Arena Essex Raceway
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| Location | Purfleet, Essex, England |
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| Coordinates | 51°29′39″N 0°16′58″E / 51.49417°N 0.28278°ECoordinates: 51°29′39″N 0°16′58″E / 51.49417°N 0.28278°E |
| Operator | PRI |
| Opened | 1ST May 1978 |
| Major events | Rods Stock cars Bangers Demolition derby Speedway |
| Oval | |
| Length | 0.252 km (0.156 mi) |
| Turns | 4 Turns |
Arena Essex Raceway is a stock car and speedway racing track located near Purfleet, Essex.[1] The Lakeside Shopping Centre was built alongside the venue.
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[edit] The stadium
The Arena-Essex Raceway Complex was the idea of local businessman and racing driver, Chick Woodroffe. It was built in the remains of an old cement works overspill site. The new circuit was a quarter mile long with the first stock car race meeting held on 1 May 1978 which was infamously ruined by a heavy downpour! The track was originally had a post and rope fence, which caused some colossal crashes and wrecks in the banger formula, and tricked a few of the hot rods out! In the late 90's the track swapped the post and rope for an armco barrier, catchfences were also put in place to protect spectators. Every September holds the oldest National World Final Championship for just over 40 years. Just over 40 cars in the world finals and the others have to win the wild card race to get in the world finals. For the meeting between 125 to 175 cars in the meeting. The winner every year at the world finals will be in the next years finals starting last place.
[edit] Banger Racing
Banger Racing is a event for Sunday Afternoons and Bank holiday Mondays between second week of March to the first week of November. they race and crash to other drivers to smash up cars when they are racing. There are types of banger meetings like Rookie Bangers, 2L Bangers, National Bangers, Team Bangers, Big Van Bangers, Caravan Race and Unlimited Bangers. All drivers is fitted with rolled cage and a door plate to the driver's door. The oldest car raced at Arena Essex Raceway is a 1928 Dodge Standard Six started at the back in Firecracker XIII 2004 someone nearly got the car on the first turn but it got away until the driver lost it on turn four and hit a smashed car and it was gone after one hit.
[edit] Firecracker
Firecracker was founded in 1991 and is still by far one of, if not the most popular event at Arena Essex. Firecracker (up until 2008) was a banger racing only meeting; the main attraction to this event is the specific car rulings in place which outlaws more 'common' bangers such as the Ford Granada. The meeting originally allowed all types of unlimited bangers to race (which was fairly popular), but when reason the ruling on banning specific cars from racing was enforced, the meeting took off in popularity. The banning on specific cars naturally made it 'THE' meeting for drivers to race their rare classics meeting is so special is that only unusual, rare, or expensive cars are allowed to enter. There is also a firework display at the end of the meeting. This event normally attracts a crowd of around ten thousand people. In 2008, due to banger numbers falling, stockcars were introduced as a support formula, in 2010 Reliant Robin's were swapped as the support formula, which proved a popular move.
[edit] Speedway
Speedway was introduced in 1984. They were founded (as the Arena-Essex Hammers) by promoter Wally Mawdsley and stock car promoter Chick Woodroffe. The team were nicknamed the Hammers after the West Ham Hammers team that closed twelve years earlier.[2] The speedway team was renamed the Lakeside Hammers in 2007. The Hammers race at the Arena Essex Raceway on most Friday evenings between March and October and compete in the Elite League, often appearing in live Sky Sports meetings. The Elite League contains many of the sport's top international riders and the Hammers were crowned Knockout Cup champions in 2009.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). Homes of British Speedway. ISBN 0-7524-2210-3
- ^ Jacobs, Norman (2001). Speedway in London. ISBN 0-7524-2221-9
