Oulton Park

• Oulton Park Track History

By the early 1950s England had a goodly number of motor racing tracks but the northwest was not well served. The members of the Mid-Cheshire Car Club took it on themselves to rectify the situation. The circuit they developed was on the estate of the Grey-Egerton family. With Sir Philip Gray-Egerton's permission, a circuit was mapped out starting early in 1953 and by August the new track was in existence, measuring 1.504 miles, almost rectangular in shape.

The first meeting took place on 8 August, but the RAC would not allow the public to attend, wanting an opening meeting to be run successfully before allowing paying spectators; nonetheless some 3,000 club members and their guests attended as spectators. The main event of the day was the 33-lap 49.6-mile Formula Two race which was won by Tony Rolt driving Rob Walker’s Connaught A Type.

By April 1954, the track had grown to 2.23 miles in length and within a year of the opening meeting had grown again, to 2.761 miles. On Easter 1975, another circuit layout, measuring 1.654 miles, came into use. Oulton Park is unique amongst the new post-World War II circuits in that it is a true road circuit whilst its contemporaries were, with one exception, converted airfields.

There was a new look to the Cheshire circuit for the 1961 season, the pits being rebuilt into a two-storey affair with a concrete wall to protect the pit crews when working on their charges.

Until 1973 racing had always been restricted to Saturdays and Bank Holidays but that year the local council gave permission for four Sunday meetings – but it was to last for only a year.

Oulton Park remains an extremely popular venue having been brought up to modern standards following the circuit's acquisition by MotorSport Vision (MSV). After many years of decay, Oulton was given new life when it, along with Brands Hatch, Snetterton and Cadwell Park, was purchased by the group in January 2004.[6] MSV, headed by ex-F1 racer Jonathan Palmer, have completely turned the circuits around, tidying them up and pulling the crowds in.

The track is characterised by rapidly changing gradients, blind crests and several tight corners. The full circuit is 2.8 mi (4.5 km). The highest part of the course is Hill Top. Paddock facilities are reasonable in size with large areas of hard-standing and some power points.

The race track can be adapted for shorter courses. The "Foster's" Circuit, which is 1.66 miles (2.7 km), comprises half of the "Cascades" corner followed by the "Hizzy's" chicane, it then heads onto Knickerbrook and up the 13% gradient of Clay Hill to work its way round to the start/finish straight. The British Touring Car Championships uses all of the Cascades Corner and Lakeside but then forks off into a hairpin before Island Bend. This hairpin cuts out all of the Island section of the circuit and takes the cars straight back over Hill Top.

Further Information

Wikipedia

Historic Circuits

Racing Circuit Info