Silverstone Race Track - Silverstone, Northamptonshire, UK - Professional Sports Venues on Waymarking.com

The website describes the venue:

'Silverstone Circuit has come a long way since it was turned from a wartime airfield into a motor racing circuit. It is now one of the world's most famous motor sport venues.

Silverstone was opened as a World War Two airfield in 1943, near the leafy village of the same name. Once the war had ended in 1945 Britain was left with a number of redundant airfields but without a major race track Donington Park was still a military vehicle storage depot, Brooklands had been sold off, Crystal Palace was in a state of disrepair and Brands Hatch was still under-developed.

The Royal Automobile Club was interested in Silverstone as a potential site and approached the Air Ministry in 1948 and a lease was arranged. At this time the centre of Silverstone Circuit was a farm producing cereal crops and also a piggery so the RAC employed farmer James Wilson Brown to create the first Grand Prix circuit at the site and gave him just two months to build it.

On October 2nd, 1948, amid straw bales and ropes, Silverstone's first event took place, the RAC Grand Prix. The crowds came in their thousands, thrilled to see the return of Grand Prix racing after so many years of war austerity. The 3.67 mile course sent the 23 competing cars racing round part of the perimeter track, up the two former runways and back to the perimeter. This layout meant cars were racing towards each other head-on until they turned sharp left and returned to the perimeter. For this reason canvas screens were erected across the centre of the circuit to stop the drivers being distracted whilst the spectators were not allowed in the centre of the circuit because of the potential damage to growing crops.

The winner of the inaugural race at the Silverstone circuit was Luigi Villoresi in a Maserati, who recorded an average speed of 72 mph to claim the first prize of £500. A year later, after the hazardous runways were eliminated and a chicane was inserted at Club on the full perimeter road, Silverstone hosted a second major event in May 1949 – the Formula One Daily Express International Trophy – virtually a second Grand Prix, won by Alberto Ascari.

Another of Silverstone's most famous classics also began in August 1949, the Daily Express International Trophy for Formula One cars and for this meeting the Club chicane was dispensed with and the circuit took up a shape that was to last for a quarter of a century.'

'In 1950 the World Drivers' Championship was created and the very first World Championship event was held at Silverstone on May 13.
It was a significant occasion for motor sport and the event was awarded the title of the European Grand Prix. It was attended by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth – the first and only time a Monarch has attended a British motor race.

Apart from regular maintenance, the face of Silverstone changed little during the Sixties and the circuit was the stage for some remarkable track performances. The 1960 Grand Prix was to be remembered as the race that Graham Hill lost, rather than the one that Jack Brabham won.

1971 saw Jackie Stewart win his second British Grand Prix, at Silverstone on his way to the second of his three world titles. The winter of 1974/75 saw extensive work at the circuit. In addition to the construction of a new pits complex with 44 garages – opened by the Duke of Edinburgh – the famous Woodcote Corner underwent major changes.

For the third British F1 GP in succession, 1981 celebrated another home victory – four years on from his disappointment of 1977, John Watson, having been badly delayed by the crashing Gilles Villeneuve and Alan Jones, survived a race of attrition to come through for an emotional win.

The famous Silverstone Grand Prix track underwent major revisions in time for the 1991 staging of the British Grand Prix. Though average speeds were reduced, the revised layout remained one of the fastest on the F1 calendar.

The 21st century started as the previous one had ended with David Coulthard mastering Silverstone to win back-to-back British Grand Prix. Unusually the 2000 race was staged at Easter and predictably the British weather lived down to its reputation causing widespread disruption over the weekend.'

There is much more information on the website.

Silverstone has a busy calendar of events from Formula 1 to driving experiences for members of the public.

It's the home of which team(s)?: British Grand Prix Which professional sports are played here?: World Motorsport Capacity (number of seats): 75000 Opening Date: 10/02/1948 Guided Tours: yes Venue's Website or Team's Website: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
1) Tell how was your visit. Were you at a game, which one? Have you just visited it by the outside, on a guided tour maybe? Are you a fan?

2) Pictures:
- They should be taken by YOU.
- No internet pictures are allowed.
- Upload one photo, at least. It would be great if you'd upload one of the venue and one with you on the photo.
- No need of photos with the GPSr.
- Extra credits for photos inside, with the teams playing.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   07/14/2019 fm1906 visited it 05/23/2009 Buck_DK visited it 06/10/2006 SMacB visited it

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