As with most stadia built within urban conurbations in the early 20th century, the Station Road site hosted greyhound racing and Speedway from the late 1920's. It was also one of the original staging venues for stock car racing in 1954, and went on to have a long and successful spell of hosting BriSCA Big League action for over 40 years.
A succession of promoters had presented stock car racing here throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Don Luck, Reg Saul, the Hughes brothers, Nev and Frank with their Trackmaster Promotions venture. But from 1974, a man who had already been involved in stock car racing as a fan, mechanic, racer, PR man, programme and magazine publisher, took the plunge as a promoter and arguably presided over Long Eaton's most memorable period in it's stock car racing history. That man was Keith Barber.
Barber was also instrumental as the creating force behind some formulas which have been regulars around the short oval racing scene, and continue to be to this day. Most notably Mini Stox from 1975, and Hot Stox (now known as V8 Stock Cars) from 1984. He was also behind the Heritage stock car movement which is reasonably popular nowadays too. In 1978, he even purchased an F1 stock car from John Hillam. The idea being that drivers from the past and ex World Champions would have a guest appearance in the 'Celebrity Special'. Former Gold Roof recipients, George Ansell, Jim Esau and Doug Cronshaw were among the drivers to get to race the LE stocker.
If Barber was the man behind the show, Dave Edwards was very much the voice of the show, and every second Saturday in the month would play "The Cruel Sea" by The Dakotas just before 7pm prior to introducing the meeting with......"Hi there stox fans and welcome to Long Eaton Stadium..." Dave would commentate on some famous Long Eaton F1 meetings which were annual events on the calendar. The Super Power Silver Salver, Trackmaster Rosebowl, Midlands Grand Classic and the Firecracker 500 were all staples of the Long Eaton season, with the traditional Christmas/New Year offering being the Long Eaton Superbowl. A big money race off for the top 20 in the track championship from the previous season. Another Edwards inspired part of the show was the use of Jean Michel Jarre's Oxygene Part 4 as the rolling lap music. Very atmospheric listening to him call the runners prior to a final or big title race over the top of this track.
The stadium itself wasn't particularly grand. Grass banking along the back straight and pit turn. The home straight afforded concrete terracing, raceview bars and restaurants and possibly the only track to have a baked potato stall as well. The Tote building on the Nottingham Rd bend was used for a track shop and also had a massive Long Eaton sign with the 'O' in Long displayed as an oval shape.
The last meeting for F1 was in December 1997. The stadium closed and was the subject of a well suported 'Save Long Eaton Stadium' campaign. Unfortunately, whilst garnering support from the stock car and speedway fraternity as well as the local council, the campaign was scuppered after a 'mysterious fire' gutted the main stand and as such, the receivers felt they couldn't sell the stadium as a going concern. It then stayed derelict until being bulldozed in 2010 to make way for houses. An all too familiar outcome for some of our best remembered stock car tracks.
