The organisers of the Brighton Speed Trials have made the sad decision to cancel the event because safety measures mean it is now making ever-increasing losses.
The loss of the Madeira Terrace as a viewing platform in 2016 and the motorbike trials in 2021 as well as the cost of ever increasing safety requirements is behind the Brighton and Hove Motor Club’s decision, announced this afternoon.
Chairman Brian Dyer told Brighton and Hove News the club made the call to protect its other events, the Classic Car show and the Goodwood Sprints.
He said: “We lost the terraces, the viewing gallery and we lost the bikes just after covid.
“It’s more down to safety than anything else – the requirements of the council and Motorsport UK for concrete motorway barriers.
“It’s made a loss the last two or three years and the losses are getting more and more.
“It’s got to the stage where to preserve the motor club, the speed trials had to be stopped.
“It’s a very sad state of affairs. The speed trials have been part of my life for 30 years and many of the members for longer than that. But it’s something that’s no longer viable.”
The news was met with dismay by Jax Atkins, a member of the Madeira Terrace Advisory Panel and a long time fan of the speed trials.
She said: “I love the speed trials – I have been going to them as long as I can remember. It is because of the speed trials that Madeira Drive became the road that it is.
“It is an exciting event – such amazing cars and brilliant drivers have taken part – including my old friend F1 racing driver Dave Purley.
“I always knew the trials would suffer with the closure of the terraces but I am sure none of us thought that the council would drag their feet so badly over getting it reopened!
“This have deprived us of the best viewing platform which was the Middle Terrace, which was always rammed with spectators, as was the upper viewing area on Marine Parade. No safety precautions needed there!
“Then the council decided that a massively wide cycle lane was needed, created out of a highly dangerous for motor bikes material – so bikes had to go.
“They have pontificated and dragged their feet over getting the terraces reopened – now thir priority is the ugly gun-emplacement-like lift to be sited on it.
“I, and many others, despair. This, the ending of the speed trials, such an historical event, really is the final straw.”
The Brighton Speed Trials were first held in July 1905 after Sir Harry Preston persuaded what was then Brighton Town Council to tarmac the surface of the road adjacent to the beach between the Palace Pier and Black Rock to hold motor racing events.
The road was named Madeira Drive in 1909, and the speed trials were held there nearly every year since, usually on the second Saturday of September.
The most recent year it did not take place was 2020, during the pandemic. When it recommenced the following year, the Auto-Cycle Union (ACU) said the surface of the newly installed cycle lane was not safe for motorbikes.
It was almost cancelled after a fatal motorbike crash in 2012. However, city councillors voted in favour of it continuing in 2014.
It is considered by many to be the world’s longest running motor race.
Its sad but its probably run its course. It would be lovely if they could find another venue in the area..
Maybe the council should make a more robust effort to maintain its own structures to ‘health and safety’ requirements, so reopening the most magnificent grandstand in the country. Another heritage failure.
Does that include uninhabitable social housing ?
Just like every other ordinary town that “thinks it would be better off as a city,
ALL seem to end up sucking in the worst of society, from crime and drug escalation too big time con men who make fortunes. Great for some but the original inhabitants get worse off or driven out when being hard hit in the pocket due to massive (local) tax costs. What council would not take unfair advantage of Joe Bloggs, all for their own race to get Rich from the average bloke on what little they get.
As for supporting events, football takes the priority over EVERYTHING but too mean to get classical buildings etc. Up to scratch. Squander millions on new football stadium but NOT A BEAN FOR THE SPEED TRIALS OR OTHER ONCE Famous EVENTS! Too focused on gay pride and the pink pound!!!!
You get what you vote for. A council with no sense of heritage. I fully expect the terraces to beyond economic repair any minute now. Shambles.
The whole place is run by minorities. I know why we left this decaying town/city.
F in Health n saftey.Thats why uk is on its knees the strange c..
I would agree with you. Diversity does not work. However i’m staying optimistic.
Incidentally I didn’t vote Labour or Green, but it’s my town.
What on earth does Health and Safety legislation, enacted by the national government, have to do with diversity? The fact you brought it up on such an unrelated article says an awful lot about you
Totally agree
We told and voiced this would happen for years. The council doesn’t care what so ever and killed yet another event that draws in tourism and visitors. Not only that also kills off part of international motorsport history in the process.
Sad times but couldn’t continue forever
Yet another fine mess the council have got themselves in why o why won’t the council maintain their own property I had council property in the town for my fruit and veg business 3 property’s at one time and had to plead with them to do any repairs I needed done and it gets worse
Present and for Brighton council members, should re open the chain pier and all jump off it!! Brighton is a filthy cess pit! With a council now who wants no footfall to the city, it an utter discrase!!
Simon Brownjohn,
Brighton,
Shoreham speed trials anyone?
Death by Labour with some help from the Greens. Neither give a toss about the proud heritage of our once-great city. Or that vintage vehicles are the greenest vehicles, many on a par with an e-bike, except that vintage vehicles last.
So sad I’ve only been going since 2018 but it’s become a shadow of what it was in that time with the loss of bikes, viewing platform & electric vehicles. All this has diluted its appeal. The club has probably made the best decision. 😔
I’m glad to see the back of this stupid and dated event go, all that developmnet going on down there and yet once a year the entire area was covered in tyres and straw with business closed for the day. Holding on to events that were once a tradition doesn’t allow the city to go forward, it always drags it back to a chav level. Brighton coukd be so much more with so much more invesment like Soho House and Sea Lanes if these events were compromised.
Johhy
This event wasn’t my cup of tea, but brought in the revenue that is needed.
Businesses were NOT closed for the day as you wrongly say and benefited from the event.
The area has been decaying for years if you hadn’t noticed, hence why there’s fencing to stop people accessing the upper prom and arches.
All these events that are traditional have always been popular and generates income for the benefit of the city, it’s just your opinion it drags the city down.
So there’s straw and tyre marks on the road, so what, they pay the council fees for use of the road.
We have the new sea lane project along by Peter Pans, so we don’t need to invest in that and I’m sure Soho House is a Hotel chain isn’t it?
Moving forward, perhaps we could come up with an idea to bring us into the modern world, forget tradition and history where millions of pounds go into the economy, lets look at say, a nice shiny pole and glass doughnut on the seafront that should bring in the punters. Lets call it the i360.
As I said, this particular event isn’t for me, I do like the various vehicle runs and some cycling events but can’t stand some of the other events but that’s my personal choice, I think for instance Naked Bike-ride is pointless but the event brings in revenue but I wouldn’t deny anyone the pleasure supporting this event.
You seriously need to think what will replace the lost revenue if we don’t have these events. Revenue can only help move the city forward, it’s not rocket science to consider the more money in the kitty the better the city can be and the more we can do to improve.
Agree. No place in our city
A few years ago, the Council wanted to end the event on various dubious reasons. I took issue with the labour MP Mr Morgan. The event did go ahead. I moved from Brighton 10 years ago. Partly due to the Green ” Do gooders”.
It seems the Council have not changed. Madiera Terrace has gone. Yet BC wants to waste millions on digging up Aquarium Roundabout. Then the cost of the i360 tower!!
Not sure what I call BCC. Incompetent comes to mind.
Now here is a thought. Why not go to Shoreham Airport. With no air shows, I think they would welcome the event.
Thank you for many happy years of the Speed Trials..
This is not the only event to suffer at the hands of the Council. The siting of motorcycles at the annual Brighton Burn Up/Ace Cafe Run has changed for the worse because of the new cycle lane and the fact that the Council will not stop bicycles from using this lane on one day a year even though they are potentially dangerous because of the huge numbers of the public who come to enjoy the spectacle of many and various motorcycles.
I went to have a look this year. It wasn’t anywhere near packed maybe at most five hundred spectators . They blocked off the whole beach East of pier with stewards on one of the hottest weekends of the year.
Maybe for real petrolheads watching one car go past, quite fast, and a big clock, every 5 minutes is an ” exhilarating, action-packed day ” . For most people it’s – Is that it ? Why a hold a motor sports event next to a beach in summer ?
It’s not even much of a tradition. It was first run in 1905 then didn’t run again until 1923 because locals objected and has been cancelled multiple times since.
Shoreham airport would be a great location and now it’s Brighton City Airport it would still be the Brighton Speed Trials
I agree. It was mad the way they had to close off such a large section of the beach for a few petrol heads – I saw many families with young kids and prams desperate to go to the beach. It’s a long walk for a family to make with all your beach gear and prams etc. The speed trials were unspectacular. I’m not against cars – I enjoyed the vintage car rally, something nice to look at – not like the supercharged Mercedes or BMWs (no different to the BMW M3s parked on the street)
They closed Madeira Drive for the recent Marathon yet there were almost no spectators.
It’s time to acknowledge this council’s war against motorised vehicles is deterring visitors from coming to Brighton any more to support large events full stop, whatever large events those may be. Both marathons and cycling also rely on large numbers of support vehicles to facilitate which need to be able to drive around and park up too. Added to this a pisspoor coach service and unreliable train service – constantly on strike – and we are headed for economic disaster, not least with the forthcoming £13m unsolicited VG3 to jam the seafront for 18 months and beyond.
Sorry Marc, I know we should keep to the topic, but I was replying to a previous post regarding, ‘being run by minorities’ which is probably true…
The leader of the council is female, is that what you mean by “run by minorities”? Why is that a problem? The rest of the councillors are largely male and white…so “probably true” should be corrected to “not true”
Although the Brighton Speed Trials are a fond memory of my childhood, the safety aspect of running old steel cars on a closed road with fixed hazards was never going to last. I’m amazed it made it this far into the twenty-first century to be honest. I’m also amazed that the IoM TT still runs.
Goodwood would do well to pick it up and could possibly build it up into something much bigger than it ever was before, and do it safely. Keep the B right Speed Trials name too.
Although the Brighton Speed Trials are a fond memory of my childhood, the safety aspect of running old steel cars on a closed road with fixed hazards was never going to last. I’m amazed it made it this far into the twenty-first century to be honest. I’m also amazed that the IoM TT still runs.
Goodwood would do well to pick it up and could possibly build it up into something much bigger than it ever was before, and do it safely. Keep the Brighton Speed Trials name too.
Shameful
I’ve seen this time and time again councils don’t want people to enjoy themselves in their own way and their own hobby but motor enthusiasts have to tolerate and have other sports events pushed down their throats
Speed is a relative concept so couldn’t we replace it with the Councilor Speed Trials: Egg n Spoon Race anyone?
But seriously, there is of course the ultimate down hill super race that is modern, diverse and still has hay bales, spectators lined up the whole route…crashes galore….and apparently innovative and loved by the youngestors…..The Red Bul down hill race!
I’m surprised that RedBull hasn’t tried to sponsor the Speed Trials already. Perhaps they are unaware.
The Speed Trials were not for me. I have attended a few times and found it mildly interesting, however, I have seen many others enjoying it and I think it should stay. It is a tradition, much like the Regency houses at Brunswick seafront. They are all painted the same color because it is a tradition. We don’t let people lose with rainbow paints on these houses, even though that might be a good idea to brighten the place up….
As for Brighton council… They are constantly prepared to waste billions on pathetic projects that do not help the residents of Brighton and Hove. I have been a Brightonian for well over 60 years. I was born and bred here. I am a very keen cyclist and cycle everywhere when possible. I also own a ‘green’ business in Brighton so alas, also need to use a vehicle. What the council have done to the seafront road is appalling. The installation of unnecessarily wide cycle lanes that have reduced the vehicle lanes down to 1 is ridiculous. Now the traffic backs up and causes more pollution. I cycle along this incredibly wide cycle lane and rarely meet another cyclist.
The money wasted on a multicolored cycle lane where the speed trials were, should have been spent on rebuilding the terraces.
BHCC do not seem to be accountable for their financial wastage.
Don’t worry it is only stepping stone to fully pedestrianising Madeira drive.
Once the council have increased other fees to try and compensate for the £10 million per annum that the parking would have been generating on that road.
Strangely similar to the number bandied about when Labour/Green councilors mention cuts to central government funding.
Glad that they (we?) can afford it…
Left grubby Brighton in 1988, thankfully never to return.
Once was the best on planet earth thru 50s-70s but after losing great venues like the REGENT, Starlight and Aquarium to, just became a dull and down at heel sort of place. Nearest I,ve been since was to a colleagues funeral in Seaford, which is admittedly small, but clean and cherry in comparison with sad and grubby Brighton.