A Record of Motor Racing at Crystal Palace
By Richard Page
Crystal Palace holds an important place in the heritage of motor sport in Britain. Today it is barely remembered that it was the scene of some of the first competitions for pioneering motorists, including what was said by The Times to be the first motor race in England in 1899. In 1937 a permanent road course was constructed. Its urban setting and railway-sleeper lined track provided spectators and drivers with the closest experience available to continental style street racing. Closing in 1972, the circuit operated in what many feel to have been the “golden era” of motor racing and great names like Stirling Moss, Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart graced the entry lists. Amongst many other things it witnessed the dramatic arrival of Austrian future world champion Jochen Rindt on the international motor racing scene.
Over some 670 pages, Richard Page’s monumental work provides the fullest possible documentation of Crystal Palace’s motor racing history. Hardbound in two volumes, case bound in a slip case, it has almost 90 illustrations, mostly previously unpublished. After an introduction briefly setting out the history of the site, the book chronicles year-by-year the motor sporting competitions, starting with the Pioneering Years – Competitions 1896-1906 where 28 events have been uncovered. Later motorcycle sport thrived with racing on the pathways of the grounds and speedway.
However, the main section of the book provides comprehensive data on all the car races held on the road circuit derived from extensive research in libraries, motor club archives and contributions from many enthusiasts (including the Crystal Palace Foundation’s Chairman). Every race has a full entry list, including many chassis numbers of competing cars and, in most cases, full starting grids and results are provided. This data is followed by a description of the race and a lap chart of the leading positions. Motorcycle racing is not forgotten and all meetings are covered, albeit at a higher level. Finally the results of the sprints held from 1997 to 2000 are recorded.
Such wealth of detail has never before been published. Retailing at £200 + £12.50 P&P(Special Delivery), but limited to 150 copies signed by the author, the book is clearly aimed at a specialist market, however. As Marcus Pye said in Autosport magazine "......I commend readers to the F1R's latest publication, "A Record of Motor Racing at Crystal Palace". A sister to Robert Barker's formidable and prized work on Goodwood, Richard Page's fastidiously researched twin-tome set details every event from 1899 to its close in 2000 (major racing ran from 1953 - '72). Not cheap at £200 but with a print run of just 150 not to be missed by historians and enthusiasts."
A signed, limited edition of 150 copies is now available
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