The Oval Racing Thread

[scmick]

a few more photos from our oval racing years.... My Wolseley 15/50 'bomber' car, Kev's mk 1 cortina on grasstracks lotus twin cam powered Karmann Ghia that inherited the engine. Buxton Hot rods with both Wards inaction.. me spinning out in Sunbeam while Kev nips through the inside in my old Anglia, My final Sunbeam hot rod and the Samba I built when I returned to Buxton before retiring to just do the odd trackday and of course Shelsley.














more to follow

[scmick]

My final Sunbeam and why the other one had to be reshelled… non contact??? and the old faithful(ish) Transit that took us all over the country in between blowing V4s up..!! plus the grasstrack KG in action.











Have got some old photos from Hednesford from the years before we raced there with the hot rods and the spectacular 'Economy Car' formula....I anybody's interested in seeing those.

[scmick]

After the Hot rods... Kev's first car for the cheaper Stock rod formula... It was what started us out on the SIMCA mania....although this car was short lived..head on into one of the earthmover tyres that marked the infield at Buxton saw to that. Also Avenger hot rod from '79ish

[bmcnut]

Feb 3, 2019 17:02:15 GMT scmick said:

Have got some old photos from Hednesford from the years before we raced there with the hot rods and the spectacular 'Economy Car' formula....If anybody's interested in seeing those.

Yes please. As with the rest of this thread, your pictures have been amazing to see, the Wolseley looks like its been racing since time began, and the Karmann Ghia looks so sleek with that colour scheme. Carry on as you were please sir.

[generallee]

Yes please!!!!!

[fraudownersclub]

Nice to see all the old pics. Did go to Crayford and Wimbledon with me dad when I was a kid. Remember him towing his stock car on a dolly on the back of his p 6. He worked with a fella that raced in the 60’s and early 70,s. Ray Pearce they had a converted coach twin front steer single rear axle (Chinese 6). Will have a chat with him next week see if he can dig out the old pics 👍

[fraudownersclub]

Curtesy of the internet Says Brafield Ray Pearce no 3

[generallee]

Few more slightly more modern ones from High Edge.

V8 Focus super banger with wierd, spread-eagled central driving position..

[scmick]

Here are some b & w photos from Hednesford Raceway back in the late '60s early'70s when we'd be spectating before we had a go on the track. Some are the hot rods and others are the 'economy cars'... bigger saloons, sort of non contact but their final race at each meeting was on the figure 8 track... with predictable results..! I think the 'economy' thing was because there was a seller's rule to keep costs down. Zephyrs & Zodiacs were the cars to use although the phase 1 & 2 Vanguards of Bill Wilcox & Roger Titley were regular winners.

[scmick]

and

[scmick]

a few more from Hednesford & Buxton

[scmick]

Sunbeam hotrod newly built in 1980 from write off rallycar shell. went through various 'looks' before reshelled in '84.

[tonycocacola]

Feb 2, 2019 20:18:59 GMT @grumpynorthener said:

Ho Generallee - what have you done !!! - You have me looking up all the places that we used to race at (I will list them later when I dig out some more pics) In the meantime wouldn't you know it - there's a website listing all the defunct small ovals / speedway / stock car circuits

simonlewis.com/sc5.html

I had a quick peruse of the list to see if the track at Newton Aycliffe, County Durham was listed, and it was. The track is long gone now I remember going there a few times with my dad. I was around about 9 or 10 and we didn't have a camera, so I cannot provide pics.
I'm not a huge fan of this type of racing, but I am really enjoying the pictures everybody is posting.

[grizz]

Looking at these pics and stories, I guess there is no interest in American Sprint cars, which run an oval dirt track as well?

I have some pics and video links in my one USA road trip report.

[Deleted]

Feb 4, 2019 8:08:39 GMT grizz said:

Looking at these pics and stories, I guess there is no interest in American Sprint cars, which run an oval dirt track as well?

I have some pics and video links in my one USA road trip report.

Grizz - They are similar cars but not quite like what we race in the UK - technology alone has changed the cars dramatically over the last 30 years since I packed in racing - now all running with specialist race kit, fancy quick change trick gearboxes & diffs, power steering & mega BHP along with racing tyres - in my days we had the big engine but everything else was made from scrap - gearbox as TK Bedford, steering box was off a Ford A series but fitted upside down, tyres were anything that you could put your hands on cheap etc - the state side stuff is probably a little more tricked up + some more BHP cause they like things really big out there - but its still on an oval so get them posted up

[andyw]

I have a retro racing pics page on facebook using all the old images I have. Mainly 35mm stuff of stock car racing at Aycliffe and Hartlepool plus some Rallycross and circuit racing from Croft.

www.facebook.com/Andysretroracepix/?modal=composer¬if_id=1549273382760158¬if_t=aymt_upsell_tip

[Pid363!]

Feb 4, 2019 8:08:39 GMT grizz said:

Looking at these pics and stories, I guess there is no interest in American Sprint cars, which run an oval dirt track as well?

I have some pics and video links in my one USA road trip report.

Love oval racing grew up around it, but these day my passion is NASCAR and Sprint cars done a couple of trips to Florida for dirt car nationals, last two years done Ohio speedweek and planning a trip to Knoxville nationals in August best show on dirt!

[generallee]

Feb 4, 2019 8:08:39 GMT grizz said:

Looking at these pics and stories, I guess there is no interest in American Sprint cars, which run an oval dirt track as well?

You guessed wrong, let's see 'em!

[rapidyellow]

great thread

currently, I work for Buxton Raceway, in the office, and on race days I operate the transponder timing system, I do timing at other tracks too

started out as a fan, became a driver in rookirods in 2002 with an Orion, in 2006 I raced Hot Fords, gave up at the end of 2006

I started on the timing system in 2005, I started working part time in the office in 2014

have a couple of pics of my cars from when I raced

[bmcnut]

This thread is quickly becoming something that been long overdue here as a proper appreciation for the cars and tracks that make up oval racing and its history, it covers all sorts of grass roots motorsports that feeds the car scene with knowledge and knowhow. Good to see we can include the US stuff as well, the way their classes developed is quite different to ours. Can we include the even smaller RC oval too?