I'm interested in finding out more about the Pennine meetings at Crossland Moor. Dunno if they produced a programme? They may of with Priddle in attendance at one of the meets. Not sure if they managed more than two events before the noise police stepped in...
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The first PDRC meeting at Crossland Moor was on July 13/14 1974 with the next meeting as in your report. That second meeting was the last one at that venue due to complaints by local residents. In 1975, the PDRC ran a couple of 1/8 mile meetings at Aintree then they moved to their present location in 1977 with the first meeting being held on June 26.
I remember it well! is it really so long ago! Remember going over to Aintree too, Man that seemed a long way to go! (it was the olden days!)
The NDRC August 1974 Newsletter carries a couple of lines on the 13/14 July meeting. Clive Skilton clocked a 4.91 over the 1/8 mile track. For the Aug 31/Sept 1 meeting, it's promised that the end of the strip will be resurfaced!
From the information I have the meeting was a bit of a mixed a fair with members from the National Sprint Association taking to the eighth mile track as well as the local PDRC street racers. Although the runway was of average length the PRDC were forced to run the event as an eighth mile drag due to the fact that there was a Public right of way at the quarter mile across the airfield and across the runway which, by all accounts made for a very frustrating day for the top end marshals.
As mentioned, Clive Skilton and Roz Prior squared off against each other in typical tyre smoking fuel dragster fashion, 4.91 at 160 to Roz’s 5.00/135. Clive also ran his Ferrari with a 0-75 timing of 9.5 seconds. Ed Shaver ran his back motored Castrol Funny Car against the ‘Arrdark’ altered of American serviceman Freeman Rogers, 6.16/123 to Ed’s 6.40/130. Apparently on the second run of the day for the USAF altered team, a dog managed to get loose in the middle of the strip, apparently from one of the walkers crossing the strip, but thankfully didn’t come to any harm.
Santa Pod were due to bring two cars, but that didn’t happen and also Walt Ithell was down to bring his injected Capri Funny Car but that didn’t’ happed either. Although there was a head count of some 1000 people over the two day weekend, all were kept entertained especially the wheel standing antics from Brian Richards and Ken Sheldon’s Vauxhall Ventora Estate car.
As mentioned, Clive Skilton and Roz Prior squared off against each other in typical tyre smoking fuel dragster fashion, 4.91 at 160 to Roz’s 5.00/135. Clive also ran his Ferrari with a 0-75 timing of 9.5 seconds. Ed Shaver ran his back motored Castrol Funny Car against the ‘Arrdark’ altered of American serviceman Freeman Rogers, 6.16/123 to Ed’s 6.40/130. Apparently on the second run of the day for the USAF altered team, a dog managed to get loose in the middle of the strip, apparently from one of the walkers crossing the strip, but thankfully didn’t come to any harm.
Santa Pod were due to bring two cars, but that didn’t happen and also Walt Ithell was down to bring his injected Capri Funny Car but that didn’t’ happed either. Although there was a head count of some 1000 people over the two day weekend, all were kept entertained especially the wheel standing antics from Brian Richards and Ken Sheldon’s Vauxhall Ventora Estate car.
Great stuff folks. You know that happened at York in 78 when a mini appeared heading up the strip from the return road. The two dragster drivers preparing to run were shut off...
Regardless of the problems encountered at Crossland Moor .. some of the stars of the day appeared at those 2 meetings!
Regardless of the problems encountered at Crossland Moor .. some of the stars of the day appeared at those 2 meetings!
According to Steven Myatt’s book ‘Quarter Mile’, ‘Crossland Moor was a desolate strip, up on the moor above Huddersfield, and whipped by the relentless Pennine winds. On the plus side, though, it was near the temporary end of the part-finished M62 and was midway between Manchester and Leeds, with both hardly 20 miles away.'
Work began building the strip in February 1974 and was finished in late June ready for the first event in mid July with Armco barriers on both sides of the lanes. Although both 1974 dates produced good gates and the proposed planning applications for 1975 were progressing well with the ACU granting a round of the drag bike series for the following season, the Kirkless Council were receiving complaints about the noise, and 12 of the complainers applied directly to the Secretary of State asking for the strip’s planning permission to be revoked. Myatt wrote; ‘It was a unique move for a local council to make with regard to any form of motor sport and, for the handful of upstanding councillors, a successful one. Pennine had their world sliced away from beneath them. The investment of both time and money was destroyed.’
Below is an overhead shot of the airfield today still being used by a flying school and model club, a shot of Dennis Priddle burning out across the startline in the STP Avenger and, from my own collection, a poster from the second Crossland Moor Drag Races to go with Badger’s magazine advert.
Work began building the strip in February 1974 and was finished in late June ready for the first event in mid July with Armco barriers on both sides of the lanes. Although both 1974 dates produced good gates and the proposed planning applications for 1975 were progressing well with the ACU granting a round of the drag bike series for the following season, the Kirkless Council were receiving complaints about the noise, and 12 of the complainers applied directly to the Secretary of State asking for the strip’s planning permission to be revoked. Myatt wrote; ‘It was a unique move for a local council to make with regard to any form of motor sport and, for the handful of upstanding councillors, a successful one. Pennine had their world sliced away from beneath them. The investment of both time and money was destroyed.’
Below is an overhead shot of the airfield today still being used by a flying school and model club, a shot of Dennis Priddle burning out across the startline in the STP Avenger and, from my own collection, a poster from the second Crossland Moor Drag Races to go with Badger’s magazine advert.
I am sure I remember seeing in Motoring News that PDRC had successfully sued Kirklees council, and got most, if not all of their investment back.
I may have been mistaken though...
I may have been mistaken though...
The pic of tha track/airstrip today, looks like what was the startline has been dug up, I remember we would enter the track somewhere after that tunnel & drive across the end of the strip into the pits/parking,
your right also about Kirklees being sued successfully, Mr Murt did well outta that!
your right also about Kirklees being sued successfully, Mr Murt did well outta that!
Ah! Crossland Moor!! The drag racing Mecca of Yorkshire!(for a short time).
You're quite right about the top end marshalling muddytalker. Trying to deny hikers their inaliable right to walk across the airstrip while two fuelers were snarling and cackling on the startline was very trying. "Of course you can cross the airstrip but can you be quick about it - you've got about five seconds"!!
The windswept moor wasn't the most ideal location either. I can't remember whether it was Ed Shaver or Dennis Priddle who ran over his parachute lines when stopping at the end of the strip but it proved interesting trying to untangle them.
I also recall chasing that bloody dog but left it to its own devices when Aardvark blasted off the line! (it actually belonged to a spectator who couldn't understand why we were upset that he had his dog there at all, let alone keeping it on a lead!)
There were 12 objections lodged by local residents about the noise. I went along to the
planning committee (or whatever it was) hearing where the nimbys told their horror stories. One elderly lady complained that the wedding she had attended at a local church had been ruined by the fact that the couple's vows had been drowned out by the noisy cars!
At the second race meeting the council's noise officer had set up his noise meter in the front room of a house close to the airstrip. He had to admit at the hearing that the highest meter reading he had obtained was while people in that room were speaking!!
Crossland Moor! - unlike Woodstock, if you were there then you can remember it!!
You're quite right about the top end marshalling muddytalker. Trying to deny hikers their inaliable right to walk across the airstrip while two fuelers were snarling and cackling on the startline was very trying. "Of course you can cross the airstrip but can you be quick about it - you've got about five seconds"!!
The windswept moor wasn't the most ideal location either. I can't remember whether it was Ed Shaver or Dennis Priddle who ran over his parachute lines when stopping at the end of the strip but it proved interesting trying to untangle them.
I also recall chasing that bloody dog but left it to its own devices when Aardvark blasted off the line! (it actually belonged to a spectator who couldn't understand why we were upset that he had his dog there at all, let alone keeping it on a lead!)
There were 12 objections lodged by local residents about the noise. I went along to the
planning committee (or whatever it was) hearing where the nimbys told their horror stories. One elderly lady complained that the wedding she had attended at a local church had been ruined by the fact that the couple's vows had been drowned out by the noisy cars!
At the second race meeting the council's noise officer had set up his noise meter in the front room of a house close to the airstrip. He had to admit at the hearing that the highest meter reading he had obtained was while people in that room were speaking!!
Crossland Moor! - unlike Woodstock, if you were there then you can remember it!!