Hydrex

Croft on Tees
North Yorkshire
DL2 2PN

Tel: 01325 721815
Fax: 01325 721819

Website: www.croftcircuit.co.uk

Lap Record: 1m20.508s
Lap Record Holder: Leon Haslam, Ducati

Directions:
Travelling South by Road:
Take junction 58 off the A1(M) signed Darlington. Follow this route through Darlington, then follow the A167 towards Northallerton. Croft Circuit is signposted approximately 2 miles south of Croft on Tees.

Travelling North by Road:
Take junction 57 off the A1(M) to Darlington. At the second roundabout take the 5th exit - signed Northallerton A167. Continue on this route as above.

Travelling by Rail:
The nearest station to Croft Circuit is Darlington which is 4 miles to the North. Darlington Station is frequently serviced by the East Coast Main Line. Contact BR on 08457 225225.

Travelling by Bus:
Details of bus services to Darlington are available from: National Express on 0990 808080.Knockhill, in Southern Scotland, is some five miles north of Dunfermline, just off the A823, with the M90 motorway some four miles away. Edinburgh, a 45 minute drive, is some 20 miles to the south, Glasgow 50 miles to the west of the circuit.

Track Info:
Racing at Croft can be traced back as far as the 1920s, when cars were in their infancy before being transformed into an airfield during WW2.

After the war ended motor sport enthusiast, Bruce Ropner, rallied some of his fellow racing fans and they acquired the right to build their own race circuit, which was completed in July 1964. Crowds estimated at the time as anything from 30,000 to 50,000 strong, flocked to the circuit on August Bank Holiday Monday, 3rd August 1964 for it's first meeting.

As trackside facilities were added and drivers from further afield came to appreciate the qualities of the demanding, fast, 1.64-mile circuit, national and international meetings were staged on a regular basis.

As the 1970s wore on, Croft faced increasingly strong competition from circuits in the south, as Brands Hatch and Silverstone strengthened their grasp on Britain's leading international events Croft stagnated.

Nevertheless many seasons of club and national championship racing continued with BARC, BRSCC, DDMC and Nottingham Sports Car Club organising meetings. Basic facilities did not deter devoted motor sport drivers and enthusiasts.

In 1981, Croft retired from tarmac racing in favour of the increasingly popular sport of Rallycross and started to build its reputation again, staging the British Round of the FIA European Championship and the FIA Inter -Nations Cup.

Media attention was higher than at any time before so the decision by the current circuit owner was made for Croft to return to tarmac racing.

With the renaissance of Croft in 1995, the circuit picked up much where it left off, with some well-supported club-level meetings for cars and motorcycles.

In 1997 the circuit underwent a major transformation - extending the circuit to 2.127 miles - sixty per cent of the new circuit is built on old runways, with foundations and drainage already in place- constructing a control tower, pit and paddock complex and landscaping new trackside spectator area..

The £1.5 million investment heralded the return of top class motor sport in the North East, a new beginning in Croft's varied history.