The track of Taunton is located about a mile and half away from the village of Smeatharpe, which straddles the Devon and Somerset border. It is on the site of an old military airfield, which was RAF Upottery.
Opened in 1944, it was used by the Royal Air Force, United States Army Air Forces and United States Navy. During the war it was used primarily as a transport airfield and for antisubmarine patrols. After the war it was closed in 1948. It was rapidly built, hence the bumpy nature of the road in to the track, it also played a part on the battle of Normandy.
In 2001, the airfield was used in the famed TV series "Band of Brothers", and also in that year, the site was earmarked as a site for a pyre when foot and mouth hit that year. Thankfully, this became a non starter due to the
The airfield since then has been used for private flights. Like Dunkeswell, just up the road, it became used for motorsport. Along with motorcross, drifting and straightlining, it has become a motorsport centre.
The track was built towards the tail end of 1973 and opened in 1974, under Roy Goodman's Five Star Promotions. A post and wire track, with an old bus as race control, it had a temporary feel, with the threat of global thermal nuclear war, it had to be, just incase the Ruskies pushed the button. Goodman promoted until 1995, when Autospeed took on the track after being made homeless by the closure of Newton Abbot. They set about making changes to the track, plating the fence, which had been post and wire and extending the length of the track. Within a couple of years, the track to its format that it is now, and is becoming quite the venue.
The town of Honiton is the nearest major town, about 8 miles from the Track. It's famed for its Lace Market, and Queen Victoria's wedding dress was made out of Honiton Lace. The town caught fire in the 1800's, and is a major stop off point on the emmet run to the sun every summer, such is its proximity to the A303.
Those wishing to stock up on essentials, note there is only an Aldi and Lidl for major supermarket purchases.
Taunton, some 12 miles away from the track is the county town of Somerset. Like most county towns, it has all the ammenties you require. Not sure if Dominos would deliver to the the track, but it might be worth a punt! All major supermarkets are there. We know this because Mike Priddle nicked trolleys for the Rog Wilcock Trolley Dash round the track a few years back!
For the more alcoholic amongst us, the local tipple has always been cider. None of this Cidre or Magners pussy nonsense, the stuff they drink is Scrumpy! A good Scrumpy should be cloudy to drink and not fizzy at all, and preferrably sold in a 5 litre drum that you'd get screenwash in. Some people say it has the same effect! The nearest scrumpers to the track is Tricky Warren Scrumpy, who actually provide the track bar, so if you fancy a slurp of the good stuff, they are the guys to see. Warning, you can go from hero to zero in no time at all. Legless and smiling.
So as you decamp and take your inoculations for the journey south, take this in mind!
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