Ingliston circuit,anybody remember it from 60s-70s

Ingliston circuit,anybody remember it from 60s-70s

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4sure

Original Poster:

2,438 posts

218 months

Thursday 23rd September 2010
quotequote all
Was just reminiscing used to go with mum and dad (both recently passed on)and found a few photos courtesy of google.
Sat in Jackie Stewarts Tyrell once (year unknown)it was on display and we got a picky
Wiggins Teape(spelling?)Camaro used to thunder round.
Loads of imps,escorts,mini marcos etc

Anybody got any pics or interesting facts?

Believe it stopped being used in 1992?

"Haste ye back again" used to appear on the back of the programme and on a sign as you left.

61GT

590 posts

187 months

Thursday 23rd September 2010
quotequote all
4sure said:
Was just reminiscing used to go with mum and dad (both recently passed on)and found a few photos courtesy of google.
Sat in Jackie Stewarts Tyrell once (year unknown)it was on display and we got a picky
Wiggins Teape(spelling?)Camaro used to thunder round.
Loads of imps,escorts,mini marcos etc

Anybody got any pics or interesting facts?

Believe it stopped being used in 1992?

"Haste ye back again" used to appear on the back of the programme and on a sign as you left.
Ah yes I remember it very well, it was where I first got hooked on Motor Racing around about 1973/4. Went regularly until 1976 when my parents moved down to England but I went back several times until the circuit closed in the early 90's.

It was like a mini-Monaco and great for spectators, often used to get crowds of around 10,000+. I can remember many of the drivers who used to race there, Doug Niven, Bill Dryden, Tony Charnell, Iain Mclaren, Norman Dickson, Tommy Reid, Kenny Allen to name a few. I've still got many of the old programmes in the attic.

Motor Sport magazine did a very good article on the circuit a few months ago, well worth getting hold of a copy.

freedman

5,909 posts

214 months

speedtwelve

3,522 posts

280 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
Went to my very first race meet at Ingliston in the mid-late 70's as a kid. I distantly remember it was some 'Radio 1/Noel Edmonds' sponsored single-seater meet. The main thing I remember, other than bloody noisy race cars was getting Ed 'Stewpot' Stewart's autograph!

Ingliston was also the first racing circuit I ever drove on. Anyone remember the Tom Brown Racing Driver School? A mate and I went for a FF1600 blat round in the early 90s. I started watching club motorsport at around the same time, and went to Scottish Motor Racing Club meets on the odd Sunday. I remember a rocket-powered Toyota Starlet turbo that seemed to eat most things for breakfast, and Ron Cumming (?) in his March 832 single-seater that used to disappear into the distance in Formula Libre races.

SMRC races alternated between Knockhill & Ingliston if I remember. It's ridiculous that for all Scotland's motorsport and driver heritage there's only one 'proper' race circuit in the country left.

paulmurr

4,203 posts

219 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
I'm sat about a mile away from Ingliston right now. I am, sadly, too young to have viewed any racing there but I'm sure that you can still hire out parts of the venue for sprints and autotests and so on.

deevlash

10,442 posts

244 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
It was still going in the 80's. I rememeber getting driven by the place by my parents and there were races on.

An 80's race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxhedIhjKGw&fea...

Footwork F1 car from 1996 apparently
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP-4YwOFtlI

Nicholas Blair

4,109 posts

291 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
Next door neighbour used to do start line masrahlling there. I've seen a few oldie photos.

He does go on about a Bill Dryden if anyone knows him?

JML

52 posts

235 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
61GT said:
It was like a mini-Monaco and great for spectators, often used to get crowds of around 10,000+. I can remember many of the drivers who used to race there, Doug Niven, Bill Dryden, Tony Charnell, Iain Mclaren, Norman Dickson, Tommy Reid, Kenny Allen to name a few. I've still got many of the old programmes in the attic.

Motor Sport magazine did a very good article on the circuit a few months ago, well worth getting hold of a copy.
Doug Niven's restored Beetle (with the V8) was at the Knockhill Classic Speedfair this year, along with the man himself. Rumours were that he might be at the Goodwood FoS with it next year.

Kenny Allen is still campaigning his '74 ? Elan in SMRC races and Scottish Hillclimbs.

Another one from Ingliston - anyone remember seeing Stan Share "Stan the Clan" with the sticker on the back "Sponsor - Mrs Stan" biggrin

rallycross

13,281 posts

244 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
JML said:
61GT said:
Kenny Allen is still campaigning his '74 ? Elan in SMRC races and Scottish Hillclimbs.

Another one from Ingliston - anyone remember seeing Stan Share "Stan the Clan" with the sticker on the back "Sponsor - Mrs Stan" biggrin
I remember Stan's car, it was previously owned by Kenny Allen.

Always enjoyed the road saloons with capri's, escorts, sunbeems, avengers (they all used to oversteer their way round arena) and Olly Ross had a road saloon escort estate (rs2000), lots of mini's & imps in small special saloons.

The most spectacualr was the special saloons with v8 powered single seater based imps, beetel, escort, firenza, skoda lookalikes, sometimes mick hill would come up in a 7 litre capri, the noise they used to make off the start was amazing.

If anyone has any home pics please try and scan them and put them up or send them to Ian Nicolsons ingliston site so he can add them for all to see.

marshal_alan

432 posts

185 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
the track was used this year for the MSA sprint championship, apparently the owners are going to move the grandstand that is straddling the start/finish straight. all the armco still exists so in theory it would be possible to get the place back raceable, okay you are never going to get anything big there as the best licence I reckon would be a national B so SMRC events only. from what I heard things are happening "behind the scenes"

Get Karter

1,949 posts

208 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
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

Riff Raff

5,258 posts

202 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
Ooh yeah.

I used to go with a bunch of mates every month during the season.

My overriding memory is Dougie Niven going over the armco and just missing the toilet block in this:



Brings a whole new meaning to having the crap scared out of you.

Jasper Gilder

2,166 posts

280 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
I used to be head of Dundee University Motor Club - Motorsport on a budget of nothing. Still I had access to a 12 seater transit so we'd go through to Ingliston for the May meeting usually. Lots of space framed Imps. An Escort and a Firenza ( Heggie?) at the front in tin tops and some very nice 2 litre sports cars mixing it with Mallock U2s and other stuff.

Great venue, very friendly and great racing. I think Ian Forrest was a bit of a star- chief instructor at Knockhill now.

4sure

Original Poster:

2,438 posts

218 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
Thanks for the replys and links ,youtube clips and pics.

Looking at the close proximity of armco trees and the onlookers makes you realise how things have changed....i remember the smell (castrol R)from the posher well sponsored entrants and being able to mingle in the padock even while major repairs were being carried out.

Little white posters every 100 yards or so stating "Motor Sport Is Dangerous"

You could literally get showered with stones bits of rubber and spray if it was wet,like you did at a speedway event.

Happy Days smile

rallycross

13,281 posts

244 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
Jasper Gilder said:
. I think Ian Forrest was a bit of a star- chief instructor at Knockhill now.
he was, he had the Drambui Imp (stilleto) - not a real imp of course just a space framed fibre glass flying machine.

Anyone with any photos please try and find a moment to scan them.



cptsideways

13,648 posts

259 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
I've had the pleasure of driving it a good few times in more recnt years, all be it rather sideways. Rumours of a revival are quite correct by all accounts, even the planned expansion of the neighbouring airport (same owners I think) won't be encroaching on it bounce

61GT

590 posts

187 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
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
I've had a look on the Motor Sport website and it looks like the article was included in the December 2009 magazine published in late-Oct/early-Nov '09. Pretty sure that Back Issues are available direct from the MS website.

61GT

590 posts

187 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
JML said:
61GT said:
It was like a mini-Monaco and great for spectators, often used to get crowds of around 10,000+. I can remember many of the drivers who used to race there, Doug Niven, Bill Dryden, Tony Charnell, Iain Mclaren, Norman Dickson, Tommy Reid, Kenny Allen to name a few. I've still got many of the old programmes in the attic.

Motor Sport magazine did a very good article on the circuit a few months ago, well worth getting hold of a copy.
Doug Niven's restored Beetle (with the V8) was at the Knockhill Classic Speedfair this year, along with the man himself. Rumours were that he might be at the Goodwood FoS with it next year.

Kenny Allen is still campaigning his '74 ? Elan in SMRC races and Scottish Hillclimbs.

Another one from Ingliston - anyone remember seeing Stan Share "Stan the Clan" with the sticker on the back "Sponsor - Mrs Stan" biggrin
Pretty sure I've got a picture somewhere of the Clan Crusader with "Stan the Clan" on the back. I won't get a chance to look for anything this weekend but I may try and dig out some old photographs and scan them later next week.

61GT

590 posts

187 months

Saturday 25th September 2010
quotequote all
JML said:
61GT said:
It was like a mini-Monaco and great for spectators, often used to get crowds of around 10,000+. I can remember many of the drivers who used to race there, Doug Niven, Bill Dryden, Tony Charnell, Iain Mclaren, Norman Dickson, Tommy Reid, Kenny Allen to name a few. I've still got many of the old programmes in the attic.

Motor Sport magazine did a very good article on the circuit a few months ago, well worth getting hold of a copy.
Doug Niven's restored Beetle (with the V8) was at the Knockhill Classic Speedfair this year, along with the man himself. Rumours were that he might be at the Goodwood FoS with it next year.

Kenny Allen is still campaigning his '74 ? Elan in SMRC races and Scottish Hillclimbs.

Another one from Ingliston - anyone remember seeing Stan Share "Stan the Clan" with the sticker on the back "Sponsor - Mrs Stan" biggrin
Pretty sure I've got a picture somewhere of the Clan Crusader with "Stan the Clan" on the back. I won't get a chance to look for anything this weekend but I may try and dig out some old photographs and scan them later next week.

Rockatansky

1,746 posts

194 months

Saturday 25th September 2010
quotequote all
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 frown

If you think it's not suitable for car racing by today's standards, it's millions of miles away from safe for bikes.