Home of motor racing

This is a section of what remains of Brooklands motor racing circuit near Weybridge in Surrey. It opened in 1907 and has a reasonable claim to being the home of motor racing. It was the world's first purpose-built banked circuit. It was in the shape of an elongated oval and ran to a distance of 2.75 miles. It is thought to have inspired the building of the Indianapolis Speedway in the USA shortly afterwards. Unlike Indianapolis, which still stages the Indy 500 to this day, the Brooklands circuit closed in 1939. However, it staged the first 24 hour event just eleven days after it opened and the first British Grand Prix was held there in 1926. The circuit was constructed in concrete. The section pictured is part of the Byfleet Banking. There is a much better preserved section within the area covered by the nearby Brooklands museum which also features exhibits relating to the site's equally important role in the development of the British aviation industry.