Speedway

Auto racing’s ghost tracks
SS Collins & Gavin D Ireland

Revisiting disused race circuits? What a good idea! It works for Motor Sport, and this author’s now done it twice.

Collins insists this is not a follow-up to Autodrome. Instead, this is “slightly different”, coming at track visits from a North American perspective. But that doesn’t stop him featuring circuits from his previous work, such as Brooklands and Monza’s banking.

Speedway hits its stride in its second half, with four decaying US tracks. Bleak shots of the abandoned Chicago oval have the most impact: maiden race, 1999; final Champ Car thrash, 2002. Gone in a flash.

The photos are evocative, even if too many overcome the ‘arty’ filter. But it’s a work not without merit. DS

Published by Veloce, ISBN 978 1 845842 41 3, £35