A 7R symphony as throttle cables were exercised in the former Woolwich Arsenal grounds
Being Heard In The City Q  By Alan Turner In recent years, London's love/hate relationship with the internal combustion engine has generated comment and reports that have probably covered more than an acre of newsprint. The days when Britain's capital hosted so many well-supported speedway teams there was a London League are a longdistant memory. Yet competition activities were not even confined to speedway, as London also had its own road race circuit, the atmospheric Crystal Palace. The south London track hosted its last major meeting in 1972 and many photos often reveal its daunting and unforgiving nature. This was the cause of its eventual demise as changing safety demands would need much investment and, sadly, this was not forthcoming. With the exception of speedway, where silencing had a few more years before it became mandatory, it appeared that other unsilenced race engines would never again be heard in the metropolis. It turned out to be a premature prospect, although it did take 32 years for it to happen again! By that time, speedway in the city had ended when Wimbledon closed in 1991, but following a monumental effort by supporters, it resumed for the 2002 season. Two years later, Motorsports Promotions offered a totally different race experience, with a sprint at London City Airport. For bikes only, at this most unlikely of venues, this had all sprint and drag race 30
classes even including the awesome Top Fuel. Steve Woollatt, riding 'The Dealer' made a single, seven-second run to establish a track record at the expense of engine damage. Although repeated the following year, there were fewer high-profile riders as the concrete runway surface offered tricky conditions for the more powerful bikes. With the finish of Wimbledon's speedway team that same year, it seemed racing was finally over within Greater London. Yet, 38 years after the track finished, Crystal Palace was back! In 2010, Sevenoaks & District Motor Club bravely took on the task of organising a sprint. This was far from easy as much had changed after the circuit closed. A course was established using a combination
A line-up of lightweights at the second Motorsport at the Palace event as two-wheelers were recognised as an important part of the circuit's history
