Forgotten Track At Earls Barton

[Guest]

Although mainly recognised for various car racing formats, apparently there was some speedway activity at Earls Barton in the 1940s and various well-spaced out time to the early 1950s.

This is what the Defunct Stock Car website has to say about the venue:

"...Earls Barton Northamptonshire. Home town of the famous renegade BRISCA F1 ace Aubrey Leighton. Pretty obscure this one - There was a short (280 yard) speedway track inside a slightly bigger dog track at what now the PIONEER SPORTS GROUND off Station Rd to the South-East of the town. It was used for grass track and then as a speedway training track, mostly, from 1947-57. The speedway moved out in 1960, the shale was concreted over for a Kart track which was later used for stock cars. Barry Eaton, motor sport video producer of many years standing, tells me the track was promoted by Geoff Gough and later briefly in 1971 by Chris Butler before closing at the end of the year. Hot Rod historian Graham Brown has been told a programme does exist for at least one of the 1971 dates although he has not had sight of it. He does confirm that midgets raced there on the shale in 1951, probably promoted by Dave Hughes. The site still shows up well on Google Maps but no trace of the track remains aside from the base of the grandstand upon which a couple or Portacabins now rest. For more information and photos we have a new EARLS BARTON PAGE..."

 

It also gets a scant mention on the speedway website DEFUNCT TRACKS:

http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/Earls%20Barton.htm

Edited February 25, 2017 by Guest

[Guest]

I have a recollection that around 1949-50 that the Birmingham then Cradley Heath rider Eric Irons was involved with the promotion of speedway at Earls Barton.