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©1999 SpeedCenter Publishing Corby, Northamptonshire, England - Rockingham Motor Speedway, the first purpose-designed motor racing venue to be built in Great Britain since Brooklands in 1907, will open its doors during the year 2000. The new complex with a first phase cost of £ 28 million, is situated mid-way between the A1M and M1 motorways at Corby in Northamptonshire and will introduce American-style, high speed oval racing to Europe. In addition to a range of different length 'road course' configurations to full international standards, the track will feature a banked, 1.5-mile high speed bowl, similar to such tracks in the USA as Indianapolis. When fully complete, Rockingham Motor Speedway will feature facilities for up to 130,000 seated spectators, who will see an unprecedented 85% of the oval or road circuits. The spectacle of cars racing on a high speed 'oval' has been denied British motor racing fans since the closure of Brooklands at the start of the Second World War. Since then this type of racing has been largely confined to America where speeds of well over 200mph are regularly recorded for ChampCar, Indy Racing League and NASCAR racing. "Rockingham Motor Speedway will give fans the chance to experience some totally new events and will complement the existing racing facilities in both Britain and Europe" said Managing Director Peter Davies. "Our range of different tracks are designed to be attractive to competitors as well as spectators at all levels, from club motor sport to international racing teams. They will also be used for driver training and as a test location for the motor industry. We will provide top-quality spectator entertainment and facilities including on-site restaurants, excellent grandstands and viewing facilities, along with easy, direct access and integrated road and rail transport links". Six years in planning, the first phase including the oval and road racing circuits, pit garages, a racing school, kart circuit and an 11,000 seat grandstand will be completed in 2000. Top UK race organisers, the British Automobile Racing Club will have key staff permanently on site from the end of 1999, to manage racing events and assist US-based organisers in bringing their events to Europe. The world's largest sports management and promotions company, IMG, have been retained over the past four years to advise on the establishment and management of the Rockingham Motor Speedway. IMG presently manage many international sports personalities and events including the US ChampCar races in Australia and those held in Cleveland and Detroit in the USA. "We have no aspirations to host a Formula One race in the next few years" said Davies. "Our aim is to create new experiences for spectators and broaden the interest in motor sport. Rockingham will give British motor racing an exciting new venue, as well as adding a whole new dimension with the speed bowl". It is intended that a key public attraction will be the establishment of the renowned Richard Petty Driving Experience oval racing school at Rockingham. Run by the legendary American racing driver, the school already offers the chance for drivers and passengers at several tracks in America to lap banked ovals in V8-engined NASCAR racing saloons at speeds up to 160mph. Rockingham Motor Speedway is being built on a 'brown-field' site on the northern outskirts of Corby and is set to become one of the most environmentally-friendly venues of its kind in the world, a key factor in gaining detailed planning consent from the East Northamptonshire District Council. The design of the banked 'bowl' minimises noise by deflecting sounds upwards and away from nearby communities. The speedbowl design is one key element in Rockingham Motor Speedway becoming a commercial success. Noise restrictions affect almost every racing circuit in Great Britain, restricting some to just a handful of days per year in which unsilenced racing cars can be used. Thanks to its acoustically-friendly design, Rockingham will allow car manufacturers and racing teams alike unprecedented opportunities and access for testing. Managing Director Peter Davies, who has personally invested a considerable sum of money in the project, leads the Speedway's management team. Both he and his partner, Marketing Director Christopher Tate have worked with the top names in motor sport from around the world to bring the project to fruition. Ron Haylock, a leading figure in the leisure industry, is Chairman of the Board of Rockingham Motor Speedway Limited, which is backed by City financiers, corporate investors and by operating partnerships with some of the leading names in motor sport. Source: CART News Service |
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