The promoters of United Downs Raceway have announced that a new multiple year lease has been signed which will see track action remain at the venue for the next decade. 

The news of the 10-year lease from Cornwall Council has been met with both jubilation and relief from the banger racing community and the promotors Autospeed. The future of Cornwall’s last raceway has been under threat ever since the council revealed plans to build a geothermal rum distillery on the United Downs site in 2021. 

In 2022, a 12-month lease was signed between landowners Cornwall Council and operators Purple Cornwall after protests and a petition with more than 8,800 signatures was signed to save the raceway. Following the refusal of planning permission for the distillery’s proposals, racing was allowed to continue. 

This new lease marks a new era for stock car racing in Cornwall which boasts a long history and is very well supported. The track near St Day opened to go-karts in 1962 and was converted to a stock car track in 1969.  

Since then, it has become the hub for motorsport fans in Cornwall and is the county’s last stock car racing track, after others including St Austell and St Columb were lost to development.