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| Location | Wootton,Kent, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°10′38.59″N1°11′58.69″E / 51.1773861°N 1.1996361°E /51.1773861; 1.1996361 |
| FIA Grade | 6R (Rallycross) |
| Operator | Pat Doran |
| Opened | 1955 |
| Architect | Bill Chesson |
| Former names | Lydden Circuit |
| Major events | Former: FIA World Rallycross Championship World RX of Great Britain (2014–2017) FIA European Rallycross Championship Euro RX of Great Britain (1973–1976, 1978–1992, 1996, 2009–2018, 2023) Nitro RX (2022) Titans-RX Europe (2019) |
| Full Circuit | |
| Length | 1.000 mi (1.609 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Race lap record | 0:38.300 (Rob Cox,Lola LC88, 1989,F1) |
| Rallycross Circuit | |
| Length | 0.870 mi (1.400 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
Lydden Hill Race Circuit (formerly known as Lydden Circuit) is a motorsport venue inDenton with Wootton, about half-way betweenCanterbury andDover inKent, England. The mile-long circuit is mainly used for Rallycross, Drift, Saloon and Sports car racing as well asMotorcycle racing.
It is the shortest road racing circuit in the United Kingdom. The track was previously owned by the McLaren Group and is one of two motor racing circuits in the county of Kent, along withBrands Hatch.
Lydden was founded in 1955 byBill Chesson with the help of theAstra Motor Club. From 1957, they promoted stock-car racing and grass-track racing for motorcycles. By 1962, Chesson wanted to progress and laid a tarmac track in order to promote motor and motorcycle road racing. The original plan was for a 1-mile circuit, but this scheme had to be put on hold when the tarmac ran out at what is known as the Devil’s Elbow; the result was the short circuit.
In 1965,tarmac asphalt was laid for hosting car racing up toFormula Three.
On 4 February 1967, the sport ofRallycross was born at Lydden, thought up by TV producer Robert Reed and race organiser Bud Smith in co-operation with Chesson. Combining tarmac and non-tarmac elements, the inaugural race was won byVic Elford in aPorsche 911. Since 1973, Lydden Circuit has seen rounds ofEmbassy/ERA European Rallycross Championships andFIA European Championships for Rallycross Drivers, the first 23 were all organised by theThames Estuary Automobile Club (TEAC). To this day, Lydden, as the so-called "Home of Rallycross", still holdsBritish Rallycross Championship racing.
On 9 September 1968, then-unknown English driverJames Hunt recorded his first race win driving a Russell-Alexis Mk14Formula Ford car. Hunt would return on 5 May 1969, this time driving aMotor Racing Enterprises enteredMerlyn Mk11A, and recorded his second ever win.[citation needed]
By 1986, theRACMotor Sports Association (MSA) was pressurising Bill Chesson to erectArmco barriers, but he refused to do so, on the grounds that they would be dangerous to the motorcycle-racing fraternity. When RAC MSA threatened to refuse him a new circuit permit, he put it up for sale. Tom Bissett bought the circuit.
From 2008 the new lease holder was the British Rallycross ChampionPat Doran.
On 24–25 May 2014, Lydden Hill played host to the newly formedFIA World Rallycross Championship. The event was run under similar principles to the FIAEuropean Rallycross Championship in the previous few years, but with the likes ofPetter Solberg andLiam Doran being notable drivers competing in the championship.
The AmericanNitro Rallycross series raced at Lydden Hill to begin the2022–23 season on 18–19 June. Lydden Hill is the first track to host Nitro RX outside North America.[1]
The opening round of the 2009 FIA European Rallycross Championship (ERC) brought top flight Rallycross back to Lydden Hill. The last European Rallycross event at Lydden Hill Race Circuit was hosted in 1996. As all kind of things can change over a period of 12 years time, at least one thing didn't change ... After being declared winner of the 1996 European event at Lydden in the main Division, multiple championKenneth Hansen (Citroën C4) cruised to victory again in Division 1 on Easter Monday (13 April).
When ERC returned at the end of May 2010, NorwegianSverre Isachsen (Ford Focus ST), celebrated his first victory in the European Championship as he beat multiple champion Kenneth Hansen (Citroën C4) and local guyLiam Doran (Citroën C4) in the Division 1 'A' final.
About 13,500 people spent Easter 2011 at Wootton, attending the opening round of the 2011 ERC. Specially for the Norwegian fans among them it was a great weekend as the victories in all of the three racing categories went to Norway. Sverre Isachsen (Ford Focus Mk2) was on the highest step of the SuperCars podium on Monday afternoon. Before alreadyAndreas Bakkerud (Renault Clio Mk2) andLars Øivind Enerberg (Ford Fiesta ST RWD) did the same in the Super1600 and Touring Cars classes.
There were no first qualifying heats on day 1 of the opening round of the 2012 ERC as problems with the start systems made the Clerk of the Course decide to run the first heat on Monday. Therefore, the 2012 championship started in a similar way as previous year's championship ended when at Sosnová in the Czech Republic during the final round the first heats also had to be postponed until the other day. With the absence of defending champion Sverre Isachsen the door is now open for last year's runner-upTanner Foust (Ford Fiesta Mk7) to start the season with a victory.[2]
The opening round of the 2013 FIA European Rallycross Championship was held over the Easter holiday, at Lydden Hill, with victory going to the American Tanner Foust in his Ford Fiesta for the second year running, only after reigning ERC championTimur Timerzyanov for dropped back with a punctured tyre.[3]
In 2014, the FIA World Rallycross Championship arrived in Kent for Round Two. Ford Olsbergs MSE driver Andreas Bakkerud won, after a near perfect run. Robin Larsson claimed the runner’s-up spot in his Audi A1 Supercar, with Britain’sAndrew Jordan ending the event third in front of his home crowd.[4]
In July 2023, the FIA World Rallycross Championship was due to race for the first time since 2017. On the eve of the first heat, The garage caught the massive blaze and the Special ONE Lancia Delta RX1e's are destroyed instantly. They had to cancel the event.Sebastien Loeb andGuerlain Chicherit had to withdraw from the championship.
Martin Schanche, (Ford RS200 E2) drove 3 ½ laps (1 lap = 1,400 m) in 2:28.8 Minutes during the 1990FIAERC roundSverre Isachsen, (Ford Focus T16 4X4), drove 4 laps (1 lap = 1,400 m) in 3.13.344 minutes during the 2009FIAERC Round
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+ ran in conjunction with the British Rallycross Grand Prix[2][3][5]
| Year | Class | Driver | Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Supercar | Andreas Bakkerud | Ford Fiesta ST |
| 2014 | Lites Class | Mitchell deJong[6] | Rallyx Lites |
| 2015 | Supercar | Petter Solberg | Citroën DS3 |
| 2016 | Supercar |  Mattias Ekström | Audi S1 |
| 2017 | Supercar | Petter Solberg | Volkswagen Polo GTI |
