Sunday 16th April 1950

Brands Hatch, the first purpose-built post-war racing circuit in England, staged its first car racing meeting on tarmac. The RAC had formally approved the 1-mile kidney-shaped circuit following a demonstration by a handful of 500s in February. Amongst those giving the demonstration was a very young Stirling Moss. The Half-Litre Car Club for 500 cc Formula III organised the first race with 7,000 spectators coming to witness these cars complete in 10 races. The first victory went to a man who was to become a legend in Formula III, Don Parker. Before the year was out, five meetings were held, with the events running to a similar programme. The June meeting was a Moss benefit for he won all five races he entered in the Works Cooper and a set a new lap record. The August Bank Holiday meeting saw for the first time, involvement of the national press with the Daily Telegraph sponsoring the main event of the day. The old cinder track had been 0.75-mile (1.21 km) in length, but the tarmac circuit was lengthened to 1-mile (1.6 km) and now ran anticlockwise. The Maidstone & Mid-Kent Motor Club invited a number of sports car drivers to test the circuit on 5 November, this being the first time that any car other than a 500cc had used it, and they ran clockwise.