Crystal Palace Circuit History of a lost race track
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- Опубліковано 6 сер 2020
- Crystal Palace Circuit History of a lost race track
In this Circuits of the past video the history of the Crystal Palace Circuit.
The Crystal Palace Circuit was a racing circuit located in the Crystal Palace Park in London, England.
The name Crystal Palace comes from a cast iron and plate glass structure exposition centre which was built for the 1851 Great Exhibition. The original location was actually Hyde Park. But in 1878 it was relocated to a new park in Southern London, which was named Crystal Palace Park.
In november 1936 the Crystal Palace was destroyed by a fire. The building was never rebuilt, but the ruin is still in the Crystal Palace Park.
The Crystal Palace Circuit opened on May 21, 1927 with a race for motorcycles. For the 1 Mile track they made usage of existing roads through the park. The bends were covered by an asphalt layer, but the straights were gravel roads.
I december 1936 - short after the fire that destroyed the Crystal Palace - they start improvements to the circuit. The layout was extended to 2 Miles and the full track was now covered with an asphalt layer.
On July 17, 1937 the First ever London Grand Prix was held at the improved Crystal Palace Circuit. The race was won by Prince Bira from Siam, who would also win the First ever race at the Dutch circuit of Zandvoort in 1948.
The Crystal Palace Circuit hosted also the First ever race event that was covered by the BBC. That was the 1937 International Imperial Trophy which was also won by Prince Bira.
After World War Two, racing continued at Crystal Palace in 1953. The loop on the infield was bypassed, which reduced the lengt of the circuit to 1.39 Miles.
Because noise complaints from local residents, racing event were reduced to only 5 per year in the 1950’s.
In 1960 the Start/Finish was moved from the Stadium Straight to the Terrace Straight, in front of the Crystal Palace ruin.
The Crystal Palace Circuit hosted races for sports cars, saloon cars, Formula Three, Formula Two, and non-championship Formula One races.
In 1970 the maximum race events expired to 14 days per year.
But when safety became an issue in the early 1970’s, the Crystal Palace Circuit was criticized for being too dangerous. Improvements were made but the track was found no longer suitable for most race series after the 1972 season.
Untill 1974 the Crystal Palace Circuit was used for club events. But after the 1974 season it closed forever.
However, since 1997 a part of the old Crystal Palace Circuit is used for annual sprint races in May. Unfortunately the 2020 event was canceled because of the COVID-19 crisis.
Today most of the track is still there. A part is used as access road for the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. Another part has been narrowed and is now only open for cyclists and pedestrians.
The old Crystal Palace Circuit also played a role in the 2013 movie Rush, about the 1976 Formula 1 season and the battle between Niki Lauda and James Hunt.
They used the Crystal Palace ruin as background for some scenes. But the action on track was filmed at Cadwell Park.
More about the racing circuits from the past on the website:
www.circuitsofthepast.com/ (English)
www.circuitsofthepast.nl/ (Nederlands)
Special thanks to Simon Smith for the voiceover. Visit also his channel: / higherplaingames
Thanks for watching this video.
Don't miss our new videos and subscribe to my channel. ua-cam.com/users/Circuitso... Thanks for the subscribe :) - Авто та транспорт
Next week I show you the lost Grand Prix circuits near Barcelona.
Montjuic, Pedralbes and Sitges-Terramar.
SSSSSSSSSSSST ;)
Nice video, many thanks guys. I was a regular spectator between 1967 and 1972 and it was always my favorite circuit.....until I discovered Pau ! I am pretty sure the reason it closed at the end of 1972 was because of the construction of the sports stadium, but I guess safety considerations may have contributed. The viewing there was fantastic, so close to the cars and I used to return home covered in rubber dust !
A great driver's circuit! Jim Clark was magic around here in a Cortina.
I was born in Beckenham 1948 and until 1960 lived in a house on Copers Cope road adjacent to New Beckenham railway Station.
From my bedroom window looking toward Crystal Palace was a view of the TV tower. On racedays could hear the cars and bikes on the circuit
and persuaded my dad to take me up to the track and spent many days at Anerley Ramp watching the cars come under the bridge and zoom left and
out of sight towards South Tower! That's where my love of Motor Sort began, which stayed with me all this time up to including last weekend's
F1 at Las Vegas. Many stories have been gifted me over the years! (Please Ask!)
nice video remember going there in the late 60's as a young boy watching F2 cars
I never understood why people complain about race track, after they move to live near one?
do they expect it be peaceful? If I would live near race track, i would enjoy seeing races and other things ^^'
Yep, Mallory Park dodged a bullet a few years ago, but I fully expect the complaints to erupt again, post Covid. The irony is Kirky Mallory (the village) grew around the hairpin section, not the other way around. I was lucky enough to have lived across the road during the 70's & 80's when they hosted they non-point scoring Daily Express F1 races there. Glorious time to be a young lad. The locals today would, literally, soil themselves.
@Simon Bacon So that's why the hairpin section was not used when I visited Mallory Park during a track day: ua-cam.com/video/yDy5yIZKFtg/v-deo.html The same story with Brands Hatch. They told me the full track was only used a few times a year because of noise complains.
@Cynderfan35 I wouid like to live near a race track too. But if you don't like motorsport you should not go live near a circuit. They only have the right to speak if you already lived there before the circuit was built. But mostly it is the other way around.
@@Circuitsofthepast Yeah, so Mallory is now restricted to a certain number of "noisy days" in the season where they can use the hairpin. Off the top of my head, I think there were 6 or 7 car meetings and, I think 12 bike meetings, although don't quote me on that. Even then I think the decibel limit allowed is quite low. Won't be hearing any F1 demos or even 427 Cobra's at Mallory for a long time:-( It could be a lot worse though.
Wow, I find it crazy to think that crystal palace was the only purpose built racing circuit to be raced in London, and it's a goddam pity I never got a chance to see because I wasn't even born since the track's closure.
if the track existed I would have loved to come and watch the racing just to see the cars and motorcycles tear up the circuit at the palace, I couldn't care less what the neighbours say, I would savour and crave the action of motor sport and can you imagine Lewis Hamilton as a 17-year-old boy driving a formula Renault around the circuit? That would be amazing to watch. Man, I may be born and raised in North London but how I love to live near a race track as a motor racing fanatic that is crystal palace.
Sad it's only the thing of past. Hopefully we do have a race in London, this time when formula e will come to race in ExCel London circuit that was supposed to take place but plans fell through due to the pandemic and highly likely that it'll take place in 2021.
I remember going over here in in about 1968-70, when we were visiting my uncle and aunt. I was always "wowed" when we visited them as they always did something special with us, and this time, whilst I went to watch the racing with my uncle and cousin, my brother chose to stay with my mother and aunt, happy with his head in a book. My mother once saying, my first words to her were not "mummy" but "racing car", so it was clear where my heart was. Regrettably, I can't remember that much as I was overwhelmed by being in a crowd of people, being put up high on top of my uncle's shoulders and then wanting a wee, and holding on for so long that the situation became desperate and then having to use a public toilet. These definitely aren't the memories that should've stuck.
a fabulous track very fast , you didnt want to make a mistake as there was little run off , the earth banks were behind railway sleepers , but the flat section through the glades and anerly ramp leading into south tower bend , fabulous
I used to live very close the park and went to watch races there on a few occasions, but a minor correction, you said that the Crystal Palace was moved to the park in 1878 but it was actually 1854 when the building was moved from Hyde Park. Really enjoying the content 👍
Thanks for the correction. I must have read something wrong when prepairing the text.
Thanks for this. I went to some historic car meetings in the early 70s as a teenager. I have a couple of programmes somewhere.
You're welcome.
Interesting. Been to the park a few times as my wife came from the area.
And did you knew about the circuit when you visited it?
I remember this place well. My mum and dad took me to see racing there when I was a little boy in the 60s, I remember the wooden picket fences for safety, was also an adventure for a young lad like me as most of the ruins were still standing, so inbetween races my mum was chasing a young 5 year old round the ruins. Lol.
Thanks for sharing this memory :)
Hey Herman! Emmanuel here, Hope you are well.
Nice job making a video of the history of the crystal palace circuit, i happen to have a book about the circuit which i'm yet to read about.
Besides that, as you mentioned about the circuit being used for the 2013 film rush (though you mentioned that the recreation took place at cadwell park) it was also used for example the 1969 film The Italian Job (good movie BTW) which the start line of the circuit was used showing testing of the mini cooper getaway cars and the scene which because famous when the van was accidentally 'blown up' when Charlie Croker (Michael Caine) shouted to one of the characters in an iconic line 'You were supposed to blow the bloody doors off!'
Anyway superb job of giving your knowledge, insight and understanding of the track and since this is the 70th Anniversary of Formula 1, I just want to know what are your best and worst memories of the sport and why?
Thank you.
The worst memory is easy, the 1994 San Marino GP. As a Dutchman I should say that the first win of Max Verstappen was my best memorie. But actually, the first years you watch F1 are the best (I start watching it in 1988). So I would say the rain effected 1993 Brazilian GP is my best memory. But the 2019 rainy German GP was also a very good one :)
My worst memory of watching F1 was the 2014 Japanese GP, when Jules bianchi had an awful accident, I literally thought that it was Adrian Sutil and I was totally confused what the hell was going on until someone told me the news that it was Jules who hit the recovery vehicle while the driver was trying to move it away and the marussia went underneath it HARD!
He was later taken to hospital in Japan to make a recovery as he was in a critical but stable condition when the drivers like Felipe Massa, Charles Leclerc and his family and friends where there to console for the poor young Frenchman, he was later taken home before Christmas in Nice in France in order for the doctors to maintain that protocol until the news came on the 17th July 2015 that he sadly passed away, it was a sad day for Formula 1 and Motorsport in general because he was a star to be reckoned with, a man who was part of the Ferrari driver academy who could've easily joined the team having not succomb to fatal head injuries. We will never get to see the light at the end of the tunnel from him.
My best and certainly my most memorable was seeing my man Lewis Hamilton, become world champion at Brazil 2008 on the last corner of the last lap of the last race to become champion at the age of 23, it's so rare that you get crazy finishes to a motor race when one garage celebrate too early and other thinking that they done enough to win the drivers' title by a single point. Sad and heartbreaking for Ferrari but joy and delight for McLaren having missed out last year but still as the great Murray Walker always say 'Anything can happen in Formula 1, and it usually does.'
Awesome place! Another great video Herman and Simon!
Thanks!
Oh yes I know about crystal palace circuit. I raced the circuit on RFactor sim racing it's very fast and challenging. I know this but crystal palace and big A are like sister circuits. Lol I called them Big A and mighty castle. Awesome video😎❤
I was in Cascais, Portugal and walked on an old street circuit without knowing. Years later I discovered it. In which way are Crystal Palace and Aintree sister circuits?
The reason why I felt Big A and crystal palace are sister circuits it's because they are both unique. And they are both very challenging and very fast. It's a feeling that I have for Big A and crystal palace that's all they are related lol. Don't you feel both circuits are related to each other.
@@Circuitsofthepast I stumbled on the Valencia circuit in a similar way, also Boavista near Porto where there are some plaques commemorating F1 drivers who raced there.
Are you allowed to use any footage or old photos? I've done quite a lot of research on a racer called Bill Shaw who drove my car in 1961. He raced many times at Crystal Palace. One of the features was the lack of run off areas, instead the circuit used an earth bank lined with railway sleepers, which was typical for the period. When Jackie Stewart founded the Grand Prix Drivers Association in 71 (or 72?), they refused to drive on many of the old circuits including the Spa long circuit and Nurburgring. You can decide for yourself whether this was good or bad. I've been to the sprint event at Crystal Palace it's very evocative.
Old footage is tricky and could cause copyright strikes and termination of the channel. So I'll be carefull with that. However, I have a few sources at some circuits. So in the future there will be some videos with old images. Also thanks for sharing your knowledge about Crystal Palace.
My father took me to the Easter 1938 meeting. we watched from Stadium dip corner which was part of the inner circuit dropped after the war. I remember Prince Bira and Charlie Dobson having one of their duels don't remember who won.
That's some time ago. Thanks for sharing this memories!
I forgot to mention we lived over a garage at Gants Hill and in 1936 my father climbed the flagpole on thr roof and could see the flames of the burning Crystal Palace
As always... Amazing job Herman! Thank you for the opportunity to get to know and learn the rich history of yet another challenging circuit. Greetings from Brazil!
Obrigado!
The famous Italian Job Scene 'You're only supposed to blow the bloody Doors off' was Fimed there
ua-cam.com/video/JYsS2WxpHuM/v-deo.html
I’ve seen footage of a race from this circuit in 1971, in which James Hunt crashed on the final corner and then ran across the track to punch the other driver involved in the incident 😂
Cool :D
It was an F3 race in 1970. The other driver was Dave Morgan.
What a tragedy Crystal Palace racing circuit was closed down 😢😢
Really cool place! I went there a few month ago and cycle the circuit it great!
I walked the track. Next time I should rent a bicycle, just like at Monza :)
Such a shame that inconsiderate people choose to live near racetracks and then complain about the noise
Yes that's weird. If you live there and they built a race track next to your home you have right of speak. But when you move next to a race track you can expect noise. If you don't like that you should not move there. If I would live next to a race track, I would spend almost all of my free time there :)
I would love to see a video about racetracks of eastern Europe.
Could be a destination for a future circuit tour. Thanks for the suggestion!
Thank you , nice video
You're welcome
oh cool I'm just looking for the history of this circuit nice!
thank you!
You're welcome. There are much more videos from other lost circuits on my channel.
@@Circuitsofthepast yes I watch your channel since many years.
I like it.
Keep going thank you
Thanks for that. What do you think of the new videos with voiceover, compare to the old ones?
As mentioned below in the film the Italian Job the villains practised driving the minis up into the artics along the Terrace Straight.
And to blow the bloody doors off :D ua-cam.com/video/JYsS2WxpHuM/v-deo.html
@01:30 of camera is the athletic stadium that houses a well known horticulture college and this stretch of road that passes the stadium complex.
The Italian Job had 2 scenes filmed at Crystal Palace; smashing up the Mini’s and “You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!”
Thanks for the aditional information.
Although mention is made of safety concerns about the circuit with its lack of run off areas and the unyielding wooden sleepers lining the track perimeter, the circuit had pretty good safety record for the 4 wheel brigade. I don't recall many accidents that involved serious injury to the driver, and I certainly don't think there were any fatalities. Admittedly it was different for bike racers - there were 2 or 3 fatal accidents in the post war years, although, generally speaking, the safety measures required by bikers and cars have often diverged.
Nice track walk.
Do you have any plans to film an old track at Boreham, Chelmsford?
The likes of Stirling Moss and Mike Hawthorn raced there in the early 1950s. It then became a Ford testing facility. I have no idea what is left of it today but I know it was still fairly intact in the 1980s.
Thanks for the tip. I found some information about the history, but not about the current status. I neither could find it with Google Earth. If it is still in tact I put it on my to-do-list.
@@Circuitsofthepast I fount an areal shot of it, and it seems about 2/3 remain, and it looked like a quarry.
Cracking races there in GPL, short, tricky and fast.
A great game to drive those circuits of the past virtual :)
There are a few videos of some BTCC races at Crystal Palace. One even has a v8 chevy camaro.
Thanks. I watched some videos of saloon car races here before I went to Crystal Palace.
Jody Scheckter got his big break by winning at Chrystal Palace I think it was an F2 race.
1972, he won driving the one-off McLaren M21 F2 car.
The start / finish are was also used in the film The Italian Job. By the way, what is "glate plass"? Lol.
"You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!" :D
Where did you heared "glate plass"?
@@Circuitsofthepast Unless it was me hearing wrong (entirely possible) I`m sure you described Crystal Palace as being made of iron and glate plass. I`m getting on a bit now and stand to be corrected.
@@Circuitsofthepast Circa 00.20 you described Crystal Palace as being made of iron and "glate plass". I just watched it a second time and that is what you said meaning plate glass of course. I thought I was going doo-lally but that`s what you said.
@@angelsone-five7912 It wasn't me. Simon Smith did the voiceover. I'm Herman and I filmed and edited the video. What Simon said is "plate glass".
@@Circuitsofthepast Yes I know it was Simon but he definitely said "glate plass". I have just listened to it for the third time. It`s an easy mistake to make, I have done it myself.
1:17 This channel is repeating a widely believed myth that The Crystal Palace was originally built for The Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, then rebuilt in Sydenham. In fact, the Sydenham building was a new and much larger design that merely reused a lot of the components from the Hyde Park building .
Thanks for this information. I also know only what I readed in the history books. But it is always good to learn.
That's true and rarely mentioned, the original was just square box really.
They don't complain about the noise in Monaco?
Apparently not.
Not first probs second but waddup waddup youtuube
No, you nailed it. You were first.
"glate plass"???? 😂😂😂😂
Yup hehe
All Crystal Palace reminds me of is football
Crystal Palace reminds Google to drugs. I wanted to promote the video with a Google advertisement. But I got the message that crystal was a forbidden word :O
Crystal Palace play at Selhurst Park - which is quite a way from this place as it goes!