( Inside Track ) Three Sisters Wigan

Alan’s Challenge!
Report by Nigel Higginson
Source: BMX Weekly – Vol. 2, No. 24, pg. 22
Approximate print date: 1982

“It’s going to be perfect,” said Alan Woods when asked about his new track at the Three Sisters site near Wigan. If there’s one thing Alan loves, it’s a challenge. As the youngest businessman in the sport, with his thriving company, Alan’s BMX, the 1981 16-plus No.1 Plate holder, and founder of the U.K. Robinson and Torker teams, he’s clearly no stranger to tackling big projects. But when did the idea of building a track and opening it with an international race—a groundbreaking move in British BMX history—first come about?

“Well, it started two years ago, in June 1980, when the initial plans for a track at the Three Sisters area began to take shape. My goal was to design a track inspired by American pros but on a much larger, longer, and more exciting scale, with far more adventurous jumps. In October of last year, we approached Wigan Council with the idea of building the track at Three Sisters. The site is ideally located within a 20-mile radius of Liverpool, Warrington, and Manchester—densely populated areas—and has excellent motorway access from anywhere in the country. However, since Wigan Council has limited control over the site, final confirmation had to come from Manchester Council, which we received on the 9th of this month.”

Since then, work has been nonstop. Currently, the track is fully laid out, with the berms in place. It’s now awaiting the addition of jumps and table tops. The surface consists of fine clay-based dust over an aggregate stone foundation. According to Alan, this material compresses so well it resembles concrete, making it one of the fastest tracks in the country.