Brands Hatch started life as a place where cyclists raced cross-country runners. A hundred years on, it has hosted British and European Grands Prix and Superbike World Championship rounds. Damon Hill is in the headlines for a tribute to it. I couldn’t pin down what he actually said, so I’ll tell you where that stands below.
What the circuit says about its own history
Brands Hatch’s own centenary announcement dates the site’s sporting life to 1926, when a former mushroom field near West Kingsdown was identified as suitable. Cyclists and runners came first, then motorcyclists within a few years, on a grasstrack. Racing stopped when World War II turned the venue into a military facility. It returned in the late ’40s, and cars arrived alongside a new tarmac surface in 1950.
Related Articles
- Kenny Wallace Asked Fans Not to Make Fun of Him. Then He Pitched His Idea for Women Racers
- Memphis Owner Found His Stolen 2014 Corvette Before Police Did. Inside: A Non-Original Key and a Full-Auto Rifle
The Grand Prix loop came later. A woodland extension in 1960 created the layout that opened the door to Formula 1. The circuit says it held 14 British and European Grands Prix, with winners including Jim Clark, Jack Brabham, Niki Lauda and Nigel Mansell.
The Hill connection
Hill’s link to the place is not hard to see. Formula 1’s own hall of fame notes that Damon added 22 wins and a world championship to his father Graham’s 14 wins and two titles. Graham’s name sits on a corner at Brands, a detail that makes any Hill tribute there personal.
I could not check Damon’s actual remarks against a recording, a statement from the circuit or his own posts, so I’m not quoting him. Check his own posts or the circuit’s statement and see whether it matches the headlines.
What’s actually happening this weekend
The circuit’s October fixture is the Formula Ford Festival, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October on the Indy circuit, billed as a “Centenary Edition.” It’s the 55th running, and this year marks 50 years since the knockout-format event moved to Kent. The winners’ list includes Jenson Button, Johnny Herbert and Mark Webber, and the Grand Final is Sunday afternoon.
There’s also a 40th-anniversary display for Roland Ratzenberger, who won the 1986 festival. His BMW M3 will be in the paddock with tributes in the Kentagon.
The practical bit for anyone going
Advance booking closed at 16:00 on Friday 23 October, so if you haven’t booked, you’re paying at the gate. Gate prices for adults are £19 per day. Under-13s go free and public parking is free. Paddock Hill grandstand is also free on a first-come basis, and ticket holders can camp at no charge.
Related Articles
- Mercedes Crashed Its Own CLA Hybrid Into Its Own Electric CLA’s Door at 56 km/h, With Eight Dummies Aboard
- Sam Hard Wants Yenko Accreditation for the ‘2 Fast 2 Furious’ Camaro. One Problem: It Was Never a Yenko
That’s a useful setup for a family on a budget, and Paddock Hill at the start of a Formula Ford heat is one of the better seats in British motorsport.
Why the centenary matters beyond the party
A circuit that has stayed active through the war, the Grand Prix years and the shift to national-level racing is rare. The organizers say the programme runs from March to November, with the three biggest domestic prizes all decided on the Grand Prix layout: the BSB and BTCC finales, plus the final British GT round. That’s the sort of schedule that justifies the word “centenary” instead of a one-off celebration.
Whatever Hill did or didn’t say, the Grand Final is Sunday afternoon and the grid is real. Grand Prix years or Formula Ford Saturdays: which Brands Hatch would you rather have stood trackside for?
Images Via: Wikipedia
About the Author
