Mendips Raceway
Encyclopedia
Mendips Raceway is a motorsport
venue in the Mendip Hills
in Somerset
, England. It is located on the rim of Batts Combe quarry
between Shipham
and Charterhouse
. The oval shaped circuit is used for racing hot rods
, stock cars
, Hotstox
, bangers
and demolition events
. The circuit, which was opened in 1969, features an oval and a figure of eight layout. The latter is used for different classes of banger racing which sometimes involve towing caravans
, or feature specialist vehicles such as hearse
s or Reliant Robin
s.
On 14 September 2008, the circuit hosted the BriSCA
F2 World Championship Final.
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
venue in the Mendip Hills
Mendip Hills
The Mendip Hills is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England. Running east to west between Weston-super-Mare and Frome, the hills overlook the Somerset Levels to the south and the Avon Valley to the north...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England. It is located on the rim of Batts Combe quarry
Batts Combe quarry
Batts Combe quarry, is a limestone quarry on the edge of Cheddar village on the Mendip Hills, Somerset, England.It has been operating since the early 20th century and is owned and operated by Singleton Birch Ltd...
between Shipham
Shipham
Shipham is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England on the western edge of the Mendip Hills near the A38, approximately south of Bristol. It is in the local government district of Sedgemoor. The parish includes the village of Rowberrow and the hamlet of Star...
and Charterhouse
Charterhouse, Somerset
Charterhouse, also known as Charterhouse-on-Mendip, is a hamlet in the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the English county of Somerset...
. The oval shaped circuit is used for racing hot rods
Hot Rods (oval racing)
Hot Rods or simply Rods refer to a number of British oval racing formula . Hot Rods were introduced at Hednesford Hills Raceway in the early 1960s as a British counterpart to NASCAR-style production car racing...
, stock cars
British stock car racing
British stock car racing has many different formulas. Currently, the three main branches of the sport are 'hot rods', 'stock cars' and 'bangers'. Within each of these three branches there are many variants.-Hot Rods:...
, Hotstox
Brisca Hotstox
Hotstox are a British Stock Car Racing organisation that race on British short oval racing circuits. They are members of the British Stock Car Drivers Association and are affiliated to the British Stock Car Racing Association...
, bangers
Banger racing
Banger Racing is a tarmac or dirt track racing type of motorsport event popularised in both North America and Europe and especially United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands in which drivers of old vehicles race against one another around a race track and the race is...
and demolition events
Demolition derby
Demolition derby is a motorsport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehicles into one another...
. The circuit, which was opened in 1969, features an oval and a figure of eight layout. The latter is used for different classes of banger racing which sometimes involve towing caravans
Travel trailer
A travel trailer or caravan is towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent . It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places...
, or feature specialist vehicles such as hearse
Hearse
A hearse is a funerary vehicle used to carry a coffin from a church or funeral home to a cemetery. In the funeral trade, hearses are often called funeral coaches.-History:...
s or Reliant Robin
Reliant Robin
thumb|right|250px|1975 Greek advertisement for Mebea Robin The Reliant Robin is a small three wheeled car formerly manufactured by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England...
s.
On 14 September 2008, the circuit hosted the BriSCA
British Stock Car Association
BriSCA Formula 1 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.-History:...
F2 World Championship Final.