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Sprint Course
Elvington is a former Royal Air Force airfield south-east of York, in North Yorkshire, now used as one of the United Kingdom's leading venues for drag racing, sprinting and land-speed record attempts. RAF Elvington reopened in 1942 as a Halifax bomber station and later hosted Free French squadrons before the US Air Force rebuilt it in 1952 with a new runway about 1.92 miles (3.09 km) long, then said to be the longest in the north of England. RAF flying ended in 1992, and the Ministry of Defence sold the site in 1999 on condition that it continue to be used for recreational activity, including motorsport. Part of the airfield's historic buildings now house the Yorkshire Air Museum, while the long runway continues to be used for sprint and record-breaking motorsport; independent sources disagree on which body currently owns the wider site, and this could not be resolved to a single authoritative answer this run. Straightliners, a motorsport promoter, runs events on the runway, including an annual Speed Show and periodic record-attempt sessions open to suitably licensed competitors, with multiple dates held through 2026. The venue holds a long record-breaking pedigree, including an outright UK wheel-driven record set in 1970 and a UK jet-dragster record of 300.3 mph set in July 2000 that still stands.
Organised by: Elvington Park Ltd
Also known as: Elvington Airfield, RAF Elvington
Courses
Elvington Airfield (Sprint/Land Speed) guide
History
RAF Elvington opened in 1942 as a Halifax bomber station and later hosted Free French squadrons during the Second World War. The US Air Force rebuilt the airfield in 1952 with a long new runway, and RAF flying continued until 1992. The Ministry of Defence sold the site in 1999 on condition that it be used for recreational activity, and the former runway has since become a dedicated venue for drag racing, sprinting and land-speed record attempts.
The circuit
The venue's runway is about 1.92 miles (3.09 km) long, among the longest in the north of England, and is used as a straight sprint and record-attempt course rather than a conventional closed circuit. Events include drag racing, sprints, handling circuits and record attempts recognised by British, FIM and Guinness World authorities. Straightliners runs an annual Speed Show and periodic record-attempt sessions on the runway through the year.
Sources: Straightliners (official site); Wikipedia