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Lydden Hill Race Circuit (formerly known as ''Lydden Circuit'') is the UK's shortest road racing circuit, wholly owned by the British automotive, formula one and technology company, McLaren Group. The mile-long circuit is located at Wootton, about half-way between Canterbury and Dover in Kent. The track is mainly used for rallycross, drift, saloon and sports car racing as well as motorcycle racing. The track is one of two motor racing circuits in the county of Kent, along with Brands Hatch. == History == Lydden was founded in 1955 by Bill Chesson with the help of the Astra Motor Club. From 1957, they promoted stock-car racing and grass-track racing for motorcycles – the land on which this took place was owned by Barry Skinner, who sold it to Chesson. By 1962, Chesson wanted to progress and laid a tarmac track in order to promote motor and motorcycle road racing. The original plan was for a 1-mile circuit but this scheme had to be put on hold when the tarmac ran out at what is known as the Devil’s Elbow; the result was the short circuit, which is sometimes used by Legends and Hot Rods. In 1965 tarmac asphalt was laid, for hosting car racing up to Formula Three. Lydden became extremely popular to the point that in 1967, a meeting featuring Formula Three was televised and included such up and coming drivers, such as Andy Sutcliffe, Roger Williamson and one Tom Walkinshaw. On February 4, 1967 the sport of ''Rallycross'' was born at Lydden, thought up by TV producer Robert Reed (for ITV) and race organiser Bud Smith (750 Motor Club – Tunbridge Wells Centre) in cooperation with Chesson. Combining tarmac and non-tarmac elements, the inaugural race was won by Vic Elford in a Porsche 911. Since 1973, Lydden Circuit has seen rounds of Embassy/ERA European Rallycross Championships and FIA European Championships for Rallycross Drivers, the first 23 (till 1996) all organised by the Thames Estuary Automobile Club (TEAC). To this day, Lydden, as the so-called "Home of Rallycross", still holds British Rallycross Championship racing, especially with its popular Easter Monday meeting. On 9 September 1968, a then-unknown English driver recorded his first race win driving a Russell-Alexis Mk14 Formula Ford car. That driver was James Hunt. Hunt would return on 5 May 1969 this time driving a Motor Racing Enterprises entered Merlyn Mk11A, and recorded only his second ever win. By 1986, the RAC MSA was pressurising Bill Chesson to erect Armco barriers which he steadfastly refused to do so on grounds that they would be dangerous to the motorcycle racing fratermity, and when RAC MAS threatened to refuse him a new circuit permit, he put the circuit up for sale. This combined with the fears that his 2 sons, well known at Lydden as successful races, would fall out running the track once Bill died led to him putting it up for sale for well over a million pounds. Tom Bissett came up with the asking price and subsequently bought Lydden Circuit from Bill Chesson, marking the end of an era. In March 1991, Mr and Mrs Bissett entered into a joint venture with McLaren. McLaren subsequently acquired the Bissett’s shares in Lydden and became sole owners. They bought the track and leased it to the (British Motorcycle Racing Club ) (BMCRC) from 1993 on, thus allowing both cars and bikes to have full use of the track. BMCRC were based at Lydden until the end of 2007, and it formed their home track, playing host to the annual 'Lord of Lydden' and 'Sidecar burnup' races, together with a number of club motorcycle race meetings. Another piece in the history of Lydden came in 2003, when McLaren had an application turned down for Lydden to become a private testing venue. From 2008 on the new lease holder of the circuit will be, for at least five years, the Waste Recycling Consultant, MSA British Rallycross Champion (2002, 2005, 2009, 2010) and FIA European Rallycross Championship runner-up (1992) Pat Doran. Doran, an Englishman of Irish origin from Thorverton in Devon, is planning several improvements for the venue as well as an extension of the racing programme (for cars and bikes alike) and his oldest daughter Amy Doran has been appointed as director for day-to-day running of the circuit.〔http://www.rallycross.de/history/history_pictures/history_billchesson.jpg〕〔Peter Swinger, “Motor Racing Circuits in England : Then & Now" (Ian Allan Publishing, ISBN 0 7110 3104 5, 2008)〕〔http://www.lyddenhill.co.uk〕〔Gerald Donaldson, “James Hunt The Biography" CollinsWillow, ISBN 0 00 218468 0, 1994)〕 On May 24-25 2014, Lydden Hill will play host to the newly formed FIA World Rallycross Championship. The event will be run under similar principles to the FIA European Rallycross Championship in the previous few years, but with the likes of Petter Solberg and Liam Doran being notable athletes competing in the championship, as well as Andrew Jordan and Tanner Foust as the famous "wildcard" entries, record crowds are predicted for the weekend at the end of May. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Lydden Hill Race Circuit」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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