investment in Ingliston Racing Circuit

[BigsimonY]

Im no economist, but my daily commute take me past Ingliston every day and most weekends. Now it does have its fair share of shows and uses. But cant help thinking they are missing a trick here. A wee bit investment and alterations that would have little or no impact on how it functions the rest of the year round, and you could have a good little track. Now i know they sometimes hire it out to owners clubs and such, but a monthly track day would surely bring in a nice return. Excellent links to get there, next to a airport so noise cant be a issue. Make it pre booking to members and charge a yearly fee for membership. Im not for a min saying the full old F1 should be reinstated, but a few bits of armco and some new asphalt in sections.

[marshal_alan]

to get it up to even msa national B (the standard for club racing) would take a heck of a lot more than just a bit of tarmac and barrier. runoffs, gravel traps, tyrewalls, rectocel barriers plus the small matter of paddock, race control, med centre, marshals posts, admin etc etc. you are looking at a 6 figure sum. for trackdays it is easier as there is not as many hoops to jump through, atm ingliston is okay for sprints, single stage rallies and occasional trackdays but the RHS seem to be happy making their money elsewhere

[S2red]

When I think back to Ingliston back in the late 70's early 80's the only way you would get nearer to the cars than you were there would be on pit wall

A death trap by todays standards!

But a great wee circuit in it's day with some amazing cars racing there

[Hollowpockets]

You are looking at 7 figures really, to resurface/remap out the circuit and build a single grandstand you'd be £1m anyway. Then there's planning permission, noise and neighbours etc... Never gonna happen these days.

[Driver101]

You would need to start again.

I doubt there is even enough space to make a safe modern circuit.

[Kinkell]

I competed in the sprints at Ingliston in the late seventies and it was a far better driver experience than Knockhill. The circuit is now missing the grandstand section of tarmac and potholed through the esses otherwise than that it felt like the same old place when I did the DCC sprint there a few years ago. The Tarmac rally boys still use bits of it but I don't see the racers ever making a return, sadly. A wealthy petrolhead within the RHS could soon get it going as a track day circuit outwith the politicos of the MSA and some local goodwill.

[Olivera]

There really isn't much worth saving at Ingliston for pusposes of a racing track. A lot of the old track is gone and there are many buildings and trees in close proximity to what remains.

Anyone with the money and inclination would be far better off building a new circuit, or investing in much better locations such as Crail or East Fortune.

[shocks]

Didn't Jackie Stewart float the idea back in the late 80's for an F1 / GP track at Ingliston ? I seem to recall some talk of that along with some fairly detailed plans being drawn up. Most likely scuppered by lack of money.

[Dinoboy]

It's a shame it'll never happen, got many happy memories of my mum letting me bus it up from North Berwick when I was a teenager

[Leithen]

Edinburgh Airport will expand across the RHS ground sooner or later. Much better to get the great and the good of Scottish Motorsport behind a central belt brownfield site that has the scope for a modern facility with good access, expansion potential etc.

[sam919]

Going on this website, the circuit might not have had any formal proposals for extensions etc, interestingly if you scroll down untill you find Queens Drive you get a track for around Arthurs Seat.....fun!

http://theracingline.net/racingcircuits/France/ind...

[BigsimonY]

Yes i thought it may be a good venue for track days. Nothing more. It sits empty most weekends and i thought with a small investment in the asphalt and some stretches of armco it would make a good members only track day venue.

[Driver101]

shocks said:

Didn't Jackie Stewart float the idea back in the late 80's for an F1 / GP track at Ingliston ? I seem to recall some talk of that along with some fairly detailed plans being drawn up. Most likely scuppered by lack of money.

There was plans for a F1 circuit off the M8 not far away from Harthill.

I'm sure it was Jackie, but can't remember it being as far back as the 80s.

[Andrew[MG]]

There's still plenty of space at Ravenscraig...

[TWJPToyota]

Driver101 said:

There was plans for a F1 circuit off the M8 not far away from Harthill.

I'm sure it was Jackie, but can't remember it being as far back as the 80s.

Forrestburn hillclimb was to be part of it but now it is IT. Still heaps of space to work with but lack of investment = No Circuit.

[Dickie Dastardly]

Got a great disc from my uncle at xmas with old 70's footage from Ingliston (taken on his 8mm video camera - which you used to watch on a projector). It used to be a big deal going to Ingliston - my dad, my older brother, me, my uncle (who would come up from Workington) and a neighbour would go to the car racing - Penicuik to Ingliston seemed an awful long way as a 7yr old!!

Great memories though, clearly remember getting Bill Dryden's autograph (he drove a Vauxhall Firenza) in the pits (which were actually cow sheds!!).

[Lil'RedGTO]

sam919 said:

Going on this website, the circuit might not have had any formal proposals for extensions etc, interestingly if you scroll down untill you find Queens Drive you get a track for around Arthurs Seat.....fun!

http://theracingline.net/racingcircuits/France/ind...

It's in the realm of fantasy, I know, but on some levels racing around Arthur's Seat would make a lot of sense. An existing loop of tarmac in a fairly central location that you could close off easily without disrupting traffic too much. Good and safe viewing from the hillside too.

http://www.bing.com/maps/?lvl=14&cp=55.9444715...

Edited by Lil'RedGTO on Thursday 20th March 10:37

[S2red]

Any chance of copy of that disk I remember those days well

[BigsimonY]

Lil'RedGTO said:

sam919 said:

Going on this website, the circuit might not have had any formal proposals for extensions etc, interestingly if you scroll down untill you find Queens Drive you get a track for around Arthurs Seat.....fun!

http://theracingline.net/racingcircuits/France/ind...

It's in the realm of fantasy, I know, but on some levels racing around Arthur's Seat would make a lot of sense. An existing loop of tarmac in a fairly central location that you could close off easily without disrupting traffic too much. Good and safe viewing from the hillside too.

http://www.bing.com/maps/?lvl=14&cp=55.9444715...

Edited by Lil'RedGTO on Thursday 20th March 10:37

Always like the idea of that. Start at the bottom duck pond sprint up the hill to the second duck pond ,back down other side and to the car park at the palace

[VetteG]

The idea of a circuit round the Queens Park has been muted since the 1950's and always rejected because it is a Royal Park and the proximity of housing on the Meadowbank side.

G