Croft Circuit
Encyclopedia
Croft Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near Dalton-on-Tees
in North Yorkshire
, England
. The tarmac circuit is just over 2 miles (3 km) long and is based on the lands of an airfield, but has long since moved on from being a basic airfield circuit. The circuit holds meetings of the British Touring Car Championship
, British Superbike
and Pickup Truck Racing
race series.
At the beginning of World War II
an airfield named RAF Croft
was built on the site now occupied by the circuit. Croft Aerodrome, as it was known, was mainly used as a bomber base. It was home to a number of different aircraft types including Wellington
, Lancaster
, Whitley
, Stirling
and Halifax
bombers.
There were a number of notorious accidents mainly involving returning bombers missing their runway. One bomber made it all the way back from Germany only to crash into a tree at Atley Hill
, about 4 miles (6 km) away; all the crew were killed. The dead stump of the tree survived as a grim memorial on Atley Hill until it was grubbed out by the landowner in the mid 1990s.
Croft Aerodrome was home to a number of squadrons including 419 Squadron from Canada
. The platforms at the nearby Eryholme railway station
were often crowded with airmen and ground crew during the war years. The verges along the public access road to Croft Aerodrome were used to store racks of bombs and other military equipment, a fascinating attraction to local children at the time.
At the end of hostilities the aerodrome was abandoned by the RAF, it is still possible to see some military era buildings and structures surviving on nearby farmland, though most of the major structures such as hangars have been demolished and used as hardcore in the nearby villages of North Cowton
, Dalton-on-Tees
and Croft-on-Tees
.
In 1947 businessman and councillor John Neasham acquired the lease to the land and formed Darlington and District Aero Club. However, the club folded after only 5 years and the airfield fell into disuse.
During the late 1940s and in to the 50s, Darlington & District Motor Club held Motor Race Meetings on various layouts utilising the runways and perimeter roads and then in 1962 Bruce Ropner and fellow enthusiasts bought half the venue at public auction
, completing a track on the site in July 1964. The first meeting on 3 August 1964 attracted a crowd of between 30,000 and 50,000 people.
Over the years the circuit has played host to many famous names and has hosted national and international meetings. However, slowly attention focussed on circuits in the south of England such as Brands Hatch
, Silverstone
and Lydden and in December 1967 Croft began hosting Rallycross
. The events were utilised by ITV's World Of Sport and were televised live. Whilst Rallycross was considered to be a winter sport, circuit racing continued. By 1981 the profitability had fallen and with the circuit requiring a total resurfacing, it closed to circuit racing. Local farmer, George Shield, agreed a lease to run Rallycross and, in conjunction with Darlington & District Motor Club, successfully developed the track for this sport. Croft held the FIA Internations-Cup events of 1987 and 1990 as well as the 1994 British round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship.
With the attention brought by Rallycross the decision was taken to reintroduce tarmac racing and became a popular host of motorcycle and car racing.
In 1997 the circuit underwent a major transformation - the circuit was extended to 2.127 miles (3.423 km) and new pits, paddock complex, control tower and spectator areas were constructed.
British Touring Cars and British Superbikes soon came to the circuit and they are now a regular feature on the calendar.
later quashed this, Croft Circuit gives a number of free tickets to local residents as compensation for the noise.
The circuit lost a court case in April 2008 and the claimants were awarded a total of £149,600 in compensation for the noise suffered but their request for an injunction against the existing operation of the circuit was refused. Both parties appealed this judgement. The appeal was heard on 15 January 2009 with the decision being made on 26 January 2009. The claimant's appeal was upheld; the injunction was granted and was the only substantive impact of the case. "Noisy days" were limited to 40 days. This had been the primary objective of the claimants and the outcome of the lawsuit was that the 40 day injunction was granted instead of monetary damages. The damage payments were therefore reduced to a nomiminal level, though the circuit was still liable for legal costs. The primary reasoning behind this outcome was that the circuit could make no reasonable case that its economic survival would be affected by this injunction. The circuit continues to operate its major race days which account for the vast majority of its revenue. (Feb 2009)
A copy of the appeal judgement can be found at http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2009/15.html. (Feb 2009)
) along with support series Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain
, Renault Clio Cup
, UK Formula Renault, UK Formula BMW, SEAT Leon Cupra Championship, British Superbike Championship
, Historic Car Racing, Pickup Truck Racing
, Ginetta Juniors Championship.
Croft was left off the F3
/GT
calendar for 2006 but returned for the 2007 and the 2008 season.
One of the best (and least known) viewing points is in fact in the centre of the track. Entry to this area is provided over the track itself between races by the marshals.To reach the entry point people have to walk past the viewing bank at the start of the lap and follow the circuit down the straight towards Tower bend. Once within the track centre it is possible to stand near the hairpin at the end of the circuit, where a lot of action takes place as it is the slowest corner in UK motorsport. It is also possible to see the start straight, opening corners, the straight down to Tower bend and onwards to Barcroft. This therefore makes it the viewing place where you can see the most of the circuit from one place. If it were not for the trees by the Hairpin you would be able to see nearly all of the track.
Dalton-on-Tees
Dalton-on-Tees is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England, near the boundary with Durham. According to the 2001 Census there were 239 people living in the parish in 90 houses...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The tarmac circuit is just over 2 miles (3 km) long and is based on the lands of an airfield, but has long since moved on from being a basic airfield circuit. The circuit holds meetings of the British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
, British Superbike
British Superbike
The British Superbike Championship is the leading road racing superbike championship in the United Kingdom.The championship is managed and organised by MotorSport Vision. The Series and Race Director is Stuart Higgs. Event marshals are provided by the Racesafe Marshals Association.Two annual...
and Pickup Truck Racing
Pickup Truck Racing
Pickup Truck Racing is a single make series, and the trucks are governed by the Pickup Truck Racing regulations,. The chassis is made by , who are also responsible for the vehicle used in T Cars, a series for young drivers....
race series.
History
The first records of racing at Croft date back to the 1920s, but it was after World War 2 that Croft circuit became a significant motorsport venue.At the beginning of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
an airfield named RAF Croft
RAF Croft
RAF Croft, known locally as Croft Aerodrome or Neasham, opened in 1941 and served as a Second World War RAF Bomber Command station. In 1943, Croft became a sub-station of RAF Middleton St. George which was allocated to No. 6 Group, Royal Canadian Air Force . After the RCAF left in 1945, Croft saw...
was built on the site now occupied by the circuit. Croft Aerodrome, as it was known, was mainly used as a bomber base. It was home to a number of different aircraft types including Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
, Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
, Whitley
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was one of three British twin-engine, front line medium bomber types in service with the Royal Air Force at the outbreak of the Second World War...
, Stirling
Short Stirling
The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...
and Halifax
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
bombers.
There were a number of notorious accidents mainly involving returning bombers missing their runway. One bomber made it all the way back from Germany only to crash into a tree at Atley Hill
Atley Hill
Atley Hill is a hamlet in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the B1263 road between the A167 and the village of Scorton....
, about 4 miles (6 km) away; all the crew were killed. The dead stump of the tree survived as a grim memorial on Atley Hill until it was grubbed out by the landowner in the mid 1990s.
Croft Aerodrome was home to a number of squadrons including 419 Squadron from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The platforms at the nearby Eryholme railway station
Eryholme railway station
Eryholme railway station, sometimes referred to as Dalton Junction, was a railway station located on the East Coast Main Line between Northallerton and Darlington in North Yorkshire, England...
were often crowded with airmen and ground crew during the war years. The verges along the public access road to Croft Aerodrome were used to store racks of bombs and other military equipment, a fascinating attraction to local children at the time.
At the end of hostilities the aerodrome was abandoned by the RAF, it is still possible to see some military era buildings and structures surviving on nearby farmland, though most of the major structures such as hangars have been demolished and used as hardcore in the nearby villages of North Cowton
North Cowton
North Cowton is a village and civil parish, located in Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, England. The surrounding towns are Darlington, Northallerton, and Richmond.The local school is called North and South Cowton Community Primary School....
, Dalton-on-Tees
Dalton-on-Tees
Dalton-on-Tees is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England, near the boundary with Durham. According to the 2001 Census there were 239 people living in the parish in 90 houses...
and Croft-on-Tees
Croft-on-Tees
Croft-on-Tees is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. South of Darlington, it stands on the opposite side of the River Tees from Hurworth-on-Tees and is situated on the A167. The bridge over the Tees between Croft and Hurworth marks the boundary...
.
In 1947 businessman and councillor John Neasham acquired the lease to the land and formed Darlington and District Aero Club. However, the club folded after only 5 years and the airfield fell into disuse.
During the late 1940s and in to the 50s, Darlington & District Motor Club held Motor Race Meetings on various layouts utilising the runways and perimeter roads and then in 1962 Bruce Ropner and fellow enthusiasts bought half the venue at public auction
Public auction
A public auction is an auction held on behalf of a government in which the property to be auctioned is either property owned by the government, or property which is sold under the authority of a court of law or a government agency with similar authority....
, completing a track on the site in July 1964. The first meeting on 3 August 1964 attracted a crowd of between 30,000 and 50,000 people.
Over the years the circuit has played host to many famous names and has hosted national and international meetings. However, slowly attention focussed on circuits in the south of England such as Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
, Silverstone
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
and Lydden and in December 1967 Croft began hosting Rallycross
Rallycross
Rallycross is a form of sprint style automobile racing, held on a closed mixed-surface racing circuit, with modified production or specially built road cars, similar to the World Rally Cars, although usually with about stronger engines, due to e.g. their 45 mm turbo restrictor plates. It is...
. The events were utilised by ITV's World Of Sport and were televised live. Whilst Rallycross was considered to be a winter sport, circuit racing continued. By 1981 the profitability had fallen and with the circuit requiring a total resurfacing, it closed to circuit racing. Local farmer, George Shield, agreed a lease to run Rallycross and, in conjunction with Darlington & District Motor Club, successfully developed the track for this sport. Croft held the FIA Internations-Cup events of 1987 and 1990 as well as the 1994 British round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship.
With the attention brought by Rallycross the decision was taken to reintroduce tarmac racing and became a popular host of motorcycle and car racing.
In 1997 the circuit underwent a major transformation - the circuit was extended to 2.127 miles (3.423 km) and new pits, paddock complex, control tower and spectator areas were constructed.
British Touring Cars and British Superbikes soon came to the circuit and they are now a regular feature on the calendar.
Controversy
In 2000, an official complaint was upheld by local residents over the noise produced by the racing car engines. This was claimed to be having an effect on some people's health, although Darlington District CouncilDarlington (borough)
Darlington is a local government district and borough in North East England. In 2008 it had a resident population of 100,500 It borders County Durham to the north and west, North Yorkshire to the south along the line of the River Tees, and Stockton-on-Tees to the east.-Council:Traditionally part of...
later quashed this, Croft Circuit gives a number of free tickets to local residents as compensation for the noise.
The circuit lost a court case in April 2008 and the claimants were awarded a total of £149,600 in compensation for the noise suffered but their request for an injunction against the existing operation of the circuit was refused. Both parties appealed this judgement. The appeal was heard on 15 January 2009 with the decision being made on 26 January 2009. The claimant's appeal was upheld; the injunction was granted and was the only substantive impact of the case. "Noisy days" were limited to 40 days. This had been the primary objective of the claimants and the outcome of the lawsuit was that the 40 day injunction was granted instead of monetary damages. The damage payments were therefore reduced to a nomiminal level, though the circuit was still liable for legal costs. The primary reasoning behind this outcome was that the circuit could make no reasonable case that its economic survival would be affected by this injunction. The circuit continues to operate its major race days which account for the vast majority of its revenue. (Feb 2009)
A copy of the appeal judgement can be found at http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2009/15.html. (Feb 2009)
Major Races
Croft has been staging major races since 1996. They are the British Touring car Championship (BTCCBritish Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
) along with support series Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain
Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain
Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain is a one make racing series that takes place in the United Kingdom for the Porsche 911. It is currently one of the support series for the British Touring Car Championship...
, Renault Clio Cup
Renault Clio Cup
The Renault Clio Cup is a One-make racing series created and managed by Renault Sport. As the name suggests, Renault Clio cars are used, and are grouped in 15 national championships and an International Cup.-Championships:...
, UK Formula Renault, UK Formula BMW, SEAT Leon Cupra Championship, British Superbike Championship
British Superbike
The British Superbike Championship is the leading road racing superbike championship in the United Kingdom.The championship is managed and organised by MotorSport Vision. The Series and Race Director is Stuart Higgs. Event marshals are provided by the Racesafe Marshals Association.Two annual...
, Historic Car Racing, Pickup Truck Racing
Pickup Truck Racing
Pickup Truck Racing is a single make series, and the trucks are governed by the Pickup Truck Racing regulations,. The chassis is made by , who are also responsible for the vehicle used in T Cars, a series for young drivers....
, Ginetta Juniors Championship.
Croft was left off the F3
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
/GT
Grand tourer
A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....
calendar for 2006 but returned for the 2007 and the 2008 season.
Viewing Guide
There are a number of popular viewing points around the circuit. The Grand Stand and viewing banks around the first complex of corners allow for good viewing of the start/finishing straight and the first complex of corners. At the back end of the circuit, the Sunny in/out set of corners through to the complex also has popular raised viewing banks. However due to the curving nature of the track it is difficult to gain a view position where a large amount of the track can be seen.One of the best (and least known) viewing points is in fact in the centre of the track. Entry to this area is provided over the track itself between races by the marshals.To reach the entry point people have to walk past the viewing bank at the start of the lap and follow the circuit down the straight towards Tower bend. Once within the track centre it is possible to stand near the hairpin at the end of the circuit, where a lot of action takes place as it is the slowest corner in UK motorsport. It is also possible to see the start straight, opening corners, the straight down to Tower bend and onwards to Barcroft. This therefore makes it the viewing place where you can see the most of the circuit from one place. If it were not for the trees by the Hairpin you would be able to see nearly all of the track.