Crewe

Mention Earle Street, Crewe to any stock car fan that went there, and chances are one of the first words they will say in relation to this particular stadium is "dump!" It certainly was rather basic, putting it mildly, but what it lacked in facilities, it more than made up in spectacular super fast stock car action.

Having staged oval motor sport since 1976, Mike Parker selected Crewe as his replacement for White City at the start of the 1982 season. Stuart Bamforth is reported to have been sent by his fellow promoters to assess the venue prior to it staging F1 stock car action, and is alleged to have described it as a dump which wouldn't be supported by the fans. Well Bammy didn't get a lot wrong in stock car circles, but he may have misjudged just how popular the vast banked Cheshire shaleway would become.

MPP opened Crewe to F1 stock cars in March 1982 in collaboration with Jim Barrie, a local businessman. Once MPP had gone into liquidation, Barrie continued to promote by himself from 1985 until 1989, when former Aycliffe supremo, Jim Wilkinson took up the promoting rights from 1990 until the tracks final season in 1993.

Despite being limited in terms of facilities, it was the action that was the attraction for fans, with the 430 yard fast shale track offering some of the most spectacular, some might say frightening racing. The floodlights weren't the best, so parts of the track were plunged into darkness when the lighting system flickered into life. This just helped the racing seem even more insane.

The biggest meetings in terms of F1 were a couple of semi finals, a Grand National Championship and a Trust Fund race. Jim Wilkinson's Apex Promotions staged the most prestigious event in the stadium's history in 1993 by hosting the F2 World Final won by Ian King (804).

The flat out undulating nature of the track helped make Crewe an all action venue. Rob Hughes, Stock Car Magazine's Northern correspondent, christened Crewe The Astrodome. Meeting programmes would feature the tagline "We keep stock cars rolling" and "Rollover Capital".

The sight of a train of BriSCA F1 stock cars flying around Crewe, bumper to bumper, was incredible. Usually at the front of that train was Dave Berresford (260), who was very much a Crewe specialist. So much so, that he rather fittingly won the last ever meeting held in December 1993.

Like many stadia from yesteryear, Crewe ended up under a retail park. But thanks to sites like this, we can still say "we were there" whenever we decide to reminisce about the good old days.

Andre Zang