Llandow Circuit
| Location | Llandow,Vale of Glamorgan,Wales |
|---|---|
| Time zone | GMT |
| Opened | 1963 |
| Major events | Track Days Club Racing |
| Length | 0.9 miles (1.45 km) |
Llandow Circuitis a small, family owned and runmotorsportcircuit atLlandow,Vale of Glamorgan,15 miles (24 km) south west ofCardiff,Wales,used mainly for supercar experience days, MSUK testing sessions, track days, filming and photoshoots and event hire.
Llandow Circuit also own and manage the adjacent karting circuit,
The lap record is held by Martin Jessopp at 41.4 seconds - set on September 16, 2009 on his Ducati 1198RS British Superbike. Jessopp wasn't aware of a record or that he was being timed, and his Ducati was still running long gearing for the North West 200 a week prior, where Jessopp hit 208 mph a top speed record, not exactly ideal for Llandow. Monoposto Racing Club lap record was 00:36.0 set by Alan Baillie in his Viking Mk1A in 1974
History
[edit]
Llandow Circuit began life as an airfield duringWorld War II.RAF Llandowwas home toSupermarine Spitfiresand part of theRoyal Canadian Air Force,but theAir Ministrydecommissioned it in 1957.
In 1961 Jack Evans, a local farmer, bought an 80-acre (0.32 km2) parcel which included air raid shelters, gun turrets and stretches of runway. With the help of theSouth Wales Automobile Clubhe linked the runways to form a 1-mile (1.6 km) oval track which was opened byGraham Hillin 1963. Car and motorbike events during the 1960s and 1970s drew crowds of 3,000–4,000, and competitors includedRoger Clark,Jody ScheckterandAndy Rouse.
The circuit fell into disrepair, losing its track licence in 1977, thus in the 1980s, stock car racing, grass tracking and sheep grazing became more usual uses. A race and rally school, go-karting and general testing continued until the owners resurfaced and reshaped the track with a 9-metre (30 ft)-wide strip of tarmac, enabling theMotor Sports AssociationSprint license to be regained in 2001. The circuit is now a popular venue for track days.[1][2][3]supercar experience days, MSUK testing sessions, track days, filming and photoshoots.
The circuit remains privately owned by the descendants of Jack Evans.
Circuit details
[edit]- Length: 1.45 kilometres (0.9 mi)
- Width: 9 metres (30 ft)
- Noise Limitation: 105 dB
- Lap Record - 41.4 Seconds - Martin Jessopp - 2009 - Ducati 1198R
Housing plan
[edit]In July 2007 Persimmon and Barrat unveiled plans to replace the circuit with a new housing estate of 2,700 homes, two schools and a community centre, but as of 2022 this has not happened.
References
[edit]- ^"History of Llandow | Llandow Circuit".www.llandow.com.Archived fromthe originalon 2011-11-08.
- ^"Circuit Directory - Motor Sport Circuit Guide".21 September 2021.
- ^"National Plan for British Motor Sport (Appendix B)"(PDF).Motor Sports Association United Kingdom.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2007-09-27.Retrieved2007-07-14.