abandoned race tracks

Then of course, there's the National Auto Showground. Some of you at this point will be going "the what?" whilst others will be fondly remembering the classic days of 90's VW shows.

The (very abridged) story goes that sometime in the very early 1990's (late 80's?) a couple of chaps by the name of Brett Hawksbee and Brian Burrows bought a chunk of land near Peterborough in order to set up a purpose-built showground. They pumped everything into it - cash and effort - and although I was too late to the 'scene' to remember it by all accounts it was a pretty rockin' place to have a show. It had a 1/8 mile strip, off-road course, paintball jungle, plenty of nice flat camping, space for music tents yada yada. Shows were held there for a few years (I think the Beetle Bash series was the most popular) before the local residents took offence to all those 'hippies', 'druggies' and loud music. I have no doubt it was triggered by something - access was down roads similar to Santa Pod, but with more houses around - but the local council got involved and pulled the licence.

Not sure of the details but I gather Brett and Brian got very little back, if anything. The site had to be broken up to make it unusable but they still owned it. Eventually, in 2004ish, it was taken off them as some rare newts or toads or something was found to be breeding there and it was declared a site of scientific interest.

You can make out the layout in this google earth link - entrance road is going north-east from bottom centre, to the left and right of that was camping. The main area is at the end of that, you've got from right-to-left the parade area for showcars, the paintball jungle, the straight bit is the strip and above that is the offroad course for bajas and buggies. Above that is a cliffface with a couple of splitties imbedded in it (remember this was the 90's - splitties were hard to give away!). The area right at the bottom was a quarry, and is what was left of the original use of the land (and why it was in a big hollow)

A small select few members will be remembering the series of private parties that took part in the early part of this century, between it being broken up and being pwned and closed off. Perhaps they're fondly remembering injuries sustained, the various things that went on the bonfire, the extreme sports or the outdoor living room. Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll - we had it all! (Well, it was less rock 'n' roll and more sort of hard dance). I wonder if the quarry ever worked out why they were missing a couple of telegraph poles?

Some views of the old high speed banked section of Monza

The book "Autodrome" is indeed still available, I was reading it in Borders the other day.

I went to Italy in 2006 and insisted on a trip to Monza to see the banking.

Here are me pics:

Sitges is the one I was thinking of

Google earth link:

EDIT cos it didnt work search for Sitges, then Sitges autodromo

I think it was Bryn who posted up a load of Info on it, not used since the war and un developed and un touched.....

Worth a Cheap Flight out to spain and a long weekend surely ;D

I went to Brooklands a while ago, amazing place. There is a point you can stand on the track (just by the end of finishing straight, on the remainder of members banking) where you cant see the track cuts off. I stood there for quite a while, you could imagine the W12 Napier Railton blasting past with John Cobb at the wheel. For a motorsport nut like me, it sent chills down the spine.



I took some pics of the banking, I'll have to upload them.