50°49′01″N 0°07′23″W / 50.817°N 0.123°W
 Ferrari 308 GT4 at the Start Line in 2008 | |
| Location | Brighton, England |
|---|---|
| Time zone | GMT |
| Owner | Brighton and Hove Motor Club |
| Major events | Brighton Speed Trials |
| Sprint | |
| Length | 0.4 km (1/4 miles) |
| Turns | 0 |
| Race lap record | 9.38 secs (John Siggery, Geronimo Dragster, 1971) |
The Brighton Speed Trials, in full The Brighton National Speed Trials, is commonly held to be the oldest running motor race.[1] The first race was held 19–22 July 1905 after Sir Harry Preston persuaded Brighton town council to tarmac the surface of the road adjacent to the beach between the Palace Pier and Black Rock to hold motor racing events. This stretch was renamed Madeira Drive in 1909 and the event is still held there, normally on the second Saturday of September each year. In 1936 Motor Sport described the event as: "undoubtedly the most important speed-trials on the British Calendar."[2]
The event was run as a quarter mile sprint for both cars and motorcycles, held under the auspices of the Motor Sports Association. The event is organised by the Brighton and Hove Motor Club, with the Sprint Section of the Vintage Motorcycle Club in charge of the Motorcycles.
Following a fatal motorcycle combination crash in 2012 Brighton & Hove City Council considered banning the event. However, on 23 January 2014 the Economic Development and Culture Committee voted in favour of the event continuing. It was discontinued in 2024 due to high costs.
- ^ Brighton and Hove Motor Club
- ^ Motor Sport, February 1936, Page 126.