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Frankenhealey
Jedi Trainee
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<span style="font-size: 17pt">Motorsport at the Palace 2010</span>
Motorsport at the Palace was organised by the Sevenoaks & District Motor Club over the Spring Bank Holiday 2010 weekend at Crystal Palace Park in the London Borough of Bromley . It was the first time in 10 years that competition had been allowed in the park. Originally a 2 mile circuit for motor racing, which was first laid out and used from 1937 to August 1939. It was re-opened with a revised shorter circuit and used again from 1953 – 1972 with Mike Hailwood holding the lap record at 103.39mph (1972).
Whatever ‘Crystal Palace’ means to you, it meant to me leaving home at 4.00 a.m. to get there by 7.00 a.m. to be able to walk the track. It meant having my long-suffering partner following in the Land Rover with the tyres and tools as I didn’t want to tow again after the last time with the exploding trailer tyre. It meant driving through the ‘badlands’ of Sarf East London taking in interminable diversions (Thanks Boris!) with a Satnav nearly catatonic being driven in directions it could not believe due to the aforementioned diversions. Apart from the inevitable ‘make a legal U-turn’ I swear I heard at least once ‘make any U-turn, legal or not, I just don't care any more!’. It also meant stopping in a layby for a comfort break (coffee and Kitkat) and not being able to start the car again. After 10 minutes of sheer panic and much swearing and prodding and poking of the electrical system it was discovered that the ignition switch had an intermittent short. A quick twiddle under the dash and with the help of a paperclip all was well. Hotwiring Healeys is so simple!
On arrival we had a quick park up in the competitor’s paddock and then walked the ‘circuit’. It was obvious that little of the original 50/60/70’s track had survived, however we would still get the Pond Hairpin, the Big Tree Bend, a part of the Terrace Straight and the infamous North Tower Crescent but the rest of the track for the day was park paths and ‘roads’ in a very winding little course like a flat hillclimb. The need to keep speed down had influenced the course design along with the 6 or 7 types of surface, the tightness of some of the ‘forced’ corners and the finish curve that ended under trees with the inevitable change in light conditions.
So onto the competition bit. At the driver’s briefing it was made clear that we were being scrutinised by many organisations as to the suitability of racing returning to the Palace. We were therefore under strict instructions to take it easy on the practice runs, however the course decided to strike back. The transition over the finish was very tricky; the braking area very short with a straw bale chicane and lifting off at the finish line unsettled the handling of just about every competitor’s car except for the Humber. Various entrants had very real problems, a Sierra XR4x4 ended up on its roof and the Renault 8 Gordini that followed me in the running order went over line backwards.
In the Paddock
At the off
Slowest car of the day – 1903 Humber Humberette
Amazingly at 602cc this 2CV was as fast as a Renault Alpine
Very fast & surprisingly nimble 1960 Corvette
The day progressed with much eclectic machinery throwing itself around the park. As is usual these days there were classes for everything including electric cars. The oldest and slowest car was a 107 year-old 615cc Humber Humberette at 108.37 seconds and the fastest was an Ensign LNF3 at 35.55 seconds. Considering that the reputation of electric cars is somewhat akin to a milk float the two Lotus Elise based Tesla Roadsters were knocking out times in the mid 38 seconds, somewhat faster by 8 seconds than a certain V8 Healey. In my defence it wasn’t a track for big cars, I had only two gears that I could use; second was too high and first was too low**. It was definitely a track more suited to Sprites as the best 'non-exotic' was a Sprite with a 2-litre Ford Zetec putting out 245bhp. There were no further major dramas but as in all competitions there were some surprises as the large crowd were treated to numerous tyre-shredding moments, not the least when David Wylie spun his Speedwell Sprite at the hairpin, prompting an impressive 360 degree recovery and exit that raised a huge cheer from the spectators.
Simon Taylor’s Chevy powered Stovebolt Special
David Wylie’s Speedwell Sprite
Sacre Bleu! I go through the finish backwards! Renault 8 Gordini the right way round for once!
Mod Sprite
Abarth 695 being fettled
![url]](http://[url="https://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/kev_the_mole/cpabarth.jpg"]https://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/kev_the_mole/cpabarth.jpg[/url])
1947 Monaco 500 flat out
![url]](http://[url="https://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/kev_the_mole/cpmonaco500.jpg"]https://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/kev_the_mole/cpmonaco500.jpg[/url])
All in all a very good day’s competition, well run by Sevenoaks and District at an historic venue. With crowds of 5000 over the two days and lots of trade support it looks as if it will become an annual fixture on the sprint calendar. More details can be found at https://motorsportatthepalace.co.uk/index.htm and if you live within easy traveling distance of the venue then drop in or compete next year.
**Reason courtesy of the Racer’s Big Book of Excuses, Page 288
Photos courtesy of David at Retro Scene Magazine (https://www.retroscenemag.com) and Seth Kennedy (https://www.sethkennedy.co.uk).
Motorsport at the Palace was organised by the Sevenoaks & District Motor Club over the Spring Bank Holiday 2010 weekend at Crystal Palace Park in the London Borough of Bromley . It was the first time in 10 years that competition had been allowed in the park. Originally a 2 mile circuit for motor racing, which was first laid out and used from 1937 to August 1939. It was re-opened with a revised shorter circuit and used again from 1953 – 1972 with Mike Hailwood holding the lap record at 103.39mph (1972).
Whatever ‘Crystal Palace’ means to you, it meant to me leaving home at 4.00 a.m. to get there by 7.00 a.m. to be able to walk the track. It meant having my long-suffering partner following in the Land Rover with the tyres and tools as I didn’t want to tow again after the last time with the exploding trailer tyre. It meant driving through the ‘badlands’ of Sarf East London taking in interminable diversions (Thanks Boris!) with a Satnav nearly catatonic being driven in directions it could not believe due to the aforementioned diversions. Apart from the inevitable ‘make a legal U-turn’ I swear I heard at least once ‘make any U-turn, legal or not, I just don't care any more!’. It also meant stopping in a layby for a comfort break (coffee and Kitkat) and not being able to start the car again. After 10 minutes of sheer panic and much swearing and prodding and poking of the electrical system it was discovered that the ignition switch had an intermittent short. A quick twiddle under the dash and with the help of a paperclip all was well. Hotwiring Healeys is so simple!
On arrival we had a quick park up in the competitor’s paddock and then walked the ‘circuit’. It was obvious that little of the original 50/60/70’s track had survived, however we would still get the Pond Hairpin, the Big Tree Bend, a part of the Terrace Straight and the infamous North Tower Crescent but the rest of the track for the day was park paths and ‘roads’ in a very winding little course like a flat hillclimb. The need to keep speed down had influenced the course design along with the 6 or 7 types of surface, the tightness of some of the ‘forced’ corners and the finish curve that ended under trees with the inevitable change in light conditions.
So onto the competition bit. At the driver’s briefing it was made clear that we were being scrutinised by many organisations as to the suitability of racing returning to the Palace. We were therefore under strict instructions to take it easy on the practice runs, however the course decided to strike back. The transition over the finish was very tricky; the braking area very short with a straw bale chicane and lifting off at the finish line unsettled the handling of just about every competitor’s car except for the Humber. Various entrants had very real problems, a Sierra XR4x4 ended up on its roof and the Renault 8 Gordini that followed me in the running order went over line backwards.
In the Paddock
At the off
Slowest car of the day – 1903 Humber Humberette
Amazingly at 602cc this 2CV was as fast as a Renault Alpine
Very fast & surprisingly nimble 1960 Corvette
The day progressed with much eclectic machinery throwing itself around the park. As is usual these days there were classes for everything including electric cars. The oldest and slowest car was a 107 year-old 615cc Humber Humberette at 108.37 seconds and the fastest was an Ensign LNF3 at 35.55 seconds. Considering that the reputation of electric cars is somewhat akin to a milk float the two Lotus Elise based Tesla Roadsters were knocking out times in the mid 38 seconds, somewhat faster by 8 seconds than a certain V8 Healey. In my defence it wasn’t a track for big cars, I had only two gears that I could use; second was too high and first was too low**. It was definitely a track more suited to Sprites as the best 'non-exotic' was a Sprite with a 2-litre Ford Zetec putting out 245bhp. There were no further major dramas but as in all competitions there were some surprises as the large crowd were treated to numerous tyre-shredding moments, not the least when David Wylie spun his Speedwell Sprite at the hairpin, prompting an impressive 360 degree recovery and exit that raised a huge cheer from the spectators.
Simon Taylor’s Chevy powered Stovebolt Special
David Wylie’s Speedwell Sprite
Sacre Bleu! I go through the finish backwards! Renault 8 Gordini the right way round for once!
Mod Sprite
Abarth 695 being fettled
1947 Monaco 500 flat out
All in all a very good day’s competition, well run by Sevenoaks and District at an historic venue. With crowds of 5000 over the two days and lots of trade support it looks as if it will become an annual fixture on the sprint calendar. More details can be found at https://motorsportatthepalace.co.uk/index.htm and if you live within easy traveling distance of the venue then drop in or compete next year.
**Reason courtesy of the Racer’s Big Book of Excuses, Page 288
Photos courtesy of David at Retro Scene Magazine (https://www.retroscenemag.com) and Seth Kennedy (https://www.sethkennedy.co.uk).
