| Brighton Speed Trials | |
| Location: | Brighton, England |
| Time: | GMT |
| Owner: | Brighton and Hove Motor Club |
| Events: | Brighton Speed Trials |
| Layout1: | Sprint |
| Length Km: | 0.4 |
| Length Mi: | 1/4 |
| Turns: | 0 |
| Record Time: | 9.38 secs |
| Record Driver: | John Siggery |
| Record Team: | Geronimo Dragster |
| Record Year: | 1971 |
The Brighton Speed Trials, in full The Brighton National Speed Trials, is commonly held to be the oldest running motor race.[1] The first race was held 19–22 July 1905 after Sir Harry Preston persuaded Brighton town council to tarmac the surface of the road adjacent to the beach between the Palace Pier and Black Rock to hold motor racing events. This stretch was renamed Madeira Drive in 1909 and the event is still held there, normally on the second Saturday of September each year. In 1936 Motor Sport described the event as: "undoubtedly the most important speed-trials on the British Calendar."[2]
The event was run as a quarter mile sprint for both cars and motorcycles, held under the auspices of the Motor Sports Association. The event is organised by the Brighton and Hove Motor Club, with the Sprint Section of the Vintage Motorcycle Club in charge of the Motorcycles.
Following a fatal motorcycle combination crash in 2012 Brighton & Hove City Council considered banning the event. However, on 23 January 2014 the Economic Development and Culture Committee voted in favour of the event continuing. It was discontinued in 2024 due to high costs.
The Brighton National Speed Trials is commonly held to be the oldest running motor race.[3] The first race was held 19–22 July 1905 after Sir Harry Preston persuaded Brighton town council to tarmac the surface of the road adjacent to the beach between the Palace Pier and Black Rock to hold motor racing events. This stretch was renamed Madeira Drive in 1909 and the event is still held there, normally on the second Saturday of September each year. In 1936 Motor Sport described the event as: "undoubtedly the most important speed-trials on the British Calendar."[4]
The first speed trial, called the "Brighton Motor Trials", was held in July 1905, but because of the cost and opposition from ratepayers, it was not held again until 1923.
A police ban of racing on public roads interrupted activity from 1925–1931, but because Madeira Drive was a private road owned by the council it was eventually exempt from the ban.
The Speed Trials were not run between 1939–1945 due to World War II. The 1939 event had been scheduled for 23 September.[5]
In 1969 the fuel crisis led to the cancellation of this year's event.[6] Autocar reported in 1970: "Last year this traditional event did not take place because the condition of the road surface was thought unsuitable for the more powerful sprint cars."[7]
In 2013 the council declined the club's application to run the event following a fatal accident in 2012. Following a Save Brighton Speed Trails campaign the event was reinstated in 2014.
The first announcement that a dragster would race in Brighton came from Wally Parks, in an editorial in Hot Rod Magazine in August 1958. Parks had nominated Calvin Rice to travel from the USA to England with the Hot Rod Magazine Special for the speed trials. In the event the trip was aborted.[8]
In 1961 Sydney Allard built the Allard dragster in the UK[9] and its first competitive appearance was at the Brighton Speed Trials on 2 September 1961. A new track record over the kilometre was anticipated but a fuel line ruptured caused a misfire and a time of 37.91 secs. Hot Rod Magazine reported: "During warmup it backfired and blew off one set of blower pipes and never got going."[10] The reputation of the car never fully recovered, and Bill Boddy, editor of Motor Sport, called it a fiasco,[11] saying the mechanical problems had also occurred in testing at Boreham. The Autocar described the Allard dragster as a "gallant failure."[12]
At Brighton on 15 September 1962 the Allard dragster clocked two runs at 22.30 and 22.04 seconds. A respectable performance but no outright win or record. Motor Sport reported: "It appears that before the end of the Brighton kilometre the Allard dragster had burst the pipe between supercharger and engine, a common problem with such an installation and the reason why the Americans bolt their blowers on the engine, eliminating a long induction pipe."[13]
Sydney Allard was joined on 14 September 1963, by Dante Duce in Dean Moon's Mooneyes gas dragster[14] and Mickey Thompson with his Ford-powered Harvey Aluminum Special for some match-race style action. It was not to be. The American cars were not really suited to the kilometre, and there were no clocks for a quarter-mile distance. They had no brakes at the front and parachute brakes at the rear, no rear suspension, and advertising on the bodywork. All of this was enough to give the scrutineers (technical inspectors) fits. The cars did demonstrations only, reduced to burnouts and wheelstands, but left a lasting impression on the crowd. The Allard dragster put two rods through the block on Madeira Drive that day.[15] The Worden dragster of Tony Densham and Harry Worrall, a budget effort powered by a Shorrock-supercharged 1,500 c.c. Ford engine, was entered in the 1,101 to 1,500 c.c. racing car class, and, although not geared for the kilometre, finished second to Patsy Burt, in a time of 27.86 sec.[16] Densham would later set the British land speed record at Elvington in the Ford-powered Commuter dragster.
The canny Duce returned in 1964 with the Moonbeam modified sports car, which at least looked like a traditional European sporty car, but with a drag race and Bonneville heritage. The car as raced in Brighton was fitted with a 375-cubic inch supercharged Chevrolet V8 engine and a Devin bodyshell,[17] and was originally built in 1959.[18] Dante Duce also borrowed an A.C. Shelby Cobra, chassis number CSX2345, from John Wyer, and entered it in the GT class,[19] car number 110 at Brighton.[20] Duce cleaned up that day winning overall in the Moonbeam in a time of 21.95 sec, and first in Sports and GT cars over 2,500 c.c., in the Cobra roadster in 24.35 sec.[21]
Soon Brighton started holding dragster demonstrations over the quarter mile. In 1972 Clive Skilton produced an 8.18 sec run in his rear-engined Chrysler dragster.[22] In 1973 Dennis Priddle ran a smoky 7.69 sec quarter mile in his front-motored Chrysler dragster, which remains the quickest quarter yet seen on Brighton seafront. Motor Sport reported: "The sheer bravery and courage of the West Country lad as the Dragster accelerated along the bumpy, cambered road, brought forth the most incredible spontaneous round of applause heard at a motoring event for many years."[23] It is said that the local police chief came to Priddle after the run and said "That was that most amazing thing I have ever seen and there's no way I am going to let you do it again!"[24]
The dragsters were getting too quick for Brighton and there were concerns about how to deal with fires involving exotic fuels. They faded from the scene with only occasional wins by drag-race type vehicles, such as Shaun Saunders (2000) and Paul Marston (2001, 2002).
The event is currently run as a quarter mile sprint for both cars and motorcycles, held under the auspices of the Motor Sports Association. The event is organised by the Brighton and Hove Motor Club, with the Sprint Section of the Vintage Motorcycle Club in charge of the Motorcycles. Entrants run individually, although in earlier days vehicles would race side by side. This practice was stopped following a number of accidents. The course length has varied over the years, generally becoming shorter to keep terminal speeds manageable as cars have got faster. The speed trials form a unique event, where vintage and exotic classics meet the latest in street and racing cars. Public access is allowed to the paddock and startline 'funnel' allowing visitors to get much closer to the action than at most events.
Following a fatal motorcycle combination crash in 2012 Brighton & Hove City Council considered banning the event. However, on 23 January 2014 the Economic Development and Culture Committee voted in favour of the event continuing, after a petition of more than 12,000 signatures was presented.
In 2024 the event was discontinued with losses being cited as the reason.[25]
Times are approximate.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 0900-1130 | Practice |
| 1130–1300 | Morning timed runs |
| 1300–1400 | Interval |
| 1400–1800 | Afternoon timed runs |
| 1800–1900 | Top six runoffs for cars and bikes |
| 1900 | Results declared and award presentation |
Handicap – Roadgoing cars of any type
Class 1 – Roadgoing and modified production cars up to 1400cc
Class 2 – Roadgoing and modified production cars over 1400cc and up to 2000cc
Class 3 – Roadgoing and modified production cars over 2000cc and up to 3500cc
Class 4 – Roadgoing and modified production cars over 3500cc
Class 5 – Clubmans
Class 6 – Sports Libre cars up to 1300cc
Class 7 – Sports Libre cars over 1300cc and up to 1600cc
Class 8 – Sports Libre cars over 1600cc
Class 9 – Racing cars up to 500cc
Class 10 – Racing cars over 500cc and up to 1100cc
Class 11 – Racing cars over 1100cc and up to 1600cc
Class 12 – Racing cars over 1600cc and up to 2000cc
Class 13 – Racing and Sports cars constructed on or before 31 December 1959
Car1993, John Gray, SPA Judd V10, standing start 1/4-mile 8.90s
Bike2009, Roger Simmons, Suzuki Hayabusa Turbo, standing start 1/4-mile 8.73s
Fastest Recorded 64ft Launch Time (Car) Laurie Hatchard Dax Rush Quadra 5 Litre V8 Special 1.61 Seconds 2022
These are the fastest car times recorded on the day for each year.
| Year | Driver | Vehicle | Time | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flying Start Kilometre | |||||
| 1905 | Clifford Earp | Napier 90 hp | 23s[26] | 19–22 July. | |
| Standing Start 1/2 Mile[27] | |||||
| 1923 | J.A. Joyce | AC | [28] | 14 July. | |
| 1924 | Standing Start 1/4 Mile | ||||
| G.N. Norris | Morgan | 16.4s[29] | 25 May. | ||
| Standing Start 1/2 Mile | |||||
| J.A. Joyce[30] | AC | 28s[31] | 6 Sept. | ||
| Standing Start 1/2 Mile | |||||
| 1932 | Sir Malcolm Campbell[32] | Sunbeam Tiger S/C | 23.6s R[33] | 17 Sep, very fine. "Pathe News Clip", | |
| 1933 | Whitney Straight | Maserati | 24.2s[34] | 16 Sep, very wet. | |
| 1934 | R. O. Shuttleworth | Bugatti Type 51 S/C | 23.8s[35] | 15 Sep, fine. | |
| 1935 | R. O. Shuttleworth | Alfa Romeo P3 Tipo B S/C | 22.68s R[36] | 14 Sep, fine. | |
| 1936 | S. E. Cummings | Vauxhall-Villiers S/C[37] | 22.90s[38] | 26 Sep, wet. | |
| 1937 | Geoffrey Taylor | Alta | 22.84s[39] | 25 Sep, wet. | |
| 1938 | Geoffrey Taylor | Alta 1960 c.c. S/C | 22.45s R[40] | 2 July. | |
| Standing Start Kilometre | |||||
| 1946 | Raymond Mays | ERA R4D | 24.47s R[41] | 7 Sep, fine. | |
| 1947 | Raymond Mays | ERA R4D | 24.27s R[42] | 1 Sep, fine. | |
| 1948 | Raymond Mays | ERA R4D | 23.86s R[43] | 4 Sep, fair, no motorcycles.[44] | |
| 1949 | Archie Butterworth[45] | A.J.B. | 24.91s[46] | 3 Sep, very fine. | |
| 1950 | Raymond Mays | ERA R4D | 24.40s[47] | 2 Sep, fine. | |
| 1951 | Archie Butterworth | A.J.B. | 26.63s[48] | 1 Sep, dry morning, wet afternoon. | |
| 1952 | Ted Lloyd-Jones | Triangle Flying Saucer 21-litre | 23.91s[49] | 6 Sep, fine. | |
| 1953 | Ted Lloyd-Jones | Triangle Flying Saucer 21-litre | 24.55s[50] | 5 Sept. | |
| 1954 | Ken Wharton | ERA R4D | 23.63s R[51] | 4 Sep, wet morning, dry afternoon. | |
| 1955 | Ken Wharton | ERA R4D | 23.99s[52] | 3 Sep, fine and dry. | |
| 1956 | Ken Wharton | ERA R4D | 23.34s R[53] | 1 Sept. | |
| 1957 | Bill Sadler | Sadler Special-Chevrolet | 25.44s[54] | 7 Sep, dry morning, wet afternoon. | |
| 1958 | Jim Berry | ERA Special | 25.01s[55] | 6 Sep, fine. | |
| 1959 | Arthur Owen | Cooper-Climax 2-litre | 23.50s[56] | 5 Sep, fine. | |
| 1960 | Jim Berry | Cooper-ERA S/C | 23.21s R[57] | 3 Sep, windy, wet morning, dry afternoon. | |
| 1961 | Gordon Parker | HK Jaguar Special S/C[58] | 24.63s[59] | 2 Sep, fine. | |
| 1962 | Chris Summers | Cooper F2-Chevrolet[60] | 21.69s R[61] | 15 Sep, sunny. | |
| 1963 | Ken Wilson | BRM | 23.10s[62] | 14 Sep, sunny. | |
| 1964 | Dante Duce | Moonbeam-Chevrolet S/C[63] | 21.95s[64] | 12 Sept. | |
| 1965 | Chris Summers | Lotus 24-Chevrolet | 21.56s R[65] | 11 Sep, intermittent showers. | |
| 1966 | Chris Summers | Lotus 24-Chevrolet | 20.70s R[66] | 17 Sep, sunny. | |
| 1967 | John Woolfe[67] | AC Cobra 7-litre | 22.51s[68] | 16 Sep, dry, calm, overcast. | |
| 1968 | Patsy Burt[69] | McLaren M3A-Oldsmobile | 20.21s R[70] | 14 Sep, wet morning. | |
| 1969 | No event | ||||
| Standing Start 1/4 Mile | |||||
| 1970 | Gerry Tyack | Brabham BT23 | 12.89s R | 12 Sept. | |
| Standing Start Kilometre | |||||
| 1971 | Johnty Williamson | Cooper T81B F1-1-67-Chrysler V8 7.2-litre | 21.05s | 11 Sept. | |
| 1972 | Johnty Williamson | McLaren M10B 5.0 litre | 22.42s[71] | ||
| 1973 | Bob Rose | McLaren-Chevrolet M14D | 20.53s[72] | 8 Sept. | |
| 1974 | David Purley | Trojan-Chevrolet T101 | 18.63s R | ||
| 1975 | David Purley | Chevron B30-Ford GA V6 3.4-litre | 19.70s[73] | ||
| 1976 | David Render | Lotus 76-DFV | 18.77s[74] | ||
| 1977 | Simon Riley | Brabham-DFV BT33 | 18.28s R[75] | 10 Sept. | |
| 1978 | Dave Harris | McRae-Chevrolet GM1 | 17.48s R[76] | 9 Sep, joint fastest. | |
| Terry Smith | Brabham-Repco BT36 | ||||
| 1979 | Terry Smith | March-Repco 761 | 18.82s[77] | 8 Sept. | |
| Standing Start 1/2 Mile | |||||
| 1980 | Mark Williams | Hesketh-DFV 308E | 15.49s R[78] | 13 Sept. | |
| 1981 | Terry Smith | March-Repco 761 | 15.73s | 12 Sept. | |
| 1982 | Ken Ayers | March-DFV 79S | 15.53s[79] | 11 Sept. | |
| 1983 | Ken Ayers | March-DFV 79S | 16.08s[80] | 10 Sept. | |
| 1984 | Ken Ayers | Lyncar-DFL MS84 | 15.63s[81] | 8 Sept. | |
| 1985 | Ken Ayers | Lyncar-DFL MS84 | 15.64s[82] | 14 Sept. | |
| 1986 | Roy Woodhouse | March-Rover 77/82 T/C | 18.71s[83] | 13 Sept. | |
| 1987 | Clive Bracey | Vebra-Chevrolet | 15.29s R[84] | 12 Sept. | |
| 1988 | Clive Bracey | Vebra-Chevrolet Mk II 7.6-litre | 14.98s R[85] | 10 Sept. | |
| 1989 | Paul Edwards | Pilbeam-DFL MP58 | 14.97s R[86] | 9 Sept. | |
| 1990 | Ken Ayers | Pilbeam-DFL MP58 | 15.32s | 8 Sept. | |
| 1991 | John Gray | Pilbeam-DFL MP58 | 14.48s R | 14 Sept. | |
| 1992 | John Gray | SPA Judd V10 | 14.48s[87] | 12 Sept. | |
| Standing Start 1/4 Mile | |||||
| 1993 | John Gray | SPA Judd V10 | 8.90s R[88] | 11 Sept. | |
| 1994 | Les Edmunds | BRD TS01-Rover 4.5-litre | 10.53s[89] | ||
| 1995 | Mike Lee | Lyncar 79B-BDG 2.0 litre[90] | 10.61s | 9 Sept. | |
| 1996 | David Render | Pilbeam-Hart MP43 2.8-litre | 9.88s[91] | ||
| 1997 | Peter le Druillenec | Miller Exocet-Chevrolet 6.3-litre | 10.20s[92] | ||
| 1998 | Richard George | Pilbeam MP62 | 10.68s[93] | ||
| 1999 | Tony Bianchi | Pilbeam MP62 | 10.92s | ||
| 2000 | Shaun Saunders | Datsun 240Z-Chevrolet | 10.25s[94] | ||
| 2001 | Paul Marston | Chrysler PT Cruiser "PT Bruiser" Dragster | 10.41s | 8 Sept. | |
| 2002 | Paul Marston | Chrysler PT Cruiser "PT Bruiser" Dragster | 10.17s | 14 Sept. | |
| 2003 | Philip Cooke | Force PC | 10.25s | ||
| 2004 | James Tiller | Allard J2-Chevrolet | 10.20s[95] | ||
| 2005 | Mike Endean | Gould Ford Puma T/C | 9.45s | ||
| 2006 | James Tiller | Allard J2-Chevrolet | 10.28s | ||
| 2007 | Chris Cannell | Force SR8 2600 c.c. | 10.33s | ||
| 2008 | Mike Endean | Gould Ford Puma T/C | 9.95s | ||
| 2009 | Mike Endean | Gould Ford Puma T/C | 9.63s[96] | 12 Sep, fine. | |
| 2010 | Mike Endean | Gould Ford Puma T/C | 10.63[97] | 11 Sep, intermittent light rain with short heavy showers. | |
| 2011 | Rodney Thorne | Pilbeam MP 43 | 10.59 | 11 Sep, dry morning, wet afternoon. | |
| 2012 | Rob Stevens | Force SR4 | 10.12 | 8 Sep, event ended early due to fatal accident. | |
| 2014 | Rob Stevens | Force SR4 | 9.87 | 6 Sep, sunny and dry | |
| Year | Rider | Motorcycle | Time | Miles per Hour (average) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flying Start Kilometre | ||||||
| 1905 | Henri Cissac | Peugeot 12-h.p. twin cylinder | 26.0 | [98] | ||
| Standing Start 1/2-mile | ||||||
| 1924 | E.W. Spencer | Douglas 494 c.c. | 26.0 | 69.2mph | [99] 6 Sept. | |
| 1932 | R.W. Storey | Brough Superior 996 c.c. | 22.2 | 81.08mph | [100] | |
| 1933 | R.W. Storey | Brough Superior 996 c.c. | 23.19 | 77.59mph | ||
| 1934 | Noel Pope | Brough Superior | 22.39 | 80.36mph | [101] | |
| 1935 | Eric Fernihough | Brough Superior J.A.P. 996 c.c. | 20.27 R | 88.7mph | [102] | |
| 1936 | E.C. Fernihough | Brough S/C | 20.00 R | 89.86mph | [103] | |
| 1937 | J. Waite | Norton 490 c.c. | 25.13 | 73.2mph | ||
| 1938 | F. Williams | Cotton 496 c.c. | 23.22 | 77.51mph | [104] | |
| Standing Start Kilometre | ||||||
| 1946 | B. Berry | Brough-Superior | 28.13 | [105] | ||
| 1947 | Bob Berry | Brough-Superior | 86.17mph | .[106] | ||
| 1952 | G. Brown | Vincent | 24.71 | .[107] | ||
| 1953 | G. Brown | Vincent 998 c.c. | 24.27 | [108] | ||
| 1954 | R. Charlton | Vincent | 23.57 R | [109] Absolute course record. | ||
| 1955 | R. Charlton | Vincent-H.R.D. | 22.27 | 100.45mph | [110] | |
| 1956 (i) | F. Williams | Norton-J.A.P. | 22.4 | [111] | ||
| 1957 | ||||||
| 1958 | Charlie Rous | Vincent streamliner | 22.05 | 101.5mph | [112] | |
| 1959 | Basil Keys | Norton-J.A.P. | 21.59 R | 103.61mph | [113] Absolute course record. | |
| 1960 | C. Rous | Moto-Vincent | 21.67 | 103.25 mph | [114] | |
| 1961 | Ernie Woods | Norton-J.A.P. | 21.62 | 103.49 mph | [115] | |
| 1962 | G. Brown | Vincent Special Nero | 20.99 R | [116] Absolute course record. | ||
| 1963 | George Brown | Vincent Special Super Nero | 19.29 R | 115.96mph | [117] | |
| 1964 | ||||||
| 1965 | I. Ashwell | Vincent 998 c.c. S/C | 21.07 | [118] | ||
| 1966 | Ian Ashwell | Vincent Satan | 19.34 | [119] | ||
| 1967 | Ian Ashwell | Vincent Satan S/C | 19.47 | [120] | ||
| 1968 | ||||||
| 1969 | No event | |||||
| Standing Start 1/4 Mile | ||||||
| 1970 | 12 Sept. | |||||
| Standing Start Kilometre | ||||||
| 1971 | Don East | Triumph 711 c.c. Quasimodo | 20.05 | |||
| 1972 | Mick Butler | 20.53 | [121] | |||
| 1973 | A. Weeden | Triumph 500 c.c. S/C | 19.79 | [122] | ||
| 1974 | AWeeden | Triumph 500 c.c S/C | 19.10 | 170.5 mph | ||
| 1975 | Tony Weeden | Triumph 500 c.c. | 18.95 | 173.5 mph | [123] | |
| 1978 | Henk Vink | Kawasaki 1,000 c.c. S/C Big Spender III | 17.48 R | [124] | ||
| Standing Start 1/2-mile | ||||||
| 1980 | A. Weeden | Triumph 499 c.c. | 16.45 | 109.42mph | ||
| 1982 | Pip Higham | Suzuki Katana | 15.13 R | |||
| Standing Start 1/4-mile | ||||||
| 1994 | Jeff Dowsett | Suzuki GSX 1,260 c.c. | 9.62 | [125] | ||
| 1995 | Dave Holland | Suzuki GSXR 1,400 c.c. | 9.31 R | [126] 1996Dave HughesSuzuki GSX 1328 turbo | ||
| 1997 | Dave Hughes | Suzuki 1,326 c.c. | 9.38 | [127] 2000Dave HughesSuzuki 1326 turbo / nitrous9.0 / 151 "R" | ||
| 2001 | Dave Holland | 9.25 | 8 Sept. | |||
| 2004 | Phil Wood | Suzuki Katana | 8.87 | |||
| 2009 | Roger Simmons | Suzuki Hayabusa Turbo | 8.73 R | 12 Sep, fine. | ||
| 2010 | Steve Walton | Suzuki GSXR1000 | 10.60 | 143mph terminal speed | 11 Sep, Wet. | |
| 2011 | Steve Walton | Suzuki GSXR1000 | 10.71 | 11 Sep, dry morning, wet afternoon. | ||
| 2012 | Craig Mallabone | Suzuki Hayabusa Turbo | 8.85 | 8 Sep, event ended early due to fatal accident. | ||
| 2014 | Craig Mallabone | Suzuki Hayabusa Turbo | 9.07 | 6 Sep, sunny and dry | ||
288.
Devin bodyshell. Now in the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, Ocala, Florida.