Thruxton pit lane 1968
The land was originally purchased by the Air Ministry in 1940 for a three-runway airfield from the Thruxton Manor Estate. They were tested by the Blenheim’s of the No. 2 School of Army Co-operation on 22nd June 1941. Unfortunately the concrete surface proved too rough, resulting in three tyres bursting causing the opening to be delayed until August while tarmac was laid. It was used throughout the war for many sorties including glider preparation for the famous doomed Arnhem operation and later by the Americans using Typhoons and Mustangs for raids on Northern France. After D-Day aircraft and pilots from Thruxton were sent to squadrons in Europe which had suffered losses. Towards the end of the war R.A.F. Thruxton was allowed to run down and finally became inactive in 1946. The following year the airfield was leased by the Wiltshire School of Flying and it built up a large training organisation. In 1958 the land passed to private ownership after being put up for auction and whilst the WSF continued to occupy it under the terms of the original lease, the perimeter track started to be used as a racing circuit by motor bikes. Soon car and bike events were being held about twice a year.
In 1966 the BARC began negotiations with the owners of the airfield for a permanent base after motor racing ceased at Goodwood. By October 1967 planning was finalised and an ambitious deadline of 1st March 1968 was set for the completion of a new circuit. With a huge effort from the contractors the whole 2.356mile perimeter circuit was resurfaced, spectator banks built, marshals’ posts constructed, telephones installed and pit and race control buildings built. The teams worked through the winter, helped by good natural drainage and normal flying activity on the airfield around the construction work. Remarkably the first practice day was held on 2nd March and the first race meeting 17th March 1968. The first International meeting followed quickly, when Easter Monday held the first Thruxton Formula 2 race. 4,500 grandstand seats were built in time for that meeting although the last of them were put in place on that Sunday evening! 10,000 spectators paid 10shillings to attend the event which included a Red Arrows display. Jochen Rindt, wearing an open faced helmet and goggles, won the first F2 race that day and completed a hat-trick over the next two years as some of the finest drivers in the world made Easter Monday at Thruxton a famous event.
Thruxton 23rd April 1973. Super Vee
In 1969 Thruxton featured in an historic television broadcast when the very first colour edition of Grandstand, included a special meeting on 15th November. The BBC1 ‘Grandstand Colour TV Meeting’ was broadcast on the very first day of colour transmission. A year earlier during a TV meeting, Mini Cooper S driver Ken Costello had a camera strapped in and wrapped in foam rubber but the weight penalty slowed the car too much for him to feature in the results!
In 1970 Rindt completed his hat-trick in the Wills Trophy F2 race, fending off the challenge of drivers like Jackie Stewart, Derek Bell and John Watson in front of a 30,000 strong crowd. But all was not rosy as by the summer of the same year, the use of the circuit was challenged by Hampshire County Council. A public enquiry was held and among those to give evidence in support of the circuit was Graham Hill. The enquiry lasted 22 days but the decision of the Minister was not announced until March 1972. His ruling was that the circuit could only be used for racing on 21 days each year. Immediately, a small group of local objectors announced plans to continue their attempts to have use of the circuit further reduced. Fearing complete closure of the track, the circuit reached an out of court settlement limiting the racing to 12 days each year, a situation that remains to this day.
F2 start, 8 Rindt, 12 Courage, 22 Beltoise
Thruxton Easter Meeting 1979, my two boys by a TR3, wonder if it still exists?
The racing however, was going from strength to strength, when championships such as European GT, Formula 5000 and Formula 3 made Thruxton one of their rounds. The Formula 2 championship featured throughout the seventies and into the early eighties and in 1984 a significant development was completed at the circuit when the new race control and pits complex was completed. Three years later the whole circuit was resurfaced and the notorious bump at Church removed. In 1985 Formula 2 was replaced by F3000 and Emanuele Pirro triumphed to be the final winner of the Jochen Rindt Trophy. The spiralling costs of holding a round of the European Championship forced the BARC to change their Easter Monday fixture to sportscars and then Formula 3 and British Touring Cars.
In 2001 there was again a complete overhaul of the venue with the removal of the famous pedestrian bridge and the building of two tunnels under the circuit allow both pedestrian and vehicular access whilst the track was in use; something only pedestrians could have done in the past.
Racing continues today with prestigious events such as the MCE British Superbikes Championship, The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, The Delphi British Truck Racing Championship, and The CSMA Big Weekend, the latter being the first to bring in side shows and alternative entertainment for those who may not like motor racing!
