There is probably no better place to go than the origin of purpose-built race tracks – Brooklands near Weybridge, Surrey, England. Long since abandoned by the cars that once graced it, but not forgotten. The Spirit of Brooklands Trust now holds an extensive museum featuring both automotive and aviation displays. From 1907 until the onset of World War Two in 1939, the circuit was the main venue in Britain for motorsport and was the home of many famous races, including the demanding annual 500-mile event. After the war the main use of Brooklands was for aviation, for which it has an interesting and (as with the automotive side) pioneering history.
Strangely, it appears the exhibits aren’t the main reason why motorsport fans go to Brooklands. The site has clung on to some of its most important features, which helped make the circuit what it was – a truly awesome venue.
The track itself was originally a 2.75 mile banked oval but subsequently had new sections built including the ‘finishing straight’, close to the heart of the circuit and where related businesses were located. Many of theses original buildings still exist – including Sir Malcolm Campbell’s workshop, press room and the magnificent clubhouse. The latter building has been completely restored, including the billiard room, which instantly creates an image of the wealth that was synonymous with the early era of motorsport.
Hugh Locke-King built the circuit on his land and funded the entire project himself. His wife was also heavily involved and she actually drove the first ever lap of the Brooklands course. Effective project management and a team of 200 workers ensured that the entire track was completed in just 9 months. That included constructing the banking and diverting the course of the River Wey. Sadly, the river now represents the cut-off point of the banking that remains above the finishing straight – but the track also stretches a few hundred yards the other side of the Members Bridge. If you look at a current aerial photo, you see how much of the circuit is broken up by roads and industrial estates, although some banking still exists on private land.
There is a somewhat eerie feeling about the banking. Climbing up the 29ft high concrete slope is no easy task but once near the top you get a drivers eye view – and you instantly appreciate the bravery of the men and women that took up the challenge of the circuit. There are memorials scattered around the site that commemorate the drivers who lost their battle with Brooklands. The bravery – or perhaps madness - of the drivers is emphasised by Selwyn Edge. He won the first 24 hour race at Brooklands by driving entirely on his own. During the night, the track was only lit by railway lanterns and flares. The Members Banking remains in the state it did when the last race took place – cracks and bumps in the surface of mixed gravel and cement. It is a scary enough place just to stand, let alone drive at full throttle with hardly any brakes, literally feet from potential death.
It should not be forgotten that Brooklands signifies the birth of so many things that underpin motorsport not just in the UK, but world-wide.
The track opened on June 17th 1907, so it’s already over a century old. The recent addition of ‘Mercedes Benz World’ on the site, the ‘Spirit of Brooklands’ is alive again and many more people have been attracted in to enjoy the experience.
What little remains of the original circuit is important to preserve as it evokes the feelings that encompasses what the motorsport is all about – passion and bravery.
