Crystal Palace circuit

Crystal Palace Circuit lies inside Crystal Palace Park in the London Borough of Bromley. The track follows paths laid out in the park in 1927, when it opened for motorcycle races. The original one-mile route used tarmac bends and gravel straights, but by 1937 the whole circuit was resurfaced. The park’s lake once formed an infield loop, but this was bypassed after the Second World War. A 1937 London Grand Prix drew twenty cars, with Prince Bira winning at an average speed of 54.36 mph. The BBC broadcast the first ever televised motor race from the circuit later that same year. The circuit’s length changed several times, reaching 2.000 miles in 1936 before being shortened to 1.390 miles in 1953. Jochen Rindt set the first 100 mph lap average in 1970, while Mike Hailwood holds the final lap record at 103.39 mph. Racing stopped in 1972 after an injunction limited events to five days a year. The last meeting took place in September 1974, though club events continued until closure. The site has also appeared in films such as The Italian Job and Rush. Today parts of the track remain open for an annual sprint meeting held on the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. The event features classic cars including Bentleys, Bugattis, Ferraris and Lotuses. The Crystal Palace National Sports Centre now shares the park, and the transmitter tower stands above the old startline. The circuit has been recreated in motor-racing simulation games, and sections are used for summer cycle races. Visitors can walk the old route and see where the paddock once stood beside the lake.