Santa Pod Raceway
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About Project
Project Background
Built on a former WW2 runway, Santa Pod Raceway was the first permanent 1/4 & 1/8 mile drag racing track in Europe. A stalwart of the 70’s, 80’s, & 90’s drag racing scene, it played host to the cream of drag racing society and enjoyed many high profile meets and subsequent speed record’s.
Sadly, since its original build in 1966 its asphalt track surface had gone through many resurfacing / repair attempts, but the standard of finish required was not consistent, and the track was staring to lose some of its long held records to Sweden’s Tierp Arena.
After another failed attempt to bring the track up to speed in 2013, Knights Construction Group where in 2017 appointed by the owners of Santa Pod to embark on a major resurfacing project, designed to reinstate its status as the leading drag racing track in Europe.
The Knights Solution
Once appointed, Knights Construction Group set about designing a track solution that would provide Santa Pod with the opportunity to again reclaim its position as Europe’s premier drag racing track and one of the fastest tracks in the world.
In consultation with Barnsley Marshall Structural Engineers and Santa Pod, it was agreed that the time for another resurfacing job was over and a completely new concrete track, built from the ground up was required. By removing the original track as well as the original runway beneath, it allowed for modern technical advances in construction to be employed. A new drainage system was installed along both sides of the track, core holes were drilled to assist with on surface drainage whilst nearly 4000 tonnes of the old runway material was reused.
At the conclusion of CBR Testing, the team then set out with the installation of B385 mesh before the pouring of RC40 concrete along the entire 440m length track. To ensure the team were able to manage the pours efficiently, one of the UK’s largest pumps was utilised to ensure the concrete could be poured with pinpoint accuracy.
Project Results
There is little doubt that concrete tracks are now the standard for drag racing. Concrete can out preform asphalt on many levels including more stable grip over a wide range of temperatures, greater stress distribution and of course more efficient surface drying times.
The future is now looking a lot more promising for the owners of Santa Pod. Once again, the track is now being regarded as one of the world’s best and with some consistent events it is hoped that the track will again start to reclaim the speed records from its track rivals.
