Stock car racing: The good old days

[Milkyway]

I can remember my brother had a few ‘inter magazine’ races;
A F1 @ Northampton... not bad for a white top.
The funniest one was at Aldershot, for a banger race.
The car was prepared for him, but he didn’t know what it was until he arrived at the track.
Most had big Rovers, Jags etc & meant business...His was a Hillman Minx.
(The look on his face was priceless, but went well though)
https://images.app.goo.gl/gSsahBCHrKyCSHz66

Edited by Milkyway on Sunday 28th November 12:23

[Milkyway]

Bit embarrassed really... my ex missus competed in a ladies banger race.
Used to know a couple of Banger Racing brothers who used to try & push each other across red lights.... Just for a bit of fun you understand.


My Dad used to build Superstox in the 60’s / early 70’s...but I was a mere pup then. His old Fiat Topolino was used for the body.
I Can just remember a race on the Indy Circuit @ Brands Hatch.
( As opposed to the oval)

Edited by Milkyway on Sunday 28th November 15:46

[33q]

As a young child in the early sixties we often went to Long Eaton. I loved it. I remember the name of one driver 'Bozzy'. According to my Mum he went to prison - Leicester. As we passed the prison on the way to see friends we used to remark 'that's where 'Bozzy' is'!

And another driver - Martin Ball - I still see him. He's now into vintage tractors.

Went back to long Eaton in the mid seventies after I had a car myself. Still enjoyed it but I think it closed soon after.

[motco]

I and a few chums and their 'ladies' used to go to Harringay Stadium in the mid 1960s. All the cars were lorry chassis chopped and altered with big old American V8s mounted aboard inside road car bodies mounted on the old chassis. All bar one chap who had a 3.8 litre Jaguar XK engine which you could hear over the thudding of the V8s. Good fun for an occasional evening and only a trip around the North Circular from Hangar Lane to get there.

[LukeBrown66]

Long Eaton closed in 97, was a very active track until then, is now a housing estate.

Sadly on this thread all you read is "used to go"

And that is the sad part of all of this, it is still the closest, most easy to follow motorsport around, but noone really knows about it anymore.

[Milkyway]

LukeBrown66 said:

Long Eaton closed in 97, was a very active track until then, is now a housing estate.

Sadly on this thread all you read is "used to go"

And that is the sad part of all of this, it is still the closest, most easy to follow motorsport around, but noone really knows about it anymore.

When Wimbledon closed, I heard rumours that the lorries & coaches were not allowed in the area....which would have made things a bit difficult.
But agree... it is entertainment for ALL of the family.

[Ardennes92]

Lived on “the chase” so in the 60s & 70s my local venue was Hednesford Raceway, moved away but think it is still going strong; always a good family day out. Worked in Crewe for awhile which also had a stadium but think that may be a retail park now.

[Milkyway]

Just Googled ‘defunct stock car tracks’.
Crikey...there was loads that I’d never heard of.

Another FB page that is interesting;
remembering the old Aldershot raceway.

Edited by Milkyway on Sunday 28th November 18:39

[RWJ]

My folks used to take me to Brafield (Northampton) in the later 1950s (when I was very small!). Aubrey Layton (from nearby Earls Barton) was the "world champion".

We stopped going in 1959 when they concreted the track. Not quite as lively, for a 7-year-old.

On an Easter 1987 visit, I watched Stu Smith carve through the mayhem from last to first in not many laps -- most impressive exhibition of driving I've seen.

My last stock car race was Coventry Brandon Stadium's last night.

Maybe it was the childhood experience of hearing those big motors that helped incline me to drag racing.

[Milkyway]

The Big Three... Barry ‘Leapy’ Lee, George ‘The Driver’ Polley & Mick ‘Duffy’ Collard... RIP. ‘Duffy’
All great drivers & great characters.

Barry... Immaculate cars & a showman.
George... In his purple Anglia,
Mick... He was just naughty.
(OK from the South... so a little bit bias)

Edited by Milkyway on Sunday 28th November 18:51

[Andy 308GTB]

Milkyway said:

The Big Three... Barry ‘Leapy’ Lee, George ‘The Driver’ Polley & Mick ‘Duffy’ Collard... RIP. ‘Duffy’
All great drivers & great characters.

Barry... Immaculate cars & a showman.
George... In his purple Anglia,
Mick... He was just naughty.
(OK from the South... so a little bit bias)

I recall seeing Polley Motorsport cars at the Arena Essex prior to the circuit closing. I didn't realise it was such a sizeable concern: https://www.polleysport.com/

[LukeBrown66]

Wimbedon was sold to Galliard homes, the scourge of London, they built hoes on there and also a new Plough Lane for the new Wimbledon football team, footy grounds never seem to find it difficult to get built eh. And yes driving there in older trucks and buses roved tricky as the charging reset at midnight too.

Brafield is still around, been turned over to shale now though. Hednesford around too.

The Polley name is now defunct from hot Rods, but son Dave is a top F2 stock car racer and has kids etc who are just starting out.

Coventry is still there, but derelict owned by a building company who are waiting for the locals and councils tog et sick of the site before allowing them to build houses on it, they have tried already but been knocked back, but very tough now to get the track back running, but it did happen at Bradford, despite the rugby league and other tenants taking all the fences and stuff away.

[smifffymoto]

Stock cars at Crewe stadium and Coventry. Bangers and Bombers at High Edge

[ARHarh]

Remember watching Derek Warwick race with speedworth, wonder what happened to him https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Warwick

I Mick collard was big in skip hire round Aldershot when i was growing up, did he used to run the scrap yard at Blackbush as well, always remeber lots of bangers starting out in the Blackbush yard and ending up on top of the pile after a few races. His son Rob now runs the skips, he may be quite well known as well

[LukeBrown66]

Crewew went in the early 90's, Cov is derelict, Buxton is still around, as for Collards, Duffy died a few years ago, Rob and various others have raced short ovals for years but only non contact stuff, he saves the contact for touring cars

[andy97]

Ardennes92 said:

Lived on “the chase” so in the 60s & 70s my local venue was Hednesford Raceway, moved away but think it is still going strong; always a good family day out. Worked in Crewe for awhile which also had a stadium but think that may be a retail park now.

Yes, Hednesford still going, as is Buxton (High Peak?), Kings Lynn, Swaffham.

[andy97]

Milkyway said:

The Big Three... Barry ‘Leapy’ Lee, George ‘The Driver’ Polley & Mick ‘Duffy’ Collard... RIP. ‘Duffy’
All great drivers & great characters.

Barry... Immaculate cars & a showman.
George... In his purple Anglia,
Mick... He was just naughty.
(OK from the South... so a little bit bias)

Edited by Milkyway on Sunday 28th November 18:51

I did some work with Barry Lee a couple of years ago (Supercar experience instructing stuff) and he is still a showman, well, mad as a box of frogs actually!

[av185]

Wacky Racer said:

Belle Vue, Manchester in the 70's..... Stuart Smith 391, Frankie Wainman 212, Willie Harrison.

I bought my first car off Stuart Smiths father in Rochdale. My father advised me not too but I went ahead and bought it anyway, as you do. :

Used to walk past it every day after getting off the bus from school.

A Vauxhall Victor.

[LukeBrown66]

Stuart Smith died many years ago sadly, not a shock as he liked a beer! HIs sons are both multiple F1 world champions, Andy had a period of domination in the 00's and Stuart (Who now runs the business in Rochdale after Andy moved away)won it a few times before having to retire on health grounds after a nasty incident a couple of years ago, he has also built some new metal replicas of his Dads cars.

[Wacky Racer]

av185 said:

Wacky Racer said:

Belle Vue, Manchester in the 70's..... Stuart Smith 391, Frankie Wainman 212, Willie Harrison.

I bought my first car off Stuart Smiths father in Rochdale. My father advised me not too but I went ahead and bought it anyway, as you do. :

Used to walk past it every day after getting off the bus from school.

A Vauxhall Victor.

My first car a maroon Vauxhall Victor MDB 932F with a front bench seat, 3 speed column change and 1800cc OHC.

I can smell the beige ambla upholstery even now.