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Rockingham Motor Speedway

Rockingham Motor Speedway

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Rockingham is the UK's most modern motorsport
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...

 venue and Europe's fastest racing circuit, hosting corporate driving days, driver training, conferencing & exhibitions, vehicle manufacturing events, track days, testing, driving experiences and motorsport. It is also the only intermediate oval in the UK and unique in its quadrilateral shape.

Located in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...

, Rockingham falls under the control of two local authorities. The main entrance is in Corby
Corby
Corby Town is a town and borough located in the county of Northamptonshire. Corby Town is 23 miles north-east of the county town, Northampton. The borough had a population of 53,174 at the 2001 Census; the town on its own accounted for 49,222 of this figure...

 but the actual track is situated in East Northamptonshire
East Northamptonshire
East Northamptonshire is a local government district in Northamptonshire, England. Its council is based in Thrapston and Rushden, which is the largest town in the area...

.

Rockingham is accessible from the A1, M1, A14, A43 and A6116 and is 30 minutes from Bedford.

The nearest train station is Corby, which is two miles from the circuit and runs an hourly direct service to London St Pancras International.

History


It was opened by the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...

 on 26 May 2001. Rockingham is Europe's fastest banked oval racing circuit, with the lap record for the 1.47 miles (2.37 km) oval set at 24.719 seconds by Tony Kanaan
Tony Kanaan
Antoine Rizkallah Kanaan Filho, commonly known as Tony Kanaan is a Brazilian race car driver of Lebanese heritage. Kanaan won the 2004 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series championship driving Andretti Green Racing's 7-Eleven sponsored car, winning three times in his Honda-powered Dallara...

 in his Lola–Ford Champ Car
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...

 on 22 September 2001 – an average speed of 215.397 mi/h. Rockingham is the first purpose-built banked oval in the UK since Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...

 in 1907. It has an all-seating capacity of 52,000, and has both an oval (North American style), and a road circuit (most common in European countries).

Structural characteristics


The length of the oval circuit is a total of 1.47 mi (2.37 km), and the length of the main road course is 1.94 mi (3.12 km). In total, there are fourteen configurations of track, which can be used for anything from touring cars
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...

 to motorcycles
Motorcycle racing
Motorcycle sport is a broad field that encompasses all sporting aspects of motorcycling. The disciplines are not all "races" or timed-speed events, as several disciplines test a competitor's various riding skills.-Motorcycle racing:...

 to rally cars
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...

.

The site has seen declining crowds in the past few years and has been struggling to keep hold of some of its major events. However in 2008, a crowd in excess of 40,000 showed up for the BTCC event, a record for this event at Rockingham.

British Formula 3
British Formula Three Championship
The British Formula Three Championship is an international motor racing series that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. Its current official title is...

  • Rockingham has held rounds of the British F3 championship in 2002 and 2003, before becoming a regular venue from 2007 onwards.
  • Previous winners of this race include ex F1 driver Nelson Piquet, Jr.

Previous Results

British GT Championship
British GT Championship
The Avon Tyres British GT Championship is a sports car racing series currently based in the United Kingdom, although they have had select races outside of Britain in the past few years. The series was created by the British Racing Drivers' Club in 1993 and for its first two seasons was called the...

  • Rockingham has held rounds of the British GT championship since 2006.

The Rockingham Stages


On 12 December 2004, the first Stage Rally, the Rockingham Stages, was held at the venue. This was jointly promoted by Middlesex County Automobile Club
Middlesex County Automobile Club
The Middlesex County Automobile Club is a motor club based in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire.-Formation:The club has its origins in early 1905, and the club records show that a small group of young businessmen and professionals met at The Fox Hotel, Palmers Green, north London, and decided to form a...

 and Thame Motorsport Club.
Cars are separated into classes as follows:
Class Regulations
Class 1 2wd up to 1400cc
Class 2 2wd 1401-1600cc
Class 3 2wd 1601-2000cc
Class 4 2wd 2001cc+
Class 5 4wd


British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...

  • After the first event at the venue in 2003 it has become a regular venue for the BTCC
    British Touring Car Championship
    The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...

     in 2007. Since the return in 2007 the event has been held round the International Super Sports Car layout.


Previous Winners

Pickup Truck Racing
Pickup Truck Racing
Pickup Truck Racing is a single make series, and the trucks are governed by the Pickup Truck Racing regulations,. The chassis is made by , who are also responsible for the vehicle used in T Cars, a series for young drivers....

  • Rockingham plays host to many of the races in the Pickup Truck Racing
    Pickup Truck Racing
    Pickup Truck Racing is a single make series, and the trucks are governed by the Pickup Truck Racing regulations,. The chassis is made by , who are also responsible for the vehicle used in T Cars, a series for young drivers....

     series.

Oval Racing


From 2001 to the end of 2007, Rockingham ran American-style Stockcar racing, originally know as ASCAR, the series changed name to "Days of Thunder", and then to SCSA (Stock Car Speed Association), before re-branding to the MAC Tools V8 Trophy for its final season in 2007.

All cars were UK variants of the American "ASA National-Tour" Howe Racing chassis, running with either Ford, Chevrolet or Pontiac bodies. A change of circuit ownership for 2006 saw the promotion of the series disappear. Valiant efforts by teams in 2007 saw an upturn in its fortunes, but the organising club (BRSCC) offered no support and amalgamated it with a road course series which led to the demise of both championships before the end of 2008.

Relics of the series are still used by Rockingham Motor Speedway to promote itself - with two SCSA cars on display on the infield near Turn 1, and at least one two-seat ASCAR is used on "experience days" for passenger rides on the oval.

British Superbike Championship


The British Superbike Championship held rounds at Rockingham from 2001 to 2003.

CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...


CART races were held at the track in 2001 and 2002, and were won by Gil de Ferran
Gil de Ferran
Gil de Ferran , is a professional racing driver and team owner. De Ferran was the 2000 and 2001 Champ Car champion driving for the Penske Honda Team and the winner of the 2003 Indianapolis 500.Inspired by the success of fellow Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, de Ferran began his career in kart racing...

 and Dario Franchitti
Dario Franchitti
George Dario Marino Franchitti is a Scottish racing driver. He formerly competed in the CART series before switching to the IndyCar Series where he was 2007 champion, and won the rain-shortened 2007 Indianapolis 500. Franchitti is also a former NASCAR driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, competing...

 respectively. The races were known as the Rockingham 500.

Non Motorsport Events

  • The Learning Grid
    Learning Grid
    The Learning Grid is a UK charity that promotes hands-on activities related to science and engineering for school pupils and students in the United Kingdom...

     Rockingham Festival in the first week of July promotes science and engineering to school pupils.

  • It is the location where Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, 'Beat The Boys' contest is held.

  • on 17th September 2011 it will host the first ever Stobart Fest run by The Stobart Group

Oval lap records

Series Date Driver Time
Champ Car
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...

 2001 Tony Kanaan
Tony Kanaan
Antoine Rizkallah Kanaan Filho, commonly known as Tony Kanaan is a Brazilian race car driver of Lebanese heritage. Kanaan won the 2004 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series championship driving Andretti Green Racing's 7-Eleven sponsored car, winning three times in his Honda-powered Dallara...

 24.719s
Pickup Truck Racing
Pickup Truck Racing
Pickup Truck Racing is a single make series, and the trucks are governed by the Pickup Truck Racing regulations,. The chassis is made by , who are also responsible for the vehicle used in T Cars, a series for young drivers....

 2006 Steve Dance 39.887s
SCSA 2003 Ben Collins 34.475s

British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...


Lap records around the International Super Sports Car Circuit
Date Session Driver Car Time Average Speed
24 April 2010 Qualifying Tom Chilton
Tom Chilton
Thomas James Chilton is a British auto racing driver. He has spent most of his career competing in the BTCC; he is a former factory Vauxhall and Honda driver. For 2011 he is driving an NGTC-spec Ford Focus for Team Aon...

 Ford Focus 1m 23.363sec 83.77 mph
18 September 2011 Race Frank Wrathall
Frank Wrathall
Frank Brian Wrathall Jnr. is a British motor racing driver. He won the Ginetta G50 Cup in 2010 and going to debut for Dynojet in the 2011 British Touring Car Championship season.-Early career:...

 Toyota Avensis
Toyota Avensis
The Toyota Avensis is a large family car built in Derbyshire, United Kingdom by Japanese carmaker Toyota since 1997. It is the direct successor to the Carina E and is available as a four-door saloon, five-door liftback and estate...

 1m 24.550sec 82.60 mph

British F3

Date Session Driver Car Engine Time Average Speed
30 September 2007 Race Marko Asmer
Marko Asmer
Marko Asmer is an Estonian racing driver, whose career in single seater junior formula is notable for his British Formula Three Championship title in 2007. Asmer is also the first Estonian to test a Formula One car, having tested for the Williams BMW team in 2003 after just half a season of car...

 Dallara F307 Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...

 1m 12.620sec 96.17 mph
17 July 2010 Qualifying Oliver Webb
Oliver Webb
Oliver "Oli" Webb is a British auto racing driver.-Karting:Webb began his career in karting at the age of nine, progressing up through the ranks in the Greater Manchester karting scene with the help of management from British Touring Car Championship driver Michael Bentwood...

 Dallara F308 Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...

 1m 12.147sec 96.80 mph

British GT
British GT Championship
The Avon Tyres British GT Championship is a sports car racing series currently based in the United Kingdom, although they have had select races outside of Britain in the past few years. The series was created by the British Racing Drivers' Club in 1993 and for its first two seasons was called the...

Date Driver Car Class Time Average Speed
30 September 2007 Allan Simonsen
Allan Simonsen
Allan Rodenkam Simonsen is a former Danish footballer and manager. He most prominently played for German team Borussia Mönchengladbach, winning the 1975 and 1979 UEFA Cups, as well as for Barcelona from Spain, winning the 1982 Cup WInners' Cup...

 Ferrari 430 GT3 1m 21.874sec 85.30 mph
31 May 2009 Nigel Moore
Nigel Moore
Nigel Moore is a British racing driver.-Career:Moore began his racing career in karting, in which he competed until 2007, when he began racing in the Ginetta Junior Championship, which he won with eight victories. He graduated to the Ginetta G50 Cup for 2008, which he also won...

 Ginetta G50
Ginetta G50
Ginetta G50 is a specialist GT4 class-developed racing car, designed by Ginetta Cars.-Development:In late 2007, in what he later described as his Victor Kiam moment, Leeds-based businessman Lawrence Tomlinson bough Ginetta Cars from the group of enthusiasts, who themselves had bought it out of...

 GT4 1m 27.743sec 79.59 mph

Formula Ford
British Formula Ford Championship
The Formula Ford Championship single seater category is a motor sport category which gives many racing drivers their first step into car racing after karting...

Date Driver Chassis Time Average Speed
17 July 2010 Tio Ellinas
Tio Ellinas
Eftihios “Tio” Ellinas is a Cypriot race car driver. In 2010 he competed in the MSA Dunlop Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain racing with the JTR Team...

 Mygale SJ09
Mygale
Mygale is a French racing car constructor and contractor that specialises in the production of single seater chassis for use in formula racing. The company was established in 1989 by Bertrand Decoster and its factory is based in Magny Cours....

 1m 21.058s 86.15 mph

External links