Brands Hatch

Click here for the pre-1999 track map.

How To Get There

By Car:- Brands Hatch is situated on the A20 London to Maidstone, 20 miles South East of London, and can be accessed from junction 3, Swanley, of the M25. Brown tourist information signs clearly indicate the simplest route from all major roads around Brands Hatch.

By Train:- Regular services to Swanley operate from London Victoria, the Medway towns, Sevenoaks and the Kent coast. For local train service information, telephone 01732 770111

Where to stay

Camping: Brands Hatch provides basic camping facilities at the larger meetings for ś1.50 per person per night. Space only is provided at other meetings. Tel: 01474 874804/5

Hotels: Park Hotel, Sevenoaks. 01732 454245.  8 miles
        Three Gates Stable Cottages, Fawkham
                               01474 872739.  5 mins walk
        The Moorings Hotel, Sevenoaks. 01732 742323. 8 miles

Bed & Breakfast:
        South Hall, Farningham. 01322 863195. 1 mile
        Croft Cottage, Farningham. 01322 860008. 1.5 miles
        Home Farm, Eynsford. 01322 866193. 3 miles

Brands History

Motorcycle grass track races were originally run here in the 1930s, and an anticlockwise hard-surfaced track was in use in 1950. A loop up the hill to Druids hairpin was added in 1954 to complete the 1.2 mile short circuit, now known as the Indy Circuit a fter a USAC race in 1978.

Extensions in 1960 brought the circuit up to acceptable GP length, and the first British GP was run in 1964. It then alternated every year with Silverstone until 1987, when FISA awarded the race to Silverstone.

In the winter of 1998/99, the circuit was modified, with Graham Hill Bend being moved and reprofiled, and parts of the GP loop were planned to be moved away from the residential areas. The aim was to create space for earth banks and sound proofing, the stated aim at the time being to bring the circuit back up to F1 standards. However, the GP loop was not modified, and the Grand Prix stayed at Silverstone.

In 1992 there was talk of extending the track by building a new loop, thus moving the track away from the housing areas. This circuit, shown below, never got off the drawing board.

Over the winter of 2002/2003, the Dingle Dell chicane was reprofiled and removed (see below). The motorcycle racing governing body FIM requested the change for the World Superbike round held at the track, but it also allowed the installation of extra gravel traps in case the Champ Car race switched from the Indy circuit used in 2003 to the full Grand Prix circuit. Shortly after the completion of the circuit, motorcycle racer Barry Sheene died, so the new piece of circuit was named the Sheene Curves in his memory.