"abandoned" astro track in Watford
 

Wow- just saw this video...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvgpDurHVY8

Does anyone know where this track is? Is much known about its history?

Looks pretty cool!

I raced there last year.it's at lees wood scout camp.not a bad little track but was in need of some work doing on it.it's still being used as far as I know.

Guys anyone got the address of this track and contact details of the club runner?

The track is not "abandoned", they still run there every other week. How you see it is just "how it is" week in wek out

The club has been running now since the early 1990's and I was once on the commitee for around 7 years, the club has fought hard over the years to remain "small" and family orientated, they have no wish for regionals or large meetings, quite the opposite, they strive for Sunday morning meetings only and like to be finished by 1pm if they can.

As much as I highly admire all of this, for the reasons that a large group of us wanted bigger and greater things for the club (like all-day meetings, regionals etc) but the stalwarts on the commitee did not want the club to go this way, so we had no choice but to break away.

This is why we founded the DMS Model Car Club in the mid to late 90's and strived for the bigger meetings and higher numnber of racers such as the Indoor Finals that we ran a few years back with over 100 racing each day.

Now before anyone says, I am NOT knocking the HRCCC (as it is called) since the racing and atmosphere there is great for newcomers and less competative people but racing for just a couple hours every other week against just a handful of fellow racers is not what "we" (the group of us) wanted to do, but for those who do they love it to bits.

There is a link to the official club website on our shop website links page for those who are interested.

this may be it

Campsite Address
Lees Wood
Fir Tree Hill
Chandlers Cross
Rickmansworth
Hertfordshire
WD3 4LY
Tel: 01923 233281
Fax: 01923 248433
Email:
Sites Own Web Address: http://www.leeswood.org

from this link
http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/cgi-bin/...Name=Lees+Wood

That is the one Glenn, their address and a multimap link is on their website on our links page of the DMS website

Well this track is what got me in contact with dms years back, and did an indoor event in the watford leisure centre. As i used to live in watford it kind of has memories and any old excuse is good to go back. Cheers

It is nice to see small, family clubs, they all have their places in the grand scheme of things, not everyone wants big, busy clubs.

HRCCC, Herts Radio Controlled Car Club
 

This was my first club, and back when I started racing there were 20+ people there every week. It shrunk during the touring car boom, with only a few dedicated members to keep things ticking over. Last I heard they were trying to raise the clubs profile and wanted to advertise in a few magazines. I guess this site is the best advertising for buggy racing anyway!

Last time I went they had built some dedicated pit space with covered benches and things were looking good. There aren't enough members to have very regular work parties, but I'm sure some new blood would be just what the doctor ordered.

On the website is says that the next meets are July 5th (this Sunday) and July 19th

Links to the clubs website and forum:
http://www.freewebs.com/hertfordshirerccc/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HRCCC/

Garry Saunders is still running the club as far as I know

Sounds just like Titchfield :(

We're going to check it out tomorrow for a race... should be fun!

Checked it out today - very friendly folks and a relaxed atmosphere. Coolio.:)
http://www.oople.com/forums/attachme...1&d=1248028889

Similar to Titchfield.. Just shame we haven't got a hut..

What were numbers like? I keep trying to make it down, but things keep getting in the way

Brings back a few memories...........

I remember on track battles between Darren and John Bailey every Sunday at Phasels Wood scout camp (the previous venue of HRCCC). Must have been 15 years ago... :o

Paul Gardner and Dave James were the ones the real battles were with, those two always seemed to have the edge, it took me several years to be able to get on par with those two.....

I started racing there when I was 15 which is best part of 19/20 years ago now, my first car was a tamiya, swiftly followed by a few Kyosho Optima/Lazer's then a string of Cats (Procat, Bosscat, Cat 2000 etc). Even ran one of the very first Preds there in 1993/4.......

Nothing ever tops the memory of the Team we entered from the HRCCC club into the Donisthorpe 24hr race around 92/3ish, we ran a Traxxas TRX1 and it was one of the best experiences of my racing life, what a weekend that was!!!

Donisthorpe - Gone but never forgotten.:D

cat 2000
 

Darren I remember your cat 2000 m8 what a machine that was:thumbsup:

Anyone race here?
 

I'm still running my Procat and thinking this club could be good fun :thumbsup:

Does anyone here still race there? What's the atmosphere like?

The website is up to date http://hertfordshirerccc.webs.com/

hi m8 yes club is still active i raced there last sunday morning so the next meet will be next sunday as they run every 2 weeks good little club enjoyed it they are running modern equipment but your procat would be adequate to start with website should still be correct the person to talk 2 would be garry and his number is on the site hope this helps dude:thumbsup:

Thought i recognized the HRCCC name and the address. I wasn't up there for racing, but to collect two bears cut out of tree stumps from the tree surgeon that lives further up the track in the woods. looked like a cool little club :thumbsup:

Please can you tell me what time people arrive on Sundays and roughly when racing is finished?

Thanks

i think they race between about 10am to 12pm, depending on number of people who turn up. but you can turn up a little earlier to get set up.

Do you know if there is a limit on motor size there? as buying a brushless set up this week & don't want to get something if i can't run it there, planning to race there every 2 weeks from now on with either a sx3, B44.1 ft comp spec or a lazer zx-5 fs2, haven't decided which to get but i will be coming to you guys at DMS for the kit, also what is a good tyre for the astro turf?
Cheers
Gainsy

Hi Gainsy,

AFAIK there is no motor "limit" as such as HRCCC, but to be fair the track is fairly small so you would not want anything too powerful, (8.5 max in 4wd at a guess)

Tyre wise the most popular requested tyres for their astro are the normal types, Schumacher Yellows in the dry and Greens in the damp with Ballistic Buggy greens if really wet....

Although I was one of the original members of the HRCCC club when it was back in Hemel Hempstead in the 1990's when we joined forces from a small club in Watford, sadly I hardly ever get to go up there any longer, since commitmnets to bigger meetings such as the regionals and nationals leave no time in the calendar, as well as running our own indoor club in the area too. The club is small and friendly if that is what you are after and the latest and greatest equipment is certianly not essential to be able to race up there on a fortnightly basis.

Hope that helps

Darren

Cheers Darren :thumbsup:
Want to use it as a platform before i enter the regional and nationals, been out of the game for a long time so just want to get some race experience in again
I am leaning towards the Cat as always been a bit of a sucker for Schumacher but the Kyosho does look nice, just need to get my head round this lipo stuff, was nicads only in my day :) & it is confusing the hell out of me :confused:
I am sure the shop can point me in the right direction

Is this thje same club which used to race at the Marchment arms(I think) and was part of the Pyramid club in the 80's, which also included St.albans ( Veralanium) and Dunstable (coach and horses pub)
I was a member and Young committee member all those years back,
lost interest when got into the VW scene,
I've been in Sydney, Australia since 1999, but returning back to St.albans for a couple of years and looking for somewhere to race.
cheers
Steve

Hi Steve, no this club started out in Hemel Hempstead racing in Phasels Wood Campsite, then relocated over to Watford at its current home at "Lee's Wood". The Verulam club in St.Albans was somthing different along with the St.Albans Buggy Club that run in Cottonmill lane too....

I was a member of the cottonmill club back in the 80's
Heres a few pics to bring back some memories for anyone who can remember it
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/...5102011826.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/...5102011828.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/...theoldcars.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/...omtheright.jpg

ahhh, snow boots and Campri jackets. That brings back memories of the 80's!!

Yeah I remember the Cottonmill club, on a steep bit of land behind a community hall,,,, ARHH the memories,,,,Technigold 540, demon 19double
I remember Schumacher's prototype cats first outing was at the track at the Marchment arms under the control of Ben Sturnham, tracks seemed to be everywhere in them days

They are running this weekend if anyone would like to come down and have a good mornings racing with us.

jK

Meeting on again in the morning if anyone wants some fun cheap racing 4 quid for non members