Ingliston circuit,anybody remember it from 60s-70s
Discussion
61GT said:
Get Karter said:
61GT said:
Motor Sport magazine did a very good article on the circuit a few months ago, well worth getting hold of a copy.
Could you let us know which issue it was?Quite fancy getting hold of that myself.
ETA I vaguely remember going there around 1972/3
Edited by Get Karter on Friday 24th September 16:32
Rockatansky said:
I was a regular spectator at Ingliston in the 80's, and a marshal there for a season as well.
Caravan was my favoured viewing point.
Somewhere in my parent's loft is a stack of programmes, and (god knows where) I have rolls and rolls of b&w negs.
My memories consist mainly of Dougal Niven, Ian Forrest, Stan the Clan, David Leslie.
I also remember motorbike races there, and at least one fatality at the esses
If you think it's not suitable for car racing by today's standards, it's millions of miles away from safe for bikes.
Caravan, the right-hander after the esses was also our favoured viewing spot. Looking back there was nothing to protect spectators should a car get launched head-on over the triple layer armco as they approached the braking area for the right-hander. I'm pretty sure in the early 80s that spectating on the outside at Caravan was stopped altogether because of this very risk. Caravan was my favoured viewing point.
Somewhere in my parent's loft is a stack of programmes, and (god knows where) I have rolls and rolls of b&w negs.
My memories consist mainly of Dougal Niven, Ian Forrest, Stan the Clan, David Leslie.
I also remember motorbike races there, and at least one fatality at the esses
If you think it's not suitable for car racing by today's standards, it's millions of miles away from safe for bikes.
Edited by 61GT on Saturday 25th September 21:49
Edited by 61GT on Saturday 25th September 21:50
61GT said:
Caravan, the right-hander after the esses was also our favoured viewing spot. Looking back there was nothing to protect spectators should a car get launched head-on over the triple layer armco as they approached the braking area for the right-hander. I'm pretty sure in the early 80s that spectating on the outside at Caravan was stopped altogether because of this very risk.
I was spectating at the corner after Caravan, Southside IIRC, in the early 90s when a Nova managed to jump the armco and arrive amongst rapidly scattering punters. It was a pretty quiet Sunday SMRC meet, and so nobody ended-up with a Vauxhall hat.Regarding the laid-back atmosphere and accessible paddock during SMRC meets, a trackday mate and I went to talk to some of the 2CV(!) racers as we were looking for an affordable route into motorsport. Much talk of using Dyane gearboxes to squeeze as much performance out of the Deux Cheveaux as possible. In the end we bought a kart and committed financial suicide in one fun but eye-wateringly expensive season of club karting.
villageidiot said:
God that takes me back. In the mid 80s, I was press-ganged into being a marshall at Ingliston and ended up doing the track crossing - remember the MacRobert pavilion where the prawn sandwiches were served - well I had to stop the crowds(?) from stepping on to the track during the races.
Caravan was an outstanding corner, 90 degree right hander that everyone came a cropper at. I remember Noel Edmonds in his Vauxhall Firenza trying hard to get round there. Tom Brown in his six wheeled kart, Kenny Allen's Clan Crusader, Ian Forrest and his Imp, Eddie "Beer Can" and his Skoda. Umpteen Formula Ford 1600s all trying to get round the first corner in the lead. All good stuff. Trouble was that the circuit was too tight and too small to allow much overtaking but with the track being about 6 feet from the grandstand, you certainly got all the noise and the atmosphere.
The best laugh was the final race of the final meeting of the season where it was an "open" class, roughly translated as anything goes. The divers had all winter to put their cars back together and faced several months without any racing so there were some mighty interesting moments. The racing soon outgrew the circuit and it was a natural progression to Knockhill. But I'll never forget the frantic spannering of broken cars in amongst the cattle stalls and pig byres.
Caravan was an outstanding corner, 90 degree right hander that everyone came a cropper at. I remember Noel Edmonds in his Vauxhall Firenza trying hard to get round there. Tom Brown in his six wheeled kart, Kenny Allen's Clan Crusader, Ian Forrest and his Imp, Eddie "Beer Can" and his Skoda. Umpteen Formula Ford 1600s all trying to get round the first corner in the lead. All good stuff. Trouble was that the circuit was too tight and too small to allow much overtaking but with the track being about 6 feet from the grandstand, you certainly got all the noise and the atmosphere.
The best laugh was the final race of the final meeting of the season where it was an "open" class, roughly translated as anything goes. The divers had all winter to put their cars back together and faced several months without any racing so there were some mighty interesting moments. The racing soon outgrew the circuit and it was a natural progression to Knockhill. But I'll never forget the frantic spannering of broken cars in amongst the cattle stalls and pig byres.
I used to go there often . Had one race in a Riley Brooklands and one sprint in my Dutton when I ended up in the armco .... It was a great spectator circuit when the grandstand was there . A Scottish version on Monaco ( in that it was all between armco)!!
Also remember an F40 doing demo laps and the driver having a fright as the boost cut in mid corner coming round Arena (corner with the start/finish line ??)
Also remember watching a stage of the RAC there in the late 80's when the group B rally cars were running .
Also remember an F40 doing demo laps and the driver having a fright as the boost cut in mid corner coming round Arena (corner with the start/finish line ??)
Also remember watching a stage of the RAC there in the late 80's when the group B rally cars were running .
We raced there this year in the BSC,It was alot of fun, no armco around any of the track with was slightly concerning, just huge areas of grass with telegraph poles and hedge rows scattered about. The esses were pretty bumpy in a single seater but the rest of the tar was in pretty good shape to be honest. We started from the old start line i believe and the esses where pretty much flat, just a lift and hold here and there. Would take alot of commitment on a full flying lap.
My dad raced in Sports libre back in the late 70's in various march's, so my whole life ive heard the stories about it, turns out he's put it off at pretty much every corner i believe!
I've a few more photos burried somewhere but this is the only one on my PC.
My dad raced in Sports libre back in the late 70's in various march's, so my whole life ive heard the stories about it, turns out he's put it off at pretty much every corner i believe!
I've a few more photos burried somewhere but this is the only one on my PC.
Ok, Thanks to you all for this. When I was a kid, My dad and I went to a kit car show and I bunked off for a bit and when outside. I sat on a bank and watched cars racing round a track and up untill today I could never remember where it was. I cant remember much, but it would have been 1990 or so I was there, think they were doing some on track demo of what was available in the show.
Big thanks all.
Big thanks all.
I have fond memories of Ingliston, 1st as a spectator in the early 70s then spanner man to numerous competitors giving a helping hand to many of them including Ian Forrest(Drambuie imp)chief instructer knockhill, Stewart Roden (van Dieman) Scuderia Ecosse, Graham Brunton (van Dieman).
I have covered many circuits of Ingliston myself when it was regularly used for sprints in the 70s and 80s, then i moved to rallying and have competed and indeed still do at most rallies that are based at Ingliston, whether it be in a race or rally car no venue can give the thrill of the heart in mouth opposite lock slides around arena and flat out run up to the esses, will I lift or not? then quick left right left and point towards caravan, my favorite corner anywhere.
Races that stand out- Eddie Cheever driving Jimmy Jacks March 772p. Tricentrol supersaloons 1975, Group 6 sports cars that visited in 76, chevrons and lolas 3 abreast approaching the esses, and many other memories of imps and davrians doing battle.
I am lucky enough to live only 2 miles from Ingliston and pass it daily on my way to work, I fondly look towards the showground and imagine southstand being there and try to recapture the sound of race cars screaming towards the hairpin only metres away from the main road.
I have covered many circuits of Ingliston myself when it was regularly used for sprints in the 70s and 80s, then i moved to rallying and have competed and indeed still do at most rallies that are based at Ingliston, whether it be in a race or rally car no venue can give the thrill of the heart in mouth opposite lock slides around arena and flat out run up to the esses, will I lift or not? then quick left right left and point towards caravan, my favorite corner anywhere.
Races that stand out- Eddie Cheever driving Jimmy Jacks March 772p. Tricentrol supersaloons 1975, Group 6 sports cars that visited in 76, chevrons and lolas 3 abreast approaching the esses, and many other memories of imps and davrians doing battle.
I am lucky enough to live only 2 miles from Ingliston and pass it daily on my way to work, I fondly look towards the showground and imagine southstand being there and try to recapture the sound of race cars screaming towards the hairpin only metres away from the main road.
61GT said:
There's a writeup on the Motor Sport magazine website (don't think It's allowed to post links).
Motor Sport magazine has a share link so I'm going to share:http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/reports/historic...
........................
The race team I worked for sent me in the mid '80s to run a sports 2000 car for Russell Spence. I went up with a guy called Glen and his team who were running a hired Fittipaldi F1 car for Russell.
One of the F1 hire conditions was if the tacho showed over 10k(?) then there would be an extra charge, well the F1 car wasn't really suitable for the tight circuit and Russell had a bit of a battle with a more nimble F2 car so decided to use the DFV to power passed.
Now the mechanical tacho had a push button to reset the tell tale but it was lockwired to stop it being pressed.
'Someone' (not me) was clever enough to bypass this and then had to rev the DFV to just under 10k, I do remember a crowd of people watching and enjoying the noise.
I also remember Glen and his team (2 other guys) being very helpful to me, I had not long been with my race team and wasn't that sure about changing the ratios on the sports 2000 car but they helped me out and didn't put me down.
They even let me push the air bottle trolley onto the starting grid, I helped start an F1 car!
OT - the only other time I met Glen was at his base to pick up a F3 car and he had a fantastic photo on his desk.
Glen use to work for Lotus and the photo was him flanked by Colin Chapman on one side and Ronnie Peterson on the other side. Both were obviously listening intently to Glen.
thread revival.
there is a new page for Ingliston circuit with a lot of former racers on there
Ingliston Circuit Fans - A MotorWerks Magazine Fan Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/InglistonFans/?mul...
Not sure if that link will work but if you are on FB and search for 'Ingliston circuit fans' you will find it, request to join.
there is a new page for Ingliston circuit with a lot of former racers on there
Ingliston Circuit Fans - A MotorWerks Magazine Fan Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/InglistonFans/?mul...
Not sure if that link will work but if you are on FB and search for 'Ingliston circuit fans' you will find it, request to join.
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