Stock car racing: The good old days

[Milkyway]

I used to love going stock car racing,
My older brother used to do a lot of magazine work, so I used to tag along with him to the various tracks.
I suppose it was about 1990 when I stopped going, so I don’t really know how it’s evolved since then.
I have seen pieces on YouTube...but it doesn’t seem the same.
Aldershot ( Tongham), Wimbledon, Coventry & many others have sadly disappeared.

Any memories... either as a spectator or competitor.

Edited by Milkyway on Thursday 25th November 22:48

[Wacky Racer]

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

[Andy 308GTB]

The Arena Essex only closed a couple of years ago. I used to go to the bigger meetings for a number of years before it closed and you could see the fields shrinking.
Never thought it would close, very much took it for granted. Miss it now.

[MitchT]

My dad used to take me to Odsal stadium (Bradford) when I was a kid. The name Frankie Wainman rings a bell, though I seem to recall it being "Jnr". I also remember John Lund. Nothing better than the noise, the smell and a dodgy supper from the hot dog van!

[Milkyway]

MitchT said:

My dad used to take me to Odsal stadium (Bradford) when I was a kid. The name Frankie Wainman rings a bell, though I seem to recall it being "Jnr". I also remember John Lund. Nothing better than the noise, the smell and a dodgy supper from the hot dog van!

FW Jr, remember his Dad, & the above.
Big V8’... & the ground shaking. Balls of steel.
I was just thinking of the fat burger & chips... pukka pies & mushy peas ‘Up North’.

Edited by Milkyway on Thursday 25th November 23:16

[MitchT]

Just had a nosey - seems they've been back at Odsal this year. There's a meeting on 27 December. Life is looking up!

[Drumroll]

MitchT said:

My dad used to take me to Odsal stadium (Bradford) when I was a kid. The name Frankie Wainman rings a bell, though I seem to recall it being "Jnr". I also remember John Lund. Nothing better than the noise, the smell and a dodgy supper from the hot dog van!

The whole family is (or have been) involved. Frankie, Frankie Jnr. and now Frankie JJ and Phoebe

[Milkyway]

Drumroll said:

MitchT said:

My dad used to take me to Odsal stadium (Bradford) when I was a kid. The name Frankie Wainman rings a bell, though I seem to recall it being "Jnr". I also remember John Lund. Nothing better than the noise, the smell and a dodgy supper from the hot dog van!

The whole family is (or have been) involved. Frankie, Frankie Jnr. and now Frankie JJ and Phoebe

I can remember the TV series, a few years ago.
Mainly about the Wainman v Smith rivalry.
Google: Gears & Tears... crikey 2010

Being from the South, a lot of our BRISCA was @ Northampton.& Coventry (RIP).
Spedeworth had their version... but it was a lot tamer & nowhere near as exciting.
The South was more Hot Rod focused.

Edited by Milkyway on Friday 26th November 00:50

[ARHarh]

Loved stock car racing, used to go to Tongham with my Dad in the 70's and carried on going until it closed. Often used to go to Matchems down in ringwood after that, Lats time I saw banger racing was up in North Shropshire a few years back and H&S had taken over and it just wasn't the same.

[Milkyway]

ARHarh said:

Loved stock car racing, used to go to Tongham with my Dad in the 70's and carried on going until it closed. Often used to go to Matchems down in ringwood after that, Lats time I saw banger racing was up in North Shropshire a few years back and H&S had taken over and it just wasn't the same.

Bangers boys.... &

Edited by Milkyway on Friday 26th November 21:24

[Milkyway]

Music of my youth...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X6bsoyT86LE

& https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aO5GWJJP3FM

Edited by Milkyway on Friday 26th November 15:55

[LukeBrown66]

A lot of people still go and watch it, it is still fairly popular when you compare to say club racing, big events still get crowds of close to 7 or 8000, not bad for a sport totally ignored in the main by the media and off the grid as it is not MSA affiliated.

Countless tracks have closed in recent years, a few every year, this year we lost Birmingham wheels in the centre of the city, a rack with rap facilities, but did a huge amount for all sorts of people locally at numerous levels that will be all gone and lost. St Day in Cornwall the last track in Cornwall is now gone too, meaning a few drivers now have to drive say 200 miles just to be able to race. Coventry, Stoke, Boston, Belle Vue (new and old), Wimbledon, Arena Essex, all have gone in the past few years, a huge loss

But at the top level with F1, F2 and salon stock cars the sport still is strong, mainly in the Midlands and East of the UK, still have tracks in Scotland and this year Bradford came back, and hopefully under better promotion in 2022 will thrive instead of being a cash grab as it was this year under a total bounder of a man.

So things are still steady, but we can expect to lose more with the greenists, noise, and see venues still close to housing to lose ever more tracks

[Milkyway]

Went to St Austell a few times.
Went to Cornwall a few years ago on holiday...Now just huge indoor market.
(Very good though).

Edited by Milkyway on Saturday 27th November 18:16

[LukeBrown66]

No tracks left there now, St Columb closed a few years ago and St Day closed this year. Devon only has Taunton. And Bristol is nearby but not very well run.

[Tim Reaper]

I raced a banger at Brafield stadium 1 weekend in each of 1987, 89 ,90

It was a private event that no one will have heard of as I cannot find anyone else who will admit to have taken part in them , apart from
people on same team as me .

It involved a lot of SAABs .

I have VHS videos of each weekend .

I won a race in 1987.

[e600]

There used to be a summer season at Onchan in the Isle of Man. I used to race there, can’t remember the name of the class but you had to use the chassis and running gear of a e93a Ford pop. Good cheap entry level motor sport.

[IanUAE]

Watched many events at the Long Eaton stadium (stockcar and speedway). I remember Dave Mellor (no. 304) sticking with Rover v8 power rather than moving to US engines.

[Milkyway]

IanUAE said:

Watched many events at the Long Eaton stadium (stockcar and speedway). I remember Dave Mellor (no. 304) sticking with Rover v8 power rather than moving to US engines.

I can remember John Lunds six wheeler ( 4x2)... different.

[Milkyway]

When World of Sport covered the World final weekend from Ipswich.
Saturday afternoon... Novelty race, x1 other Formula & of course the Hot Rod world final.

Banger Caravan race;
The little cream / red roof one, nr the front was hand painted with sand in the paint to achieve a pebbledash effect.
Those of you who were regulars @ Aldershot ( Tongham)... it was the old photo caravan (the flashing lights) up by the pits.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9_axIytjoJU

Edited by Milkyway on Sunday 28th November 12:01

[Wacky Racer]

Also used to go to Matchams stadium near Ringwood, Bournemouth around 1972.