Experiencing a culture shock at Spedeworth Motorsports, Ipswich

in Pinmapplelast year

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Have you ever stumbled across an area not far from you where it seems like you have stumbled into another world? A place so different to what you're used to, so far from what you could ever imagine to be sitting so close to home? Where you feel like an alien, an outsider in your own general area? Well, I had an experience just like that the other day as I attended Spedeworth Motosports. This isn't the first time I have attended something like this, having some incredibly faded memories of being a child and going to some sort of rally event, though I can't recall where it was or even the year it was anymore. Knowing I was going to attend this place, I wasn't sure what to expect at all. Only attempting to piece together an idea of what I would be walking into from my childhood. Though I have to say this experience was completely unique. You drive into the area just short of a motorway going into Ipswich, England, through some trees which opens up into what looks like nothing but steel and floodlights from above. The type of location you'd find in some film where they're displaying some 'underground' sort of racing events. It was much like that, but honestly, a lot more weird.

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You park up at a field anywhere and walk up to the entrance, they charge different amounts on different days with different events, it seems. Starting often from 5PM and ending going near 10PM. From this point all you can hear is the roaring of engines, and the smell of fuel and burning metal. Walking through the entrance, you're immediately thrown into what seems like a world completely hidden, tucked away from the more modern parts of Suffolk, England. An area known for its farming, nature, and aged population. With my first time being there, I walked through the entrance and saw a car get utterly obliterated before me, resulting in a thick white smoke filling the crowd and stinking of what I can only describe as fast-food oil smell mixed with chemicals from science class. Probably one of the last things you would want to be inhaling, but here you have no choice. Clean air is nonexistent. And the community around it seems to not care one bit. Cars began to pile up, hitting the already smoking car as others followed and attempted to dodge it. Though the dense smoke filled much of the view quite quickly. Though this was normal here.

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Outside of the entrace is "The Pits", the location in which you are free to roam through at any time. This is where the cars that aren't contributing to the race, or have been completely destroyed are taken by crane and laughably attempted to be fixed. I walked through this area of rows of cranes lifting all kinds of cars smashed to pieces. Sparks flew around, oil was leaking all over, and damage to the cars was being "fixed" with the smashing of large hammers. They attempt to fix the cars up as much as possible, then throw them back out into the races. The sheer scale of destruction can be seen here with the rows of vehicles lifted up and in crazy conditions. Walking through here, watching the crowds gathering round the cars and watching the work being done, I couldn't help but feel a very "The Place Beyond The Pines" sort of feel. It was here where I really noticed that I was far from home, despite being so close. Thrown into a world that was certainly not my own, witnessing a culture that is hidden away from view for the most part.

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The scale of it all is what surprised me, seeing how many people were here and the types of people they were. In the kindest possible way, I felt like I was stumbling into a world of society's rejects, in which they come together on Saturday nights and take out their rage in violent car races. These people were gritty, roughed-up, still in their work clothing to the point where it was hard to distinguish who was a mechanic and part of the driving teams and who was just a regular mechanic outside of work. Leathery, dirty skin. Obesity. These were the types of people most noticeable here. I found myself then wondering just how I had never seen such people around elsewhere. Is this where they've been hiding all this time? I know much of this sounds judgemental and rude, but it's the best way I can describe what I was surrounded by. Ultimately finding myself surrounded by interesting characters with features that you don't quite find anywhere else. Truthfully, I think this is what I enjoyed the most about it. The total difference in people and culture.

I'm not the type to attend events like these, or even know they exist. But I have been attempting to branch out and discover more of the surroundings lately, leading to myself in these situations. I certainly don't end up in loud places, nor do I end up in places where it feels like it is peak monkey-brained action taking place. Car crash into other car!

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The racetrack itself is actually really big, though at the speed the cars are going at, it doesn't seem like it is that large. Races, while I admit I had absolutely zero idea as to what was going on, who was winning and how, were often stopped by a car getting destroyed to the point of it throwing out smoke or no longer starting, sitting idle on the track as the other cars speed around them and attempt to not crash, though it also seemed as if much of this was intentional, where cars would sit around just waiting for a moment to crash into another and get the crowd all excited. That's ultimately what everyone is there for, and the crowd makes it very clear! Though part of me suspects that the audience is mostly friends and family of the drivers rather than just mere bloodthirsty working class civilians.

Every so often the cars would switch up, somehow, someone would win the race and the cars would venture off back to The Pits while another set would appear. These races varied in going all-out for destruction, and others being more tame with small, faster and reinforced cars aimed more at actually racing than just attempting to kill each other. Still, I had no idea who was winning or how. But it was interesting seeing the speed, hearing the insane amount of noise, and taking in such a vastly unique atmosphere. Sadly, my film camera still isn't working, and I missed out on taking some really good photographs here. For sure, for me, the most appealing aspect of this event was the photography potential! It is huge!

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Some areas of the racetrack allow you to stand very close to the track. Probably a bit too close given the amount of parts that come flying off. The side of the track was often covered in scraps of metal, and a tumbling car definitely would flatten you within an instant. But this also was the best place to get that unique perspective for photography. Right up and close to the cars! Every so often they'd stop the races to remove those cars that just won't budge anymore, pulling them off with cranes. Though sometimes the cars would damage the track and they'd have to spend a few minutes trying to make the track a little more safe for the drivers and audience. Which is funny given how unsafe everything feels at every moment. One car even went up over the railings. Another splintered the railing to which it needed fixing as to not end up impaling a driver taking a turn.

Cars would run with wheels hanging off, fuel would leak all over the ground. Drivers would have to climb through the front of the car due to their cars having their doors wielded together for safety reasons.

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Funnily, none of these were really the strangest things about the place. For me, the strangest thing was that this was seen as a family event. Families bring along children, and families even go as far as bringing their dogs*. The place was covered in dogs, funnily more relaxed and generally chilled out than the people were. Strange given the sheer amount of people and noise going on. Though this was a very different experience. One I am not sure whether I really enjoyed or not. On one hand I hate the idea of it, it definitely isn't my thing to spend my evening around chemicals and flying pieces of metal as people crash cars into each other, but on the other I appreciated that a place like this does exist here. So tucked away and seemingly hidden, almost stuck within the past where much of its influence remains. An older sport still kept alive by passionate people, people that seem hidden from view most of the time. If this is where and how they want to spend their fun, why not? The aspect of culture and community is something I really love, and even if the sport isn't my thing, the way it brings people together certainly is something I can enjoy.

But I also admit that with a few beers that are available there, which what seemed very affordable compared to a pub, perhaps enjoying the utter destruction might become very easy! Though from what I saw, the food looked horrific. Pure slop. Definitely wouldn't touch it.

And lastly, here's a video containing a few clips of the event! I edited them down a little, slapped on some cinematic bars to make the awful phone camera quality look a little more aesthetic. Don't ask me what's happening in these clips, because I have no idea! Though perhaps in the future with some better gear I might be more interested in returning and seeing what types of clips and photographs I can come back with. That for me is definitely the most appealing part.

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I have never been to such an event. I found it funny the way you described the people who attended haha. Well, I understand that most of them would be men from the looks of your photos; but it never hurts to try new things sometime. I don't know if I would have fun or if I would become a fan of these rallies, I have seen the motorcycle rallies on TV, and I have been curious to see the stunts they do and stuff.

It must be a different experience to be there in person; and to witness such terrible crashes.

Honestly I'd say that it was insanely balanced! A ton of women there! Both older and younger.

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Wow, I have never seen such events before, I think the experience here is unique.

Was there an occasion for this trip or did you just see/hear something interesting and investigate? :D

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