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chaotic – and the 1976 British Grand Prix was a case in point. Run in the middle of the season-long duel between James Hunt and Niki Lauda, it saw a first-lap accident at Paddock Hill Bend that entangled both drivers and led to a battle off the track as dramatic as it was on it.
Elsewhere, in sportscars, the circuit established itself as an endurance racing venue, with Pedro Rodríguez’ s drive in the 1970 BOAC 1000km sticking in the memory as he mastered atrocious conditions to haul his Porsche 917 from the back of the field to claim a commanding victory, lapping with speed and commitment that was almost surreal.
MOTORSPORT AS SPECTACLE
Ever since its inception, Brands Hatch has presented a great stage for racing, but it required imagination, vision, business dexterity and commitment to turn it into a renowned venue. John Webb delivered just that, joining the circuit in the 1950s as a part-time public relations man and rising to become its guiding force for more than three decades.
He was instrumental in its growth, and his genius was in the understanding of something that motorsport has often struggled to connect with – that the sport, at its heart, is all about the fans and the entertainment. Under Webb, Brands Hatch became not just a racing venue but a cultural fixture, helping people to enjoy more motorsport, more often.
One of the keys to this was the introduction of Formula Ford, creating an accessible on-track ladder to feed young talent into the highest levels of the sport. Brands Hatch took over the hosting of its flagship event, the Formula Ford Festival, in 1976, and turned it into
AZ EDWARDS
Truck racing behemoths battle their way past the crowds
Above: American- SpeedFest was added to the circuit calendar in 2013
46 Revolution Magazine