upwith rumours of a London stret circuit as "home" for the British GP.
There have been a few street demonstrations but apart from the F3000 Birmingham "Superprix" in the mid 80s nothing else has happened.
There have been a few street demonstrations but apart from the F3000 Birmingham "Superprix" in the mid 80s nothing else has happened.
Ah, that'd be why I don't remember any, I was only 5 when they stopped it!
It would be nice to see another one again, it would be a nightmare but a race in London possibly using part of the embankment would be amazing! Not sure it would be good as the "home" of the British grand prix but maybe as the European one.
It would be nice to see another one again, it would be a nightmare but a race in London possibly using part of the embankment would be amazing! Not sure it would be good as the "home" of the British grand prix but maybe as the European one.
Edited by Paul 8v on Monday 13th July 14:07
The problem is in this country, even if you close the roads and put barriers up, and the locals approve of the noise (ok so already we are on shakey ground but bear with me) and you have got the vast amount of money to fund the event you have the small problem of the road traffic act. This still applies even when the roads are closed and to get the road traffic act suspended on a particular road or collection of roads involves an act of parliment which would be nigh on impossible to get as it requires agreements from everyone in the constituency and parliment and I believe, possibly even the house of lords.
I spent a good 18months on plans for a street race for Britcar but ultimately we were stymied by the venue not being deemed suitable by the MSA. The MSA have understandably strict guidelines to follow for new or temporary circuits so there is actually not that many places you could put a track in modern UK without so much investment into the roads and infrastructure to make the event financially non viable.
I spent a good 18months on plans for a street race for Britcar but ultimately we were stymied by the venue not being deemed suitable by the MSA. The MSA have understandably strict guidelines to follow for new or temporary circuits so there is actually not that many places you could put a track in modern UK without so much investment into the roads and infrastructure to make the event financially non viable.
Blimey, quite a few in Ireland then! Might have to give that a look since it''s so cheap to fly there (Flew for free last time I went)
Shame there's so many rules and regulations when other countries seem to welcome it, couldn't this country do with a bit of revenue bought into it? Would be a great way of promoting the britcar too
Shame there's so many rules and regulations when other countries seem to welcome it, couldn't this country do with a bit of revenue bought into it? Would be a great way of promoting the britcar too
Ralying seems to have slightly more success in getting public roads closed eg the Jim Clark rally in Scotland & the Isle of Man obviously has a similar attitude to this issues to Ireland.
Britcar David, does that mean that the Britcar street race idea is canned for good? Would it be possible to race in Birmingham again? I believe the act of Parliament allowing racing there is still on the statute book.
Britcar David, does that mean that the Britcar street race idea is canned for good? Would it be possible to race in Birmingham again? I believe the act of Parliament allowing racing there is still on the statute book.
Gladly stand corrected on this as i'm not 100% sure but i think Birmingham is the only place in GB that still has some sort of licence (or ability to re-apply for a licence)to hold a street race.
Again not 100% but i think the Superprix idea was resurrected a couple of years ago.
However i think the main hurdles that prevented resurrection were that the only realistic option was to re-apply for the existing licence which was very specific to the original layout. Although the layout still existed it was in a part of town that didn't show off Birmingham to it's best (look forward to the quips about where in Birmingham actually can). Additionally Birmingham's links with the motor industry had massively diminshed since the first runnings of the super prix.
I can't recall how Birmingham initially obtained a licence but i think it was a long and arduous process. In short i think it basically required a change in the law to be able to do it and when the change in the law came and the licence granted it was very specific to Birmingham, the track layout in question and i think even the number of days it could run?
Outside of this and again from memory i think the whole problem surrounding UK street circuits stemmed from the 1955 Le Mans disaster?
IIRC Switzerland banned motorsports altogether whilst the UK banned any form of street circuit but permitted racing at permanent facilities such as Silverstone?
Again not 100% but i think the Superprix idea was resurrected a couple of years ago.
However i think the main hurdles that prevented resurrection were that the only realistic option was to re-apply for the existing licence which was very specific to the original layout. Although the layout still existed it was in a part of town that didn't show off Birmingham to it's best (look forward to the quips about where in Birmingham actually can). Additionally Birmingham's links with the motor industry had massively diminshed since the first runnings of the super prix.
I can't recall how Birmingham initially obtained a licence but i think it was a long and arduous process. In short i think it basically required a change in the law to be able to do it and when the change in the law came and the licence granted it was very specific to Birmingham, the track layout in question and i think even the number of days it could run?
Outside of this and again from memory i think the whole problem surrounding UK street circuits stemmed from the 1955 Le Mans disaster?
IIRC Switzerland banned motorsports altogether whilst the UK banned any form of street circuit but permitted racing at permanent facilities such as Silverstone?
Following on from (Britcar) David's point, I'm not sure, even if the MSA approved a particular site, that any club in the UK could afford to run a meeting on a temporary street circuit anymore.
As David will testify, brave as it was to look at running the Britcar race there were alot of additional costs that are usually 'hidden' when hiring a circuit.
If there were ever to be a street circuit race, I'm sure only F1 could afford to host it.
As David will testify, brave as it was to look at running the Britcar race there were alot of additional costs that are usually 'hidden' when hiring a circuit.
If there were ever to be a street circuit race, I'm sure only F1 could afford to host it.
DIW35 said:
Does the Isle of Man TT count? Just wondered in case, what with it's own governing body, it's not considered as part of the UK.
The IOM, along with the Channel Islands have a complicated relationship with the UK, but none of them are part of the UK. Their status is similar to places like the Falklands Islands and the British Virgin Islands.SamHH said:
DIW35 said:
Does the Isle of Man TT count? Just wondered in case, what with it's own governing body, it's not consideredhttp://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/post.asp?h=0&f=42&t=719418&r=11848917&m=quoteReply&mid=44701 as part of the UK.
The IOM, along with the Channel Islands have a complicated relationship with the UK, but none of them are part of the UK. Their status is similar to places like the Falklands Islands and the British Virgin Islands.I get the feeling that if the IOM was fully fledged into the UK then the TT may have been dropped from the calendar or seriously altered years ago.
I love our country but the powers at be are just too meddlesome in the name of protecting us from ourselves.
onemorelap said:
I can't recall how Birmingham initially obtained a licence but i think it was a long and arduous process. In short i think it basically required a change in the law to be able to do it and when the change in the law came and the licence granted it was very specific to Birmingham, the track layout in question and i think even the number of days it could run?
The Birmingham Superprix was sponsored by Halfords. The chairman of Halfords at the time was one Dennis Thatcher - who for those of younger years, was the husband of Margaret.Anybody else see the A1GP demo in Manchester? That was highly impressive. The logistics (and subsequent reprecussions for the public) are epic though aren't they? We were in Vancouver when they were setting up for the Champ Car race there and they'd lost half of downtown! However, I would sell my mum to see some powerful single seaters racing on the streets in this country.
As an aside, Madeira Drive in Brighton - isn't it public road? I'm sure I remember driving down there a few years ago. How do the speed trials get away with it?
As an aside, Madeira Drive in Brighton - isn't it public road? I'm sure I remember driving down there a few years ago. How do the speed trials get away with it?
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