Greetings from all over the United Kingdom
.
.
From the travels and adventures of the
“World’s #1 Trackchaser”
.
.
My 2001 Trip to the United Kingdom!
Tracks seen during my 2001 visit
| TRACK | CITY | COUNTRY | DATE | TRACK TYPE | |
| Standlake Arena | Standlake | England | United Kingdom | December 2, 2001 | PO |
| Wimbledon Stadium | Wimbleton | England | United Kingdom | December 2, 2001 | PO |
U.K. Overview
I have now made nine separate trackchasing trips to the United Kingdom. I first started going there to see their racing in 1999. I returned in 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2013 and most recently in 2016.
You will be able to read all about the tracks I visited and the things I’ve seen and experienced all over the United Kingdom. I’ve done my share of driving on the “wrong side of the road”. However, I didn’t begin writing my famous Trackchaser Reports until I had seen about 425 tracks. That means I have no formal notes from my 1999 U.K. trip. Ya, I know. I bummed about that too.
As you will read throughout my U.K. Trackchaser Reports I love so many things about the racing in this country. Almost no rainouts, inverted starts, lots of contact and few yellow flags. They know how to handle their racing in the United Kingdom. My complete U.K. track list is published below.
As this is written I have seen racing at more than 2,600 tracks in 85 different countries. These many trips have taken me up, down and around the long and dusty trackchasing trail. If you would like to see where I’ve been and experience those adventures here’s the link:
If you’ve got a question, comment or whatever please leave it at the bottom of this report. It’s very easy to do. I’ll try my best to respond. Thanks!
My travels have taken me to 63 tracks all over the United Kingdom. As you read through my reports you will see…..I love U.K. racing. Below is my current U.K. track list.
| # | TRACK | CITY | COUNTRY | DATE | TRACK TYPE | |
| 1 | Onchan Raceway | Onchan | Isle of Mann | United Kingdom | July 31, 2000 | PO |
| # | TRACK | CITY | COUNTRY | DATE | TRACK TYPE | |
| 1 | Ballymena Raceway | Ballymena | Northern Ireland | United Kingdom | April 14, 2006 | PO |
| 2 | Tullyroan Oval | Dungannon | Northern Ireland | United Kingdom | March 26, 2016 | PO |
| 3 | Nutt’s Corner Raceway | Crumlin | Northern Ireland | United Kingdom | March 27, 2016 | PO |
| 4 | Aghadowey Oval | Coleraine | Northern Ireland | United Kingdom | March 28, 2016 | PO |
| # | TRACK | CITY | COUNTRY | DATE | TRACK TYPE | |
| 1 | Cowdenbeath Racewall | Cowdenbeath | Scotland | United Kingdom | August 5, 2000 | PO |
| # | TRACK | CITY | COUNTRY | DATE | TRACK TYPE | |
| 1 | Anglesey Circuit | Ty Croes | Wales | United Kingdom | April 22, 2011 | PRC |
| Standlake Arena | Standlake | England | United Kingdom | December 2, 2001 | PO |
Greetings from Standlake, England
TRAVEL/PEOPLE NEWS
This trip was a spur of the moment (sometimes the best kind) trip to London. The primary reason for the trip was to visit our son, J.J., who lives there. Carol elected to stay back and work on Christmas chores. As with most spur of the moment ideas you sometimes need flexibility to enjoy them the fullest. It turned out that on the weekend I wanted to visit J.J. he already had two guests coming for the weekend to his one-bedroom apartment. No problem! I would just catch a couple more U.K. tracks until his guests departed.
There are lots of great airfare deals to Europe now. I ended up paying $380 round-trip for a non-stop flight from Los Angeles. That’s not the best price I’ve seen for this itinerary but it’s a good one. I also earned 22,000 frequent flyer miles. Since I can get a free domestic ticket for just 25,000 miles, in effect I was paying $380 for a trip to Europe and getting an almost free domestic ticket. Not a bad deal!
My ticket was booked in coach. I was interested in upgrading to business class. But, when I was told the upgrade fee was $3,279 I decided to curl up in coach and ride it out. Even in coach, I had my own personal video screen and a choice of four movies at no extra charge. I also had three seats to layover and catch some shuteye.
The tailwind-aided flight to London took just 9 hours and 10 minutes. I landed at London’s Heathrow airport at about 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Customs clearance was absolutely no problem. After I got my one checked bag I handed my passport over to the customs agent and was cleared in less than 30 seconds.
Using computer-driven driving directions I headed out to the Oxford, England area. I stopped at a Welcome Break (rest area) on the way. I was able to go up to the Burger King restaurant and pay for my meal with exact change in English pounds and pence. I must admit I had to take the English money Carol had given me over to a corner location in the store. With my reading glasses, I examined each coin closely so I could confidently pay for my meal.
Welcome Breaks in England are very nice for the traveling motorist. They are similar to some of the rest areas on the Ohio Turnpike. They usually have 3-4 restaurants in addition to gift shops and a convenience store. The most unusual item I saw was a machine that takes your photo and transfers your picture into a computerized charcoal drawing. The product was very unique and cost just three pounds ($4.20). I did this and was very pleased with the result considering what they had to work with!
The winter U.K. temperatures were about 45-55 degrees Fahrenheit. It was cloudy most of the time with light rain sprinkles some of the time. For the first time, that I can ever remember in the U.K. I drove the 75 miles or so directly to the track without any backtracking or getting lost whatsoever. Since the race at Standlake Arena was not until Sunday at noon I needed to find a hotel. I ended up with a nice place in Abington for 70 pounds that included breakfast.
I must ask my English friends, “What is going on with the shower controls in the bathrooms?” They seem to have four controls that come with three options 1) control the volume of water, 2) the heat of the water and 3) whether the water comes from the showerhead or the bathtub faucet. How many permutations are there from four controls and three options? Whatever the number it took a long time to get 1) the right amount of water with 2) the proper temperature and 3) the water coming from the showerhead. A mighty challenge indeed. Where was Carol when I needed her to help me take my shower?
RACING NEWS
The Standlake Arena is a 380-meter concrete oval that’s been racing since 1972. Actually it looked older. There are no grandstands at this track. Fans can park their cars around the outside guardrail and watch the races from there. Admission was just 6 English pounds ($8.40). I got there at 11 a.m. for the noon start that provided plenty of time to tour the pit area.
Most U.K. tracks do not have an additional charge for entering the pit area. Virtually every U.S. track does charge extra for pit admission. In the U.K. even small children are allowed in the pits. Pit admission for children is normally a major no-no in the U.S.
Several of the racecar haulers are like flatbed trucks with cranes attached. They use the cranes to lift the racecar up into the air and lower it gently to the ground. This is unique to the U.K.
The Standlake arena is the 545th racetrack I’ve been too. It was also my 16th United Kingdom racetrack giving me the lead in this category among all worldwide trackchasers. It is unique in one way from any other track I’ve ever seen.
The original value of the racecars in the pits is probably greater than any track I’ve seen. The Banger class had several Jaguars (above), a Mercedes and even a Bentley. The Banger class is really fun to watch as they try to complete their race around the oval while actively trying to wreck anybody they can. In the U.K. they call this “full contact” racing. In the U.S. it’s likely to be called a demolition derby.
The most unusual car I saw was the “big Russian” car. This was a four-door sedan that would make a Ford Expedition look like a Yugo. It was big. Unfortunately, I screwed up an entire roll of film or I would attach a photo. I did get some video of this behemoth. It was so huge the 8-inch tires looked like bicycle tires.
I stayed for two hours of racing that featured five Banger heats, hot rod class heats and some metro racing. I was the only person at the track wearing shorts (aka golfing trousers). The weather had started to turn cold. Being able to retreat to the car to watch the races was helpful.
The public address system was a little weak. The announcer did spend some time talking about my trackchasing hobby. Refreshments were served in a small portable trailer. Since I had had a big English breakfast at the hotel I passed on the track food. Bathrooms were a bit on the primitive side.
Overall, Standlake was a fun place to watch U.K. Banger racing. They race on selected Sunday afternoons and have a comprehensive web site.
Rental Car update: My Hertz rental car was a four-door, automatic transmission, Ford Focus. The gold/copper color was really bright and strange looking. The car smelled heavy of smoke which I was reminded of on every inhale. Of course, the steering wheel was on the right and they drive on the left here in England. This little car cost about $55 a day and rode and drove really well.
| Wimbledon Stadium | Wimbleton | England | United Kingdom | December 2, 2001 |
Greetings from Wimbledon, England
TRAVEL/PEOPLE NEWS
The second half of my U.K. racing double took me to Wimbledon Stadium. Wimbledon is a suburb of London on its Southside. Many of you may recognize the name as the location of the famous Wimbledon tennis tournament. My drive took me about 75 miles from Standlake to Wimbledon. Curiously, the English measure their road distances in miles, not kilometers.
The drive to London was at freeway speeds. I had a driving plan when I arrived in London at about 3:30 p.m. for the 6 p.m. start. Unfortunately, driving in the heart of London while it was rainy and turning dark with super heavy city traffic, I became quickly lost. After several stops at petrol stations and one long talk with a London cabbie I arrived at 6:20 p.m. Take my word for it wasn’t easy. I needed my trusty navigating companion, Carol, for help.
Following the race, I was able to meet up with my son, J.J. for some London entertainment and sightseeing. His weekend guests had decided to stay over one more day. J.J. and I ended up sleeping on air mattresses in the living room while the visiting couple got the bedroom. It reminded me of college all over again! J.J. and I rode the subway all over London, Christmas shopped at the world-famous Harrods Department Store and saw the play, “Stones in his Pockets”, in the London theatre district followed by dinner at the world-famous London Noodle House. On this trip, the racing took second place behind having a chance to spend time with J.J.
The trip home was relatively uneventful with a minor exception. I took the Heathrow Express train from J.J.’s flat in London to the airport. While having a bit of breakfast at the airport a very loud alarm began to sound. Security personnel immediately signaled people to leave the area. Nearby stores began to shut their electronic gates. The airport was being evacuated. I immediately thought, “bomb scare”. It turned out to be nothing serious as one guard told me the alarm was for a small fire in the restaurant.
RACING NEWS
Wimbledon Stadium is a unique racing venue. The racing surface is tarmac (asphalt) and 390 meters in length. They also have a “figure of 8” track but were not using it on this night. This site also houses a permanent dog-racing track. In talking with the manager of the facility he informed me the stadium has been in this location since 1928. The front stretch area was bombed during World War II.
Wimbledon has a covered and glass-enclosed grandstand around the entire track. When you’re inside the glass-enclosed area you have an excellent view of the cars racing but can’t hear the engine sounds. The grandstand has bars, seats with backs and tables to accommodate their dog racing patrons. The MAJOR drawback to watching here was the heat and heavy smoke from the smokers in the audience.
General admission was 10 English pounds ($14). Uniquely, this price did not include admission to the pit area. That was a little unusual. Most U.K. tracks allow you into the pit area at no extra charge.
Refreshments were unusual. I had a potato jacket with beans and cheese and lemonade. Lemonade in the U.K. is similar to a 7-Up or Sprite drink. Later I went with a Jack Daniels and lemonade for two pounds, sixty pence ($4.00). The English serve their mixed drinks in a tall glass with one ounce of liquor and about one ounce of mix which only fills about 1/3 of the glass. That seems unusual. They also offered seafood that included ocean sticks, jellied eels and cockles. I passed on this!
I was lucky to be in the covered grandstand as a steady rain persisted all night. I received a nice mention from the track’s commentator. He even sent me this email following the race:
“Hello Randy,
Wow!! What a guy, 536 tracks, I am very impressed. I hope you enjoyed your brief visit to Wimbledon Stadium last Sunday.
It’s a pity you did not come over to my announcer’s box as we could have given you a ride on the back of the pace car as I am sure the crowd would have loved to see & cheer you.
I have no idea where you are now, probably trackchasing back in the states but once again thanks for visiting Wimbledon & let us know when you are next in London.
Have a great Christmas & best wishes for 2002
Yours… Lee Canderton, Commentator/presenter
Wimbledon Stadium”
I have found the U.K. folks to be very friendly and accommodating on each of my three racing trips to this area. I very much enjoy the friendship of several folks I’ve met and been able to correspond with. I was disappointed not to meet Colin from the U.K. Colin, hope you’ve recovered from your fall.
Arriving late I missed the first two events of the 12-race program. Racing classes included the metro Bangers, hot rods and V8 stock cars. They had some huge crashes in the Banger class. It seems to me that Bangers are only built for one race. They could be demolished and never see the track again. Two separate incidents saw major fires in the rear of the car after racing impacts. In each case, the driver didn’t realize his car was ablaze and continued for a couple of laps as the fire got bigger and bigger. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Another front-wheel-drive metro Banger was crashed into so hard that the rear wheels were knocked away from the car. The rear wheels trailed the actual car body by about five feet connected only by a single cable. The car was front-wheel drive. It could continue to go forward even though the rear of the frame dragged on the ground with the rear wheels flapping in the wind. The crowd loved it! Another exciting event was the metro Banger chain race. This involved three Bangers being chained together for a race of 10 laps. Five teams participated and it was a wild event.
Wimbledon will be racing January 1, 2002, so any of you trackchasers may want to give it a go.
Rental Car update: My Hertz racing rental Ford Focus ended up with 206 miles on it. I had a 360-mile limit so I came in well under that number.
New racetracks visited in 2001
- Laughlin Event Center, Laughlin, NV (no web site)
- Loc Moran, Mont Carmel, Quebec (http://www.grabnetworks.net/delta/)
- Circuit Jacques Rainville, Vanier, Quebec (no web site)
- Pauline Davis Pavilion, Red Bluff, CA (http://www.rboutlaws.com/)
- The Pavilion at the Fairgrounds, Chico, CA (no web site)
- Baton Rouge Raceway, Baker, LA (http://www.batonrougeraceway.com)
- Mississippi Motorsports Park, Long Beach, MS (http://www.msmotorsportspark.com)
- South Alabama Motor Speedway, Opp, AL (http://www.southalabamaspeedway.com)
- Nashville Super Speedway, Smyrna, TN (http://www.nashvillesuperspeedway.com)
- Beech Bend Raceway (oval track), Bowling Green, KY (http://www.beechbend.com)
- Beech Bend Raceway (figure 8 track), Bowling Green, KY (http://www.beechbend.com)
- Soggy Bottom Speedway, Morgantown, KY (http://www.soggybottomspeedway.com)
- Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, CA (http://www.buttonwillowraceway.com)
- Speedway 90, Beaumont, TX (http://www.Speedway90Bmt.com)
- 105 Speedway, Cleveland, TX (http://www.105speedway.com/)
482 Savannah Speedway, Savannah, MO (no web site)
- Winston Speedway, Winston, MO (no web site)
- Stuart Speedway, Stuart, IA (http://www.midiowa.com/showtime/stuart.html)
- Barberton Speedway, Barberton, OH (http://www.barbertonspeedway.com/)
- Eriez Speedway, Erie, PA (http://www.statelineeriezspeedway.com/)
- Anderson Dry Lake, Lucerne Valley, CA (http://hometown.aol.com/mdrracing/index.html)
- Perris Auto Speedway- (figure 8 track), Perris, CA (http://www.perrisautospeedway.com/)
- Dixie Motor Speedway – (figure 8 track), Birch Run, MI (http://www.dixiemotorspeedway.com)
- Dixie Motor Speedway – (oval track), Birch Run, MI (http://www.dixiemotorspeedway.com)
- Grand Prix of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH (http://www.imgmotorsports.com/)
492 Painesville Speedway – (oval track), Painesville, OH (http://members.tripod.com/pspeedway/)
493 Painesville Speedway – (figure 8 track), Painesville, OH (http://members.tripod.com/pspeedway/)
- Angola Motor Speedway, Angola, IN (http://www.angolamotorspeedway.com/index.shtml)
- Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, GA (http://www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/)
- Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA (http://www.dixiespeedway.com/)
- Rome Speedway, Rome, GA (http://www.dixiespeedway.com/) Rome uses the same web site as Dixie Speedway.
- Holland Speedway (oval), Holland, NY (http://www.hollandspeedway.com/)
- Holland Speedway (figure 8 track), Holland, NY (http://www.hollandspeedway.com/)
- Freedom Raceway, Delevan, NY (http://www.freedomraceway.com/)
- Allegheny Mountain Raceway, La Mont, PA (http://www.amraceway.com/)
- McKean County Raceway, East Smethport, PA (http://www.mckeancountyraceway.com/)
- Bradford Speedway, Bradford, PA (http://www.bradfordspeedway.com/)
- Ventura Raceway, Ventura, CA (http://www.venturaraceway.com/)
- Winnebago County Speedway, Pecatonica, IL (no web site)
- Boone County Fairgrounds, Belvidere, IL (http://www.boonecountyfair.com/index2.htm)
- Slinger Super Speedway, Slinger, WI (http://www.slingersuperspeedway.com/)
- Steele County Fairgrounds, Owatonna, MN (no web site)
- Viking Speedway, Alexandria, MN (http://www.vikingspeeday.com/)
- Princeton Speedway, Princeton, MN (http://www.princetonspeedway.com/)
- North Center Motor Speedway, Brainerd, MN (http://www.borderlineracing.com/)
- Golden Spike Speedway, Sauk Rapids, MN (oval) (no web site)
- Golden Spike Speedway, Sauk Rapids, MN (figure 8) (no web site)
- Portland Speedway (1/2 mile dirt oval), Portland, OR (http://www.portlandspeedway.com/)
- Evergreen Speedway (figure 8), Monroe, WA (http://www.evergreenspeedway.com/)
- Evergreen Speedway (3/8 mile oval), Monroe, WA (http://www.evergreenspeedway.com/)
- Kent Raceways, Agassiz, British Columbia (http://www.kentraceways.com/)
- Louisville Motor Speedway (3/8 mile oval), Louisville, KY (http://www.louisvillemotorspeedway.com/)
- Louisville Motor Speedway (figure 8), Louisville, KY (http://www.louisvillemotorspeedway.com/)
- Plymouth Speedway, Plymouth, IN (no web site)
- Race City USA, Hermiston, OR (http://www.angelfire.com/biz2/racecityusa/)
- The Rock – Allegheny County Speedway – Cumberland, MD (http://www.dirtrock.com/Flash.html)
- Bridgeport Speedway (1/4 mile oval), Bridgeport, NJ (http://www.bridgeportspeedway.com/)
- Kauneonga Speedway, White Lake, NY (http://www.kauneonga.com/)
- Barnyard Raceway, Chepachet, RI (no web site)
- Seekonk Speedway, Seekonk, MA (http://www.seekonkspeedway.com/)
- Afton Speedway, Afton, NY (no web site)
- Adirondack International Speedway, New Bremen, NY (http://www.adirondackspeedway.com/)
- Five Mile Point Speedway, Kirkwood, NY (http://www.fivemilepointspeedway.com/sys-tmpl/door/)
- Fonda Speedway, Fonda, NY (http://www.fondaspeedway.com/)
- Arizona State Fairgrounds (oval), Phoenix, AZ (http://www.azstatefair.com/)
- Arizona State Fairgrounds (figure 8), Phoenix, AZ (http://www.azstatefair.com/)
- Hawaii Raceway Park (road course), Ewa Beach (Oahu), Hawaii (http://www.hawaiiracewaypark.com/)
- Paradise Speedway, Maui, Hawaii (no web site)
Retroactive figure 8 tracks
- Manzanita Speedway, Phoenix, AZ
- Orange Show Speedway, San Bernadino, CA
- Watsonville Fairgrounds Speedway, Watsonville, CA
- Ascot Park, Gardena, CA
- Citrus County Speedway, Inverness, FL
- Rockford Speedway, Rockford, IL
- Indianapolis Speedrome, Indianapolis, IN
- Flat Rock Speedway, Flat Rock, MI
- Raceway Park, Shakopee, MN
- South Sound Speedway, Rochester, MN
- Standlake Arena, Standlake, England (http://www.standlakearena.co.uk/
- Wimbledon Stadium, Wimbledon, England (http://www.stockcar.co.uk/)