Rising costs cause world famous motorsport spectacle’s cancellation The Brighton Speed Trials will sadly no longer take place.
The historic motoring world has been rocked by the news that Brighton Speed Trials, commonly thought to be the longest- running motorsport event in the world, is sadly no more after almost 120 years of history. Organiser Brighton and Hove Motor Club has confirmed that 2023 was the final running of the worldfamous spectacle, with rising costs at the root of the “heartbreaking” decision.
Hosted on Madeira Drive, which lines Brighton’s seafront, the annual event has been enjoyed by generations of motorsport fans. The story began in 1905, when local hotelier Sir Harry Preston persuaded the Town Corporation to lay a motor racing track using the pioneering material of Tarmac. The event, known originally as Brighton Motor Week took place in July and consisted of a series of motor races, in which three world records were broken.
“Despite Brighton and Hove Council’s help, the new road layouts, the closing of the terraces [in 2016], and the enormous cost involved in providing required safety measures, additional security and many other additional costs, the committee of the Brighton and Hove Motor Club have had to make the heartbreaking decision that the 2023 event was the last one,” read a statement on the BHMC website. “The club has been running the event at a loss for a number of years and cannot continue to do so.
“2024 will see Brighton and Hove Motor Club involved in many other events, including our two annual sprints at Goo
