Aycliffe Stadium
Encyclopedia
Aycliffe Stadium was a sports facility located in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...

, 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...

, on the southern edge of the Aycliffe Industrial Estate, which has Newton Aycliffe
Newton Aycliffe
Newton Aycliffe is a town in County Durham, England. Founded in 1947 under the New Towns Act of 1946, it is the oldest new town in the north of England.-Geography:...

 to the North and Aycliffe Village
Aycliffe Village
Aycliffe Village is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated immediately to the south of the town of Newton Aycliffe.St Andrews Church in Aycliffe Village dates back to Saxon times and Church Synods were held there in AD 782 and AD 789. The village has a long historical background...

 to the South. It was a short (370 yard) oval tarmac
Tarmac
Tarmac is a type of road surface. Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901...

 race track, which was used for stock car racing
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...

 from the mid 1950s until it was closed at the end of 1989. The most regular formula to appear at Aycliffe Stadium was British Stock Car Association
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:...

 (BriSCA) Formula 1, closely followed by the smaller BriSCA Formula 2 category. Banger racing
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...

 was regularly held at Aycliffe, along with the occasional Demolition Derby
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...

, and the occasional demonstration visit from Autograss
Autograss
Autograss racing is Britain’s most popular form of amateur motor racing. It takes place at venues throughout England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland....

 formula and Hot Rods (oval racing)
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...

. The site was used each year for the town's firework display on Guy Fawkes Night
Guy Fawkes Night
Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Firework Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in England. Its history begins with the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding...

.

Description

For many Aycliffe is remembered as the Action Track. Aycliffe's tight corners and its suspended steel rope fence, combined with BriSCA’s brand of contact racing regularly produced an action-packed spectacle. For most of its history, the stadium was associated with the British Stock Car Association
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:...

 (BriSCA). The first BriSCA licensed race took place on 10 July 1966, and the final BriSCA event was held on 19 November 1989.

The track was originally a greyhound
Greyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...

 track during the 1940s, and in 1952 a speedway
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...

 track was constructed using ash from Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...

 Power Station. This track was used for speedway training. On Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...

, 16 April 1954, the first stock car race in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 took place in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 at New Cross Stadium
New Cross Stadium
New Cross Stadium, Hornshay Street, Old Kent Road , in South East London was opened in the early 1900s as an athletic stadium but was mainly used for greyhound racing and speedway. The ground was adjacent to The Den, the then home of Millwall F.C. and was used as a training ground by the club when...

. The sport was an instant success and races took place all over the country. Until recently, it is widely believed that the first Stock Car meeting at Aycliffe took place on 7 October 1956. However, photographs from 1955 of a driver's presentation evening at the North Briton Pub (in Aycliffe Village
Aycliffe Village
Aycliffe Village is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated immediately to the south of the town of Newton Aycliffe.St Andrews Church in Aycliffe Village dates back to Saxon times and Church Synods were held there in AD 782 and AD 789. The village has a long historical background...

) suggest that stock car racing had already taken place at Aycliffe in 1955. In 1957, Jimmy Wilkinson took over as the promotor at Aycliffe. He retained control of the stadium until 1964, when he handed the role of promoter over to three regular Aycliffe drivers - Tony Neal (100), Ron 'Dixie' Dean (20), and Tom Geldard (154).

In 1966, the three brought Aycliffe Stadium into the BriSCA organisation. July 10 was the first licensed meeting. In 1975 Tony Neal emigrated to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, leaving Tom, Ron and Cissy Dean to run Aycliffe. In the early 1970s, Aycliffe ran a local formula call Supercars, but by 1976 this formula had been replaced by regular F2 racing. At the end of 1985 Ron and Cissy Dean retired from promoting. Jimmy Wilkinson returned to the helm and promoted the stock car racing
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...

at Aycliffe until it closed at the end of 1989 to make way for the expanding industrial estate.

BriSCA F1 Final Winners at Aycliffe

1966 - 11 Meetings - Ron Rogers 5, Ellis Ford 2, Tony Neal, Tom Geldard, Jimmy Young, Arthur Gibson

1967 - 17 Meetings - Tony Neal 7, Arthur Gibson 3, Ron Rogers 2, Ellis Ford, Ernie Dent, Earl Testo, Doug Cronshaw, Oliver Smith

1968 - 15 Meetings - Tony Neal 4, Tom Geldard 3, Ellis Ford, Arthur Gibson, Ernie Dent, Mike Holt, Bert Shipman, Chas Finnikin, Brian Wignall

1969 - 18 Meetings - Stuart Smith 6, Arthur Gibson 3, Jim Esau 2, Tony Neal, Tom Geldard, Jimmy Young, Oliver Smith, Doug Cronshaw, Bert Shipman, Warren Taylor

1970 - 16 Meetings - Stuart Smith 4, Jim Esau 2, Tony Neal, Arthur Gibson, Ernie Dent, Earl Testo, Doug Cronshaw, Bert Shipman, Pat Byrne, Willie Houseman, Derek Coleman, George Ansell

1971 - 14 Meetings - Stuart Smith 5, Tony Neal 3, Mike Holt 2, Jim Esau, Jim Donaldson, Willie Harrison, Brian Wignall

1972 - 15 Meetings - Stuart Smith 5, Doug Cronshaw 3, Tony Neal, Bert Shipman, Willie Harrison, Gordon Smith, Ray Watkins, Rod Falding, Gerald Taylor

1973 - 14 Meetings - Stuart Smith 8, Doug Cronshaw 3,Dave Fox, Alan Barker, Brian Wignall

1974 - 12 Meetings - Stuart Smith 4, John Hillam 3, Warren Taylor, Gordon Smith, Mike Close, Brian Wallace, Len Wolfenden

1975 - 11 Meetings - Stuart Smith 5, Doug Cronshaw 2, John Hillam 2, Willie Harrison, Gordon Smith

1976 - 13 Meetings - Stuart Smith 6, Mike Close 3, Doug Cronshaw, Willie Harrison, Frankie Wainman, Phil Hayhurst

1977 - 12 Meetings - Stuart Smith 7, Alan Barker 2, Mike Close, Willie Harrison, Frankie Wainman

1978 - 13 Meetings - Stuart Smith 7, Mike Close, Willie Harrison, Frankie Wainman, Gerald Taylor, Martin Farrar, Dave Hodgson

1979 - 12 Meetings - Stuart Smith 3, Len Wolfenden 2, Frankie Wainman 2, Brian Powles, Alan Barker, Mike Close, andy Stott

1980 - 12 Meetings - Mike Close 4, Willie Harrison 3, Stuart Smith 3, Frankie Wainman 2

1981 - 13 Meetings - Len Wolfenden 5, Stuart Smith 3, Mike Close 2, Andy Stott 2, Trevor Todd

1982 - 13 Meetings - John Toulson 5, Mike Close 4, Andy Stott 3, George Wilkins

1983 - 13 Meetings - Mike Close 3, John Lund 3, Andy Stott 2, Len Wolfenden 2, John Toulson, Dan Clarke

1984 - 11 Meetings - Frankie Wainman 3, Mike Close 2, Andy Stott 2, John Lund 2, John Toulson, Harry Smith

1985 - 11 Meetings - Mike Close 3, Len Wolfenden 3, Richard Ainsworth 2, Harry Smith, John Lund, Ray Tyldesley

1986 - 11 Meetings - John Lund 6, John Toulson 2, Mike Close, Arthur Gibson, Frankie Wainman

1987 - 11 Meetings - John Lund 8, Ray Tyldesley, Doug Cronshaw, John Toulson

1988 - 10 Meetings - John Toulson 5, Peter Falding 2, John Lund 2, Ray Tyldesley

1989 - 11 Meetings - Peter Falding 4, John Lund 4, John Toulson, David Toulson, Len Wolfenden

BriSCA F1 World Championship Semi Final Top 3 places at Aycliffe

1985 - Stuart Smith 1st, Harry Smith 2nd, Dave Berresford 3rd

1989 - Nigel Whorton 1st, Des Chandler 2nd, Les Mitchell 3rd

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