The May day weekend brought a new photographic experience to me in the form of Stock Car racing at Warton Stock Car Club in Cumbria. This was certainly an assault on the senses both visually and audibly – the noise was pretty full on, particularly during the Stock Car races. The place looked like something between a ‘Mad Max’ movie set and the muddy trenches of WW1.
The day consisted of several types of racing involving; Van Bangers, Stock Cars, Minis and Rookies for a full 5 hours of noise and action. I positioned myself at several vantage points during the day, mainly watching the corners and bends in the track as there was usually something happening there. The Van Banger races were interesting as the aim seemed not to be about winning a race but demolishing the opposition with some personal battles fairly obvious in proceedings. Quite how some of these vehicles managed to get around the track in the state they were in is baffling. The Minis and Junior Rookies were something similar in style but on a smaller and less violent scale. Finally, the Stock Cars were the fastest and certainly the noisiest races of the day as they charged around the circuit at a rate of knots – these are cars built for speed and racing unlike many of the others which appear to be intended for demolition!
If you ever wondered what happens when you take your car or van to the scrap yard then this might well be where some of them end up, some photos are shown below.
Warton Stock Cars Panel