Thursday 7th June 2007

Brooklands celebrates its centenary

See F1 cars, and win with PH the chance to sit alongside DTM star Susie Stoddart in an SLR

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The Brooklands Centenary Festival is set to be an unprecedented weekend of celebrations for this most hallowed of motorsport turf. Held on Saturday 16^th and Sunday 17^th of June at Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey, organisers have confirmed a range of Formula 1 cars will attend along with a wide variety of other machinery. Plus, PH has a pair of tickets to give away featuring the chance of a passenger ride in a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren with current Merc DTM race driver Susie Stoddart behind the ‘wheel.

From the moment it opened in June 1907, Brooklands became a magnet for those who wanted to shatter the limits of speed and technology.  The 100-foot wide straights and towering 30-foot banking witnessed countless motor racing records being made and broken, from the first 24-hour world driving record (1907) to three world land speed records. Not to mention cars such as Malcolm Campbell’s Bluebirds which were built at Brooklands but needed greater space to take the record over 300mph (1935).

Continuing in the spirit of those early pioneers of speed and performance, the Formula 1 display will be a fitting tribute to add to the celebrations marking 100 years of Brooklands and 100 years of British motorsport.

Formula 1 cars will stretch their legs along the neighbouring Mercedes-Benz World circuits at Brooklands.  The display will feature a 1958 Cooper Climax (driven by Jim Russell), a 1970 McLaren M14, James Hunt’s championship winning 1976 McLaren M26, and the 2006 Team McLaren Mercedes MP4-21 Formula 1 car.

Visitors will also enjoy displays from the 1990 GT World Championship-winning Sauber-Mercedes C11, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and the latest supercars from Ferrari, Koenigsegg, Ascari, Bentley and Spyker. 

The festival will host the largest collection of Brooklands machines since the track closed nearly 70 years ago.  Once again, the Brooklands circuit will resonate to the sound of thundering engines as the track’s most famous racers take to the banking, while historic Brooklands aircraft soar overhead.

On Saturday, highlights will include a re-creation of the 1935 BRDC 500 mile race by the surviving grid, a special appearance by the original Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, an awesome line up of 10-litre plus cars worth tens of millions of pounds, pre-WWII motorcar and motorcycle race grids, Brooklands fastest cars including the land speed record Delage and a pre-WWII air display.

On Sunday, highlights will include a re-creation of the original 1907 opening cavalcade lap – featuring 50 veteran motorcars from 1909 and earlier, a side-by-side ride by three 1930s Grindlay Peerless motorcycles, a re-creation of the 1929 Double 12 race grids, a special appearance by the 1000hp Sunbeam, 1920s motorcar and motorcycle race grids and an air display including wing walking.

Allan Winn, director at Brooklands Museum, said:  “Hundreds of the original machines that raced at Brooklands will be back on the famous circuit for one amazing weekend.  It promises to capture the glamour and spirit of the original Brooklands motor racing circuit.  There will be plenty for everyone to enjoy and all ages - not just motor sport fans.” 

Festival goers will also be able to enjoy the Brooklands Museum, the full facilities of Mercedes-Benz World and a weekend of entertainment with funfairs, a shopping village, entertainers and a myriad of vehicles reminding people of the golden era of motor racing in the UK.

To win the PH free tickets and the chance for the ride in a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren with Susie email [e-mail] with 'Brooklands Festival' in the subject line and a winner will be chosen at random on Friday.

Competition will close on Friday 8th June at 4pm.

 

For further information and to book tickets, please call 0870 850 6639 or visit www.brooklandsfestival.co.uk, Adults £35.00, Children (5 to 12 years) £20.00 while children under 5 years are free.

[ettore]

...and what exactly do modern Mercedes and MacLarens have to do with Brooklands?

[puffpuff]

ettore said:

...and what exactly do modern Mercedes and MacLarens have to do with Brooklands?

Ownership of a sizeable chunk of the site.

[vetteheadracer]

clashes with Le Mans

[kevin ritson]

vetteheadracer said:

clashes with Le Mans

Paid my first (embarrassingly late) visit to Brooklands earlier this year and what a wonderful place it (still) is. Absolutely gutted I can't make the Centenary event as it clashes with Le Mans, but understand that it couldn't happen any other time as it takes place exactly 100 years from the Grand Opening. Hope all goes well.

[FourWheelDrift]

They could celebrate by getting rid of that awful Tesco's they built inside the Byfleet Banking and rebuilding more of the old track, or at least stabilising what's left and not letting it fall into an even worse condition. Then all these "fabulous" recreations of old races won't just limit the old cars to just driving backwards and forwards along 200ft of the Members banking.

An eyesore, recently.

Edited by FourWheelDrift on Thursday 7th June 13:30

[The Wiz]

puffpuff said:

ettore said:

...and what exactly do modern Mercedes and MacLarens have to do with Brooklands?

Ownership of a sizeable chunk of the site.

Basically they saved whats left of the site from disappearing under masses of Prescott inspired housing.

Edited by The Wiz on Thursday 7th June 14:00

[ettore]

puffpuff said:

ettore said:

...and what exactly do modern Mercedes and MacLarens have to do with Brooklands?

Ownership of a sizeable chunk of the site.

For a very small fraction of the 100 years despite the huff and puffery of their PR department. The emphasis in the publicity on Mercedes, F1 cars and modern supercars seems unfortunate.

[S7Paul]

Looks interesting, but £35 is a bit much.

[andyinPembs]

S7Paul said:

Looks interesting, but £35 is a bit much.

..and 20 Quid for my 7 year old?

[Marsh]

Interesting, but compared to the price of Goodwood a week later - I know where I a going, and it's a nicer drive getting there than being stuck on the edge of the M25!

[Tricky1984]

Oh boy what a sad picture that is, sometimes you need a jolt like that to understand whats going on in this country.

Would that happen elsewhere? France? US? Germany?

[ettore]

Tricky1984 said:

Oh boy what a sad picture that is, sometimes you need a jolt like that to understand whats going on in this country.

Would that happen elsewhere? France? US? Germany?

In all honesty, probably yes. France has a fine tradition of destroying or ignoring historic sites (Reims, Monthlery, Rouen etc), the US has flattened all of its early racetracks and, to be fair, Germany had many of its own historic sites flattened for them.

[puffpuff]

S7Paul said:

Looks interesting, but £35 is a bit much.

My tickets arrived this morning. I'm going 'cos I don't reckon I'll be here for the 200th Anniversary.

[flattotheboards]

im suprised that they have organised it so that its on the same weekend as le mans because i would have thought that they will be missing out on a lot of visitors.

[fozzi]

vetteheadracer said:

clashes with Le Mans

yep, pretty dumb that!!

[puffpuff]

fozzi said:

vetteheadracer said:

clashes with Le Mans

yep, pretty dumb that!!

Certainly is. Brooklands opened June 17th 1907, first 24hrs at Le Mans: May 26/27th 1923.

[Mr Ski]

'James Hunt’s championship winning 1976 McLaren M26'.

Don't think so. James won the '76 World Championship driving an M23. The M26 came out part way through the '77 season. It's either a typo, or they've got the wrong car. I'll be at Le Mans anyway, so will miss the fun at Brooklands. Shame that the centenary clashes with the biggest club event of the British motor racing season (Le Mans just happens to be held in France).

[_TC]

puffpuff said:

S7Paul said:

Looks interesting, but £35 is a bit much.

My tickets arrived this morning. I'm going 'cos I don't reckon I'll be here for the 200th Anniversary.

Hi Puffpuff, did you read the tickets in that there is only a park and ride option? I ask as i get motion sick at the thought of bus travel etc. I will have to miss it or walk a long way if this is true.

[puffpuff]

_TC said:

puffpuff said:

S7Paul said:

Looks interesting, but £35 is a bit much.

My tickets arrived this morning. I'm going 'cos I don't reckon I'll be here for the 200th Anniversary.

Hi Puffpuff, did you read the tickets in that there is only a park and ride option? I ask as i get motion sick at the thought of bus travel etc. I will have to miss it or walk a long way if this is true.

Yes, park & ride is off Elm lane down the A3, some way off by the look of it. Also the 'Dress Code: 1907 - 1939 (Encouraged). I might take the Riley and blag an on-site parking space (it's 1954 but has a Brooklands badge on it)

I'm taking my 81 yr old father-in-law so he's only got to look in his wardrobe for some period clobber.

[_TC]

Oh crap, so everyone has to get on a bus. cant we park at tesco?
I have a 1949 MG TC but am not going to drive to surrey from Devon in that when i have a Ferrari i want to take along.
I may have to sell the tickets then, what a shame. I have never been to Brooklands and was really looking forward to it.