Birmingham Superprix
Discussion
robm3 said:
lemanslegend said:
It is expensive to run a street racing event nowadays and it would require a new Road Race Bill to run it again.
Also people are becoming environmental friendly and perhaps the Birmingham City Council might worry about breaking their image of being environmental friendly?
Oh what the hell, just do it it on the streets!
Anyone else got any memories or photos from the Birmingham Superprix?
Yep, why would Birmingham Council want to put Birmingham on the map, just let it quietly decay like it has been for the last 25 years....Also people are becoming environmental friendly and perhaps the Birmingham City Council might worry about breaking their image of being environmental friendly?
Oh what the hell, just do it it on the streets!
Anyone else got any memories or photos from the Birmingham Superprix?
But in the Birmingham Road Race Act, it said if it doesn't make money after 5 years, it will cease to exist so unfortunately, the event lost quite a bit of money and the council had no choice but to let it disappear as they couldn't use taxpayers' money to pay for it and they want the event to be funded privately but no-one was interested at the time...
dougc said:
You utter b
d for posting that Veloce link. I've been avoiding that site for months.
<preparescreditcardforabuse>
Heh, there are other motoring websites you can have a look in:d for posting that Veloce link. I've been avoiding that site for months.<preparescreditcardforabuse>
http://www.chaters.co.uk/book_details.cfm/bks_id/8...
http://www.transportbookshop.co.uk/superprix--the-...
http://www.motorbooks.co.uk/notes.asp?bookid=92349
http://www.hortonsbooks.co.uk/
The books quite good.
I've drawn the circuit on Google maps as, until I got the book, I had trouble working out where it actually went;
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en...
I've drawn the circuit on Google maps as, until I got the book, I had trouble working out where it actually went;
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en...
hairykrishna said:
The books quite good.
I've drawn the circuit on Google maps as, until I got the book, I had trouble working out where it actually went;
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en...
Thanks HairykrishanI've drawn the circuit on Google maps as, until I got the book, I had trouble working out where it actually went;
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en...
If anybody has rFactor for the PC you can download the track here
http://www.rfactorcentral.com/detail.cfm?ID=Birmin...
We have raced this track a few times in the PH league and its always good fun, although im not sure if the layout is entirely accurate.
Unfortunately I never went to the races in person.
http://www.rfactorcentral.com/detail.cfm?ID=Birmin...
We have raced this track a few times in the PH league and its always good fun, although im not sure if the layout is entirely accurate.
Unfortunately I never went to the races in person.
robm3 said:
Yep, why would Birmingham Council want to put Birmingham on the map, just let it quietly decay like it has been for the last 25 years....
Haha! When was the last time you went to Birmingham? In the last 25 years, well, certainly the last 15 years, Birmingham has been massively redeveloped.lemanslegend said:
The Birmingham Superprix book is out now:
Have a look for a small preview of the book (look in the PDF icon)
http://www.veloce.co.uk/shop/products/productDetai...
Hopefully this will appeal to people who went to the street event and share some memories in this thread!
Having grown up in the area (my parents still live locally), I bought my old man this book a couple of months ago. We're staying with them at the moment and I idly picked it up yesterday. What a book! I couldn't put it down until I'd got to the end. I have a few memories of the events but didn't know the all the background behind the event.Have a look for a small preview of the book (look in the PDF icon)
http://www.veloce.co.uk/shop/products/productDetai...
Hopefully this will appeal to people who went to the street event and share some memories in this thread!
Well worth buying - a big thumbs up from me.
SystemParanoia said:
Just wondering if anyone knows the answer to this really,
What council department would be involved in invoking the "birmingham city council act 1985" today ( not that it will ever happen lol )
And also, anyone know how to lay eyes on this act so I can have a read!
Today, the race would most likely be pushed by Tourism and Enterprise departments and managed by Highways but the appeal for a change to legislation would have to be made at cabinet level.What council department would be involved in invoking the "birmingham city council act 1985" today ( not that it will ever happen lol )
And also, anyone know how to lay eyes on this act so I can have a read!
The real fun is in determining the routes as since the original Superprix, designation of highway responsibility has changed with some falling under the control of the Highways Agency (normally, the larger, arterial roads) and the rest coming under the control of BCC.
In short, you would today need to have the highest level of inter-departmental agreement across not just the council, but other agencies as well.
The act itself is part of the Road Traffic Act 1988:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/conten...
voicey said:
lemanslegend said:
The Birmingham Superprix book is out now:
Have a look for a small preview of the book (look in the PDF icon)
http://www.veloce.co.uk/shop/products/productDetai...
Hopefully this will appeal to people who went to the street event and share some memories in this thread!
Having grown up in the area (my parents still live locally), I bought my old man this book a couple of months ago. We're staying with them at the moment and I idly picked it up yesterday. What a book! I couldn't put it down until I'd got to the end. I have a few memories of the events but didn't know the all the background behind the event.Have a look for a small preview of the book (look in the PDF icon)
http://www.veloce.co.uk/shop/products/productDetai...
Hopefully this will appeal to people who went to the street event and share some memories in this thread!
Well worth buying - a big thumbs up from me.
Did you know there was a TVR demonstration at the Superprix? It took place either just before or after the Tuscan race in 1990. I'd just got my supercharged 350SX so I got in. Pace car driver had something to prove so we got up to good old speed, especially as the touring cars had laid a lot of rubber down...
It's the only time I've driven the wrong way down an urban dual carriageway at a very high speed with a policeman waving me on!!!
It's the only time I've driven the wrong way down an urban dual carriageway at a very high speed with a policeman waving me on!!!
Edited by Jasper Gilder on Saturday 18th December 16:45
It was a great event which evolved from the 'On The Streets' events which were originally promoted by Martin Hone.
It was realised that the roads around Birmingham city centre would make a good race circuit with the end result being the Super Prix itself. Sadly Martin Hone was more or less excluded from the Super Prix itself for reasons that i cant remember although i'm sure other people will know why that happened.
The 'On The Streets' events were extremely fun filled days. I remember that the cars were parked in the Birmingham fruit market & i have many dozens of photo's of the cars as they were parked & being demo'd on the streets.
I also demo'd cars myself on the circuit & i vividly recall one of the driver briefing's in which the drivers were told, simply, that as we were just demonstrating the cars we were not to treat the event as a race.
Unfortunately, or fortunately depending upon your point of view, one of the drivers was a certain Mr Alan Jones who was driving a Williams FW07.
I think that he must have missed the drivers briefing, or no one told him, because at the start of his demo run he simply wound up the revs & dumped the clutch.....
From memory i think that the likes of Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss, Fangio & even Carlos Reutemann, demo'd cars over the years so it was a well supported event.
Sadly the Super Prix never made any money & think that in the end the costs got too high to justify however as a local & as a staunch supporter of the event i think that the Council should have had the balls to continue with the event.
Who knows - it might one day have attracted F1. Wouldnt that have been good to see?
Great fun & happy days. Even in the rain!
It was realised that the roads around Birmingham city centre would make a good race circuit with the end result being the Super Prix itself. Sadly Martin Hone was more or less excluded from the Super Prix itself for reasons that i cant remember although i'm sure other people will know why that happened.
The 'On The Streets' events were extremely fun filled days. I remember that the cars were parked in the Birmingham fruit market & i have many dozens of photo's of the cars as they were parked & being demo'd on the streets.
I also demo'd cars myself on the circuit & i vividly recall one of the driver briefing's in which the drivers were told, simply, that as we were just demonstrating the cars we were not to treat the event as a race.
Unfortunately, or fortunately depending upon your point of view, one of the drivers was a certain Mr Alan Jones who was driving a Williams FW07.
I think that he must have missed the drivers briefing, or no one told him, because at the start of his demo run he simply wound up the revs & dumped the clutch.....
From memory i think that the likes of Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss, Fangio & even Carlos Reutemann, demo'd cars over the years so it was a well supported event.
Sadly the Super Prix never made any money & think that in the end the costs got too high to justify however as a local & as a staunch supporter of the event i think that the Council should have had the balls to continue with the event.
Who knows - it might one day have attracted F1. Wouldnt that have been good to see?
Great fun & happy days. Even in the rain!
Thank you to Jasper and fatboy69. That was very informative!
Do you have any photos from the Super Prix and the Motoring Festival?
It is funny to see Alan Jones doing that and it did say in some magazines that some drivers were tempted to lay some rubber around the streets of Birmingham!
Do you have any photos from the Super Prix and the Motoring Festival?
It is funny to see Alan Jones doing that and it did say in some magazines that some drivers were tempted to lay some rubber around the streets of Birmingham!
Jasper Gilder said:
Did you know there was a TVR demonstration at the Superprix? It took place either just before or after the Tuscan race in 1990. I'd just got my supercharged 350SX so I got in. Pace car driver had something to prove so we got up to good old speed, especially as the touring cars had laid a lot of rubber down...
It's the only time I've driven the wrong way down an urban dual carriageway at a very high speed with a policeman waving me on!!!
Yep remember that well, I was there in my M, might have to go in the loft now to see if I have any photos.It's the only time I've driven the wrong way down an urban dual carriageway at a very high speed with a policeman waving me on!!!
Edited by Jasper Gilder on Saturday 18th December 16:45
groomi said:
robm3 said:
Yep, why would Birmingham Council want to put Birmingham on the map, just let it quietly decay like it has been for the last 25 years....
Haha! When was the last time you went to Birmingham? In the last 25 years, well, certainly the last 15 years, Birmingham has been massively redeveloped.
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