Brighton Speed Trials

28 August 2014

Brighton Speed Trials

...Are Go for 2014!

speedtriials

It is nearly the end of August now but do not feel downhearted that the summer is leaving again because there are still treats in store for September. On Saturday September 6th it’s the Brighton Speed Trials on Madeira Drive, Brighton Seafront. This is a very happy event this year because it was feared that the Speed Trials were doomed after an accident in 2012 led to the death of one of the competitors causing the event to be cancelled last year due to safety concerns. In fact Brighton Council had pulled the event for the second year running in 2014 because of health and safety concerns and it was only the intercession of various celebrities ( The Stig from Top Gear, Sir Stirling Moss, Nick Mason of Pink Floyd to name but a few) and a huge online petition organised by the event organisers The Brighton and Hove Motor Club and signed by 12,400 people, which made the council reconsider and agree to hold the Speed Trials after all this year.

Brighton Speed Trials are reputed to be the longest running sprint event of this kind, having started way back in 1905 when the stretch of road was specially coated in the then state of the art new road surfacing material, tarmacadam, in order for the sprinting to take place. It has proved so popular over the years that now thousands of spectators turn out to watch the 200 odd cars and motorcycles being put through their paces on Madeira Drive. The atmosphere is always great and lots of families go along for a good day out to watch the machines in action. There are all kinds of entrants and with a ticket into the paddock spectators can actually get up close to have a look at the great diversity of unusual and interesting machines which are preparing to hit the track.

The Sprint itself is a short but exciting Speed Trial of a quarter of a mile. The noise and smell of the event all add to the atmosphere of good natured competitive enjoyment as various fast, faster and not so fast machines of many types, take a turn to get up to full speed on the short track, racing against the clock to be the fastest. The competitors are grouped in categories so that cars and motorcycles are timed against machines of the same sort of age and type as themselves to ensure that it is a fair fight. The distance covered is short, it really is a sprinting quarter mile, so drivers and riders have to think about braking as soon as they have got up to speed in order to be able to stop at the end of the run.

There is still a small shadow hanging over the event as the Safety Advisory Group which comprises police, fire, council, ambulance and hospital representatives has recommended that the Brighton and Hove Motor Club appoints a Safety Advisor and the East Sussex Fire and Rescue service say that it has concerns that the organisers have not yet demonstrated that they have the capability to operate a safe event. However apparently a member of Brighton & Hove Council has said that the situation was looking ‘positive’ and a spokeswoman from the Brighton and Hove Motor Club, added:

“We are using the services of an independent fire risk assessment consultant which will produce a detailed fire safety plan to address the needs of the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and the Safety Advisory Group.”

So hopefully all will be well and a good time will be had by all on September 6th.

If you are planning to go along then the best way to see the race machines up close is to buy a ticket to get into the paddock (£12) but you can get a view from Marine Parade above and still see some of the action if the crowds are not too great,without having to pay.