Brooklands, near Weybridge in Surrey, made history as the world’s first banked motor racing circuit when construction finished in 1907, 17 months after the first circuit race of some nature whatsoever near Melbourne, Australia.
It has spurred the growth of the UK automotive industry, hosted landmark events and earned a special place in the hearts of enthusiasts across the country. However, when World War II broke out, the site was once again devoted to military production, having housed Vickers aircraft factories since 1915.
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Despite efforts to camouflage the complex, including planting trees on pieces of airstrip, Luftwaffe bombs inflicted significant damage in 1940 as it sought to cut off the supply of Hawker Hurricane fighters and bombers Vickers-Wellington.
We visited after VE Day to assess the possibility of a return to racing. Much to our dismay, nearly a third of the shop was now sunk into the track and much of the embankment after the Circuit de la Montagne was cut. Other huge steel buildings covered the arrival and the straights of the railway, while the flora had broken through the concrete everywhere.
We were very doubtful about future races there, and unfortunately it turned out.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-05-11 23:01:23
