THE KEY RACING MOMENTS FROM COMBE’S 70 YEARS

EARLY STARS SHINE ON NEW AIRFIELD TRACK

Castle Combe was England’s most westerly circuit when the Bristol Motor Cycle & Light Car Club organised its first race meeting on the disused airfield, for cars and motorcycles, behind closed doors on 8 July 1950 – a month before Gregor Grant published the first issue of Autosport. Although Davidstow in Cornwall hosted events from 1952-55, Combe endured, through various hiatuses, to be the popular venue it is today.

Early stars included Stirling Moss, Peter Collins, Mike Hawthorn – who won twice on his debut in 1951, driving Rileys, and would be Formula 1 world champion with Ferrari inside seven years – and Ken Wharton.

Moss was ejected from his Cooper 500 in October 1953, having clipped Tony Rolt’s F2 Connaught at Quarry. Wharton shattered the outright lap record that