Northampton Shaleway

Last updated

Northampton Shaleway
LocationBrafield/Horton Road, Northamptonshire NN7 2BA
OwnerDeane Wood
OperatorIncarace (Spedeworth Group)
SurfaceShale
Opened31 March 1939

Northampton Shaleway also known as Brafield, is used for BriSCA F1 Stock Cars, BriSCA Formula 2 Stock Cars, V8 Hotstox, and various other forms of oval motor sport including National Hot Rods, Banger racing, Saloon Stock Cars, Ministox and Rebels. It also briefly hosted speedway and greyhound racing.

Contents

Location and History

It is located 4 miles south east of Northampton between Brafield-on-the-Green and Horton on the Brafield/Horton Road, Northamptonshire, England. It hosts BriSCA F1 and F2 Stock Car Racing from March through to November. The Tarmac Oval and Figure of 8 track is 396 metres (1,299 ft) in length and surrounded by a steel plate fence. Brafield was originally built in 1949 by Dave Hughes who promoted Skirrow Midget Racing. The track was purchased by John La Trobe in 1955 and the first Stock Car event was held on 15 August 1955. The track was concrete surfaced in 1959. The track was sold to Tom Blissett in 1989, who also owned the Lydden Hill Race Circuit . The track was then sold on to John Heynes in the winter of 1996/97. He got sick of all the politics involved in the sport and leased the track to Incarace. [1]

During the 2018 season, following the closure of the shale Midlands track Coventry, Deane Wood, owner of Incarace, took advice from fellow ORCi shale promoters to convert Northampton International Raceway to a shale track. After an initial period of mixed results (resulting from the extended dry spell and drought, followed by weeks of torrential rain), the track is now fully converted to shale. Following the conversion, the track is now known as the Northampton Shaleway, and continues to host World Qualifying rounds for BriSCA F1, BriSCA F2, National Saloon Stock Cars and National Bangers, along with the European championship and Masters championship for the BriSCA F1 Stock Cars.

Stock car racing

The BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars World Championship has been held here twice, in 2005 the first time it was held it was won by Frankie Jnr Wainman, and in 2011 by Paul Harrison. Since 1994 the European Championships have been held at Northampton, usually over a weekend in July, and includes a large influx of Drivers and fans from the Netherlands. The BriSCA F2 World Championship Race has been held at Northampton 7 times. First held in 1966 - Steve Bateman, 1969 - Ron Innocent, 1971 - Dave Brown, 1981 - Bill Batten, 1996 - Rob Speak, 2001 - Daz Kitson, and 2005 - H24 - Willie Peters (the Netherlands). The F2 European has been held here over the same weekend as the F1's since 1997.

Speedway

Brafield first staged Speedway in 1954. [2] The Brafield Flying-Foxes, lined up in the Southern Area League (division 3 at the time). the team finished fourth during the 1954 Southern Area League. [3] The following season they finished in 3rd position in the 1955 Southern Area League, collecting twelve of the available twenty-four points. [4] [5] And that was it at Brafield until the circuit reopened in 1966. This time the circuit was granted an open licence and concentrated on providing opportunities for youngsters and older riders that couldn't quite hold down British League places. The team was renamed the Brafield Badgers and interspersed individual meetings with matches against reserve sides from British League tracks. The Speedway closed for good at the end of the 1967 season.

Greyhound racing

A greyhound racing track, was opened on 8 April 1950. The racing was independent (not affiliated to the sports governing body the National Greyhound Racing Club) known as a flapping track, which was the nickname given to independent tracks. [6] The greyhound racing was promoted by H Beaumont who had switched his operation from the Yardley Hastings track. [7] The date of closure is not known.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stock car racing</span> Form of automobile racing

Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately 0.25 to 2.66 miles. It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It originated in the southern United States; its largest governing body is NASCAR. Its NASCAR Cup Series is the premier top-level series of professional stock car racing. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and the United Kingdom also have forms of stock car racing. Top-level races typically range between 200 and 600 miles in length.

Harringay Stadium was a major greyhound racing and motorcycle speedway venue in Harringay, north London. It was built and opened in 1927 and closed in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Odsal Stadium</span> Sports stadium in Bradford, England

Odsal Stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, is a multi-purpose stadium currently the home of Bradford Bulls Rugby League team and Yorstox Stock Cars who host regular monthly meetings of BriSCA F1 Stock Cars and BriSCA F2 Stock Cars. It has also been used by the Bradford Dukes speedway team, hosting the 1997 Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain. The football team Bradford City used Odsal as a temporary groundshare following the Valley Parade fire while their ground was rebuilt. Odsal Stadium has also historically hosted baseball, women's football, American football, basketball, kabbadi, show jumping, tennis, live music concerts, and international Rugby League matches over the years.

BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars is a class of single-seater stock-car-racing in the UK with custom-built cars, with races conducted on walled oval tracks of either shale or tarmac of approximately a quarter-mile in length. The cars follow open wheel design principles, and there are no horsepower restrictions for the engines. Drivers may use any engine they choose, with Chevrolet based small or big block V8 engines being the most popular. The season runs from March through to November, with occasional meetings over the Christmas period.

The Athletic Grounds was a stadium in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It was the home of Rochdale Hornets Rugby League Football Club for over 90 years until 1988. It has also been used for speedway, BriSCA F1 Stock Cars and greyhound racing.

Loomer Road Stadium was a sports stadium situated in Chesterton, Staffordshire from c.1970 to 2019. The building had considerable parking facilities, covered terracing and a bar with a view of the track. The stadium opened in 1973 and hosted greyhound racing until 2003, and speedway and stock cars until its closure at the end of the 2019 season.

Hednesford Hills Raceway is an oval, short-circuit motor racing venue. It is situated on Cannock Chase, approximately 1-mile (1.6 km) from the town of Hednesford, Staffordshire, England and is operated by Incarace Ltd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Ham Stadium</span> Defunct greyhound racing and speedway stadium in London

West Ham Stadium existed between 1928 and 1972 in Custom House, east London, England, on Prince Regent Lane, near the present-day Prince Regent DLR station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brafield-on-the-Green</span> Village in England

Brafield-on-the-Green is a civil parish and small village in West Northamptonshire. Their football team, Brafield Corinthians, won both the league and the cup.

Stock car racing in the United Kingdom covers a number of different oval racing formulas. Contact is allowed in UK stock car racing, that is, if you are unable to pass an opponent using speed alone, you are allowed to push or hit your opponent in order to pass. The degree of contact allowed varies between categories.

Aycliffe Stadium was a sports facility located in County Durham, England, on the southern edge of the Aycliffe Industrial Estate, which has Newton Aycliffe to the North and Aycliffe Village to the South. The stadium was originally used for greyhound racing and then speedway before stock car racing.

V8 Hotstox is a British stock car racing formula that races on British short oval racing circuits. Drivers are members of the British Stock Car Drivers Association (BSCDA) and are affiliated to the British Stock Car Racing Association (BriSCA). V8 Hotstox have also previously been known as V8 Stock Cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skegness Stadium</span> Racing circuit in Lincolnshire, England

Skegness Stadium is a short tarmac oval racing circuit used for stock car, banger racing and former greyhound racing and speedway stadium on Marsh Lane in Orby, Skegness, Lincolnshire. located just outside Skegness.

Rob Speak is a racing driver from Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, he’s one of the most successful drivers in BriSCA Formula 2 Stock Cars history. He has won the National Points Championship eleven times in succession and the World Championship eight times. In addition, he has won the BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars World Championship, National Points Championship plus the European Championship twice each. In September 2016 he became the new owner and promoter of the Skegness Stadium in Lincolnshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Stadium</span> Sports venue in Warwickshire, England

Brandon Stadium, also known as Coventry Stadium, is located 6 miles east of Coventry in Brandon, Warwickshire, England. It was the home of the Coventry Bees motorcycle speedway team. It also hosted BriSCA F1 Stock Car Racing on the 1st Saturday of the month from April through to November. From 1978 until early 2016 it intermittently hosted greyhound racing. As of 2023, it is closed and has become dilapidated after several fires, including an arson attack in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leicester Stadium</span> Defunct sports stadium in Leicester, England

Leicester Stadium also known as the Blackbird Road Stadium, was a sports stadium on Parker Drive in Leicester. The stadium was initially used for greyhound racing with motorcycle speedway starting there five years later. It was also a venue for BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars.

BriSCA Formula 2 Stock Cars is a class of single seater auto racing in the UK. Cars are custom-built and race on oval tracks of either shale or tarmac of up to a quarter-mile in length. The tracks they race on are surrounded by either steel plate or post and wire fences to keep the cars on the track. Racing involves contact, drivers are allowed to push, punt or spin fellow competitors out of the way. The cars are very strong and are of an open wheel design, but are designed with the contact element in mind, with front and rear bumpers and a sturdy chassis and roll cage.

Crewe Stadium, also known as Earle Street, was a stadium in Crewe, Cheshire, England. Located north of Crewe railway station, it was used for speedway and stock car racing. The track was redeveloped in 1993 and is now the site of a retail park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's Lynn Stadium</span>

King's Lynn Stadium, also known as the Adrian Flux Arena and previously as the Norfolk Arena, is a short oval stadium situated to the south of King's Lynn, Norfolk, England. It currently hosts BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Car Racing, Banger racing, motorcycle speedway and is also a former greyhound racing track.

White City Stadium was a greyhound racing and speedway stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England.

References

  1. ↑ BriSCA Formula One - The first 50 years 1954-2004 Keith Barber p 170-171
  2. ↑ "Brafield Speedway". Defunct Speedway. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  3. ↑ Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 129. ISBN   0-904584-45-3.
  4. ↑ "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  5. ↑ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  6. ↑ Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, page 410. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-15-5.
  7. ↑ "Brafield". Greyhound Racing Times.

52°11′53″N0°48′6″W / 52.19806°N 0.80167°W / 52.19806; -0.80167

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.