Aintree Motor Racing Circuit

Aintree Motor Racing Circuit lies inside Aintree Racecourse in Merseyside, England. The track shares grandstands with horse racing and runs for three kilometres on ground that rises only thirty metres at its highest point. Built in 1954, it was designed to copy the Goodwood layout and offered a smooth, flat surface for racing. The full circuit once hosted Grand Prix cars, while a shorter Club Circuit still winds through the racecourse’s infield. Within the Club Circuit sits a public nine-hole golf course, adding another layer to the site. The circuit’s racing history includes five British Grands Prix between 1955 and 1962. Stirling Moss claimed his first British Grand Prix victory here in 1955, and in 1957 he and Tony Brooks became the first British drivers to win a Grand Prix in a British car. The 1957 European Grand Prix drew 150,000 spectators, making it the season’s biggest event. After the full track closed to Formula One in 1964, the Club Circuit kept motorsport alive with sprints, track days and motorcycle races. Rallying returned in the 1980s thanks to the 108 Car Club, while schools’ electric car races and charity rides now share the tarmac. Visitors today find the Club Circuit still in use for car sprints, track days and motorcycle events organised by local clubs. Six motorcycle meetings take place each year, while Liverpool Motor Club runs three sprints and two track days. The sprint course measures just under two kilometres and has held the current course record since 2010, set at thirty-six seconds. Cars reach speeds above 275 kilometres an hour through the traps, yet the circuit remains flat enough for safe spectating. The surrounding racecourse and golf course give the place a quiet, spacious feel despite its racing past.