Historic Welsh road race reborn

Motorcycle road racing is to return to the anti-clockwise 5¼-mile Eppynt circuit near Sennybridge, in the Brecon Beacons, on August 4-5 next year, with classes including Ultra-Lightweight, Lightweight Supertwin, Supersport and Superstock machines, along with a Zero electric class.

In November 2016, the Parliamentary Committee for Transport repealed the Road Traffic Act that made it illegal to race vehicles on the public highway, and a group involved with Wales’s other road racing circuit at Aberdare Park successfully approached the Secretary of State for Defence for a licence to use the old Eppynt circuit once again.

It’s the start of the first race of the day at the Eppynt circuit back in the early 1950s. Note number 2, CA Richards on a Douglas.

This was granted, along with ACU authorisation to organise the event, which will become known as the Eppynt Welsh Road Race.

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Although many airfield circuits that were decommissioned after the Second World War became popular road race venues, many riders yearned for the extra challenge of a ‘pure’ road racing circuit, and the first post-war Welsh TT on the Eppynt course was run in 1948. Over the next five years, up to and including 1953, many famous riders participated, including grands prix and Isle of Man TT stars Les Graham, Ray Cowles, Cecil Sandford, Bill Boddice, Fron Purslow and Maurice McCann, but the record of 70.65mph is held by Syd Barnett, who rode a 350cc Norton during the 1950 Junior race.

Read more in the December issue of OBM – on sale now!


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