A disused reservoir on Cannock Chase was the perfect spot for a stock car track, and in the 'anything goes' 1950s, Hednesford Hills Raceway, as it would later become known, was born.
Several meetings took place in 1955, but it was when Bill Morris took on the running of the stadium in 1962 that it's fortunes really took a turn for the better. Morris transformed the facilities, bringing in grandstands, the natural bowl creating an amphitheatre that race goers enjoyed.
Originally a loose surface, Morris laid asphalt in the late 60s possibly to aid a formula that he had a direct hand in creating, hot rods. Stock cars, hot rods and banger racing seemed to be the staple diet, with F1 meetings staged from 1962-1971 continuously.
Then a break until 1974-1976, then another until it was brought back with more regular fixtures in 1988. From the early to mid 90s meetings were becoming more sporadic, and since 2009 has only had one meeting per season.
It has staged big meetings in the past. 4 World titles, 2 European titles and 2 British titles.
More recently it's major events are the National Championship for Hot Rods, and the Civil War for bangers.
A vastly underused stadium for F1 stock car racing, it has a central location, good facilities and seems worthy of more than the one meeting per year it currently warrants, so who knows, maybe in the future we'll be seeing more big events and titles decided at Hednesford Hills Raceway.
Andre Zang
