Rockingham to close
Discussion
Shiv_P said:
Any links?
No racing will take place at Rockingham Speedway beyond the end of 2018, it has been confirmed. The 300 acre site in Mitchell Road, once hailed as the future of British Motorsport, is believed to have been sold to an un-named investment company registered in the tax haven of St Helier, Jersey, and will become a major storage centre for defleet and auction vehicles.
However, it is hoped that most of the 80 tenants based in offices at Rockingham can remain there. Tenants were told last night (Thursday) that there would be no further racing at Rockingham after the end of 2018 because of a change in business use. Michael Tomlain is director of one of the Speedway’s biggest tenants. His firm City Auction Group rents facilities at the stadium, although they are not the buyer. “It’s just not been financially viable. It’s never worked,” he said. “We have a long-term lease and we are very much part of the next stage. “We’re going to stay there and in some regard, it’s exciting. “It will definitely mean that the current employability levels will be larger. “There’s no doubt about that because vehicle defleet, storage and auctions employ a lot of people. “It’s an investment company that has purchased it and that’s their current plan going forward. “The heritage of Rockingham will remain. “This is going to make sure that Rockingham has a future. “There was people talking about putting a bulldozer through the stands but there’s a real opportunity here for Rockingham from my point of view.” When the Northants Telegraph contacted Rockingham Speedway in March, our reporter was told that it was the first year that Rockingham had ever returned a profit and the future looked promising. But last night motor racing fans spoke of how they felt let-down on social media after the firm announced its was going to have a change of business use on its Facebook page. There are between 50 and 80 businesses based at the site, many of them based around the automotive industry. The speedway was owned by BeLa Partnerships which is in administration and owes millions to various companies and the public purse. Its sale will help some of those organisations recover some of their investments. A sister company of Rockingham Speedway, Northants Rockingham Speedway Limited is also in administration, owing £38,000,000 to its parent company BeLa Partnerships. Speedway owners announced they were seeking a buyer in 2016 when BeLa went into administration. It was rumoured that there were new owners interested in March but then in June the British Touring Cars Championship dumped the track out of its schedule for 2019.
https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/confirme...
Dal3D said:
The 300 acre site in Mitchell Road, once hailed as the future of British Motorsport, is believed to have been sold to an un-named investment company registered in the tax haven of St Helier, Jersey, and will become a major storage centre for defleet and auction vehicles.
They could do that within the existing car parks.Such a shame - I went there in 2002 or maybe 2003 to watch the ASCAR series and it was a real treat to go to a venue in the UK with a good view and 21st Century facilities!
But getting there is a PITA, and if they can't get enough punters through the gates to make it pay I suppose the only way is down!
But getting there is a PITA, and if they can't get enough punters through the gates to make it pay I suppose the only way is down!
It was to be expected, it was built to host CART, and it did, the week after 9/11!
The track leaked the race was massively delayed.
ASCAR was OK, but they used the wrong cars, engines blew up, series was a flop.
The banking was not the correct angle, I have heard this was courtesy of the MSA, which would not surprise me. It's a 1 and half mile track, it should be almost flat all round for CART, maybe not a NASCAR brand. They basically used ASA short track cars which were not built to run 1.5 miles, dumb decision by Roush or whoever was the man behind it.
It was built on a former steel works, was originally going to be a Disney style theme park, I went there myself in the early 80's when this was mooted, remember sitting in a massive drag line, but that was cancelled too.
It did OK for track days, went to one a few years back and it was heaving, experience days etc always seemed rammed.
Facilities wise it is superb, loads of space, lovely stands, easy access. Just looked a bit dull!
It will never be houses, look around, it is a giant industrial estate, will be a logistics area or for storage if the building wont last on there, huge plot though.
It's a shame yes, but as has been said, should never have been built in the first place, we don't do oval racing on that scale and never will. Business plan was utterly flawed as was the layout, banking and location.
The track leaked the race was massively delayed.
ASCAR was OK, but they used the wrong cars, engines blew up, series was a flop.
The banking was not the correct angle, I have heard this was courtesy of the MSA, which would not surprise me. It's a 1 and half mile track, it should be almost flat all round for CART, maybe not a NASCAR brand. They basically used ASA short track cars which were not built to run 1.5 miles, dumb decision by Roush or whoever was the man behind it.
It was built on a former steel works, was originally going to be a Disney style theme park, I went there myself in the early 80's when this was mooted, remember sitting in a massive drag line, but that was cancelled too.
It did OK for track days, went to one a few years back and it was heaving, experience days etc always seemed rammed.
Facilities wise it is superb, loads of space, lovely stands, easy access. Just looked a bit dull!
It will never be houses, look around, it is a giant industrial estate, will be a logistics area or for storage if the building wont last on there, huge plot though.
It's a shame yes, but as has been said, should never have been built in the first place, we don't do oval racing on that scale and never will. Business plan was utterly flawed as was the layout, banking and location.
It should have been great for spectators with the stands, but since they can't be used that must have limited its ability to seat people at the few events that pull in spectators (BTCC/trucks) for most circuits.
'Even' the UK pickups that did race on the oval were fairly impressive to watch- I'm glad i got the chance to stand by the catch fence lat year to watch them now!
'Even' the UK pickups that did race on the oval were fairly impressive to watch- I'm glad i got the chance to stand by the catch fence lat year to watch them now!
mcdjl said:
It should have been great for spectators with the stands, but since they can't be used that must have limited its ability to seat people at the few events that pull in spectators (BTCC/trucks) for most circuits.
'Even' the UK pickups that did race on the oval were fairly impressive to watch- I'm glad i got the chance to stand by the catch fence lat year to watch them now!
I've been there a few times to watch, and really liked it. 'Even' the UK pickups that did race on the oval were fairly impressive to watch- I'm glad i got the chance to stand by the catch fence lat year to watch them now!
Very different to anything else, but enjoyed the banking, and the view from the covered grandstand is probably the best at any circuit in the UK - you can actually see the whole track - so the whole race.
Yes, it needs the MSV touch of quality, but can't see that happening.
Could make the perfect base for a manufacturer wanting a factory and road test facilities on the same site.
Are there any 'proper' banked ovals in the Uk.
Had a run round it on a TVR wedgefest parade (fairly spirited btw) and compared it to Pikes Peak international (which I have raced on) and it's not really a b
'Bank' in comparison.
Almost an identical set-up as PPI........
The steep banks are brilliant to race on BTW, coming down off them into a corner is a rush !!
So....are there any ?
Had a run round it on a TVR wedgefest parade (fairly spirited btw) and compared it to Pikes Peak international (which I have raced on) and it's not really a b
'Bank' in comparison.
Almost an identical set-up as PPI........
The steep banks are brilliant to race on BTW, coming down off them into a corner is a rush !!
So....are there any ?
Are there any 'proper' banked ovals in the Uk.
Had a run round it on a TVR wedgefest parade (fairly spirited btw) and compared it to Pikes Peak international (which I have raced on) and it's not really a b
'Bank' in comparison.
Almost an identical set-up as PPI........
The steep banks are brilliant to race on BTW, coming down off them into a corner is a rush !!
So....are there any ?
Had a run round it on a TVR wedgefest parade (fairly spirited btw) and compared it to Pikes Peak international (which I have raced on) and it's not really a b
'Bank' in comparison.
Almost an identical set-up as PPI........
The steep banks are brilliant to race on BTW, coming down off them into a corner is a rush !!
So....are there any ?
From what I can recall, Rockingham was built on a contract for hosting Champ Car races for at least a 10 year period as part of their ambitions to spread beyond the US. Another similar venue was built in Germany where sadly Zinardi lost his legs.
Champ Car then remerged with IndyCar nullifying the contract. IndyCar had no such global ambitions so Rockingham became a bit of a white elephant.
Didn't help that oval racing isn't run in wet conditions; not ideal for northern Europe. I seem to recall the first ChampCar race being run on the Monday (but may be wrong on that!).
They ran the Days of Thunder events for a while; NASCAR type racing and having been to a few, they were quite good and seemed to be well attended but was really novelty racing rather than proper British motorsport.
I never like to see any motorsport institution go but this was always a bit of an oddity here. We're not really an 'oval' type place - save for banger and hot rod racing.
Champ Car then remerged with IndyCar nullifying the contract. IndyCar had no such global ambitions so Rockingham became a bit of a white elephant.
Didn't help that oval racing isn't run in wet conditions; not ideal for northern Europe. I seem to recall the first ChampCar race being run on the Monday (but may be wrong on that!).
They ran the Days of Thunder events for a while; NASCAR type racing and having been to a few, they were quite good and seemed to be well attended but was really novelty racing rather than proper British motorsport.
I never like to see any motorsport institution go but this was always a bit of an oddity here. We're not really an 'oval' type place - save for banger and hot rod racing.
StevieBee said:
From what I can recall, Rockingham was built on a contract for hosting Champ Car races for at least a 10 year period as part of their ambitions to spread beyond the US. Another similar venue was built in Germany where sadly Zinardi lost his legs.
Champ Car then remerged with IndyCar nullifying the contract. IndyCar had no such global ambitions so Rockingham became a bit of a white elephant.
Didn't help that oval racing isn't run in wet conditions; not ideal for northern Europe. I seem to recall the first ChampCar race being run on the Monday (but may be wrong on that!).
They ran the Days of Thunder events for a while; NASCAR type racing and having been to a few, they were quite good and seemed to be well attended but was really novelty racing rather than proper British motorsport.
I never like to see any motorsport institution go but this was always a bit of an oddity here. We're not really an 'oval' type place - save for banger and hot rod racing.
It was originally designed to be a test track for Reynard/ lola but ambitions soon outgrew that and champcar was brought to the uk. The first race was run on the Sunday but after heave rain the weepers in the track wouldn’t release the water (they were crushed during construction) so holes had to be put in the surface to help the water to the surface as it was being dried. Champ Car then remerged with IndyCar nullifying the contract. IndyCar had no such global ambitions so Rockingham became a bit of a white elephant.
Didn't help that oval racing isn't run in wet conditions; not ideal for northern Europe. I seem to recall the first ChampCar race being run on the Monday (but may be wrong on that!).
They ran the Days of Thunder events for a while; NASCAR type racing and having been to a few, they were quite good and seemed to be well attended but was really novelty racing rather than proper British motorsport.
I never like to see any motorsport institution go but this was always a bit of an oddity here. We're not really an 'oval' type place - save for banger and hot rod racing.
The facility itself is still phenomenal, if people haven’t been, they should do before it closes. You have no idea how vast the place is, and is as close to an American facility as we will ever get in the UK.
Such a sad loss, and the end of a project that could have been brilliant but through various reasons, it’s died a slow death.
37chevy said:
The facility itself is still phenomenal, if people haven’t been, they should do before it closes. You have no idea how vast the place is, and is as close to an American facility as we will ever get in the UK.
THIS. For right or wrong we wont ever get another one.Quite probably the last race track to be built in the UK.
olliethehut said:
THIS. For right or wrong we wont ever get another one.
Quite probably the last race track to be built in the UK.
I agree, i much prefer it to Silverstone, access is pretty good and from the main grandstand you can see the whole circuit. The carpark is a 2 minute walk, access to the pits is easy as well.Quite probably the last race track to be built in the UK.
I might have to do a trackday before they close it for good.
Drumroll said:
Apart from the one they are building in Northern Ireland.
Which makes that that ongoing project more remarkable.Rockingham failed despite having a decent side income(magazine shoots, many testing, tv shows) and catchment area which the Northern Ireland track does not have.
The welsh track never progressed past planning despite decent manufacturer and government backing.
It would make you wonder about the potential for the Northern Ireland track to survive. Fair play to those involved. They also have three other tracks as competitors for track day and club racing within a 90 min drive.
Edited by acer12 on Tuesday 21st August 22:08
Having seen real NASCAR and visited Rockingham it is difficult keeping a straight face. Sure , it is a huge facility but so what ? It's like owning Wembley and using it only for five a side football for under eight year olds . It is built in cool and damp Northants , real Indy car territory then, has hosted two proper races in 20 years and . oval apart , offers the worst spectating of 'normal' racing in the UK .
And the crocodile tears mourning of loss of facilities would sound less hollow if Joe Public ever got off its lazy arse and watched live motor sport . But BTCC and GP apart , it really doesn't . For example , I've been to the last two CSCC meetings at Brands and Thruxton , both cracking race meetings , but crowds maybe as much as 1500/2000?
And the crocodile tears mourning of loss of facilities would sound less hollow if Joe Public ever got off its lazy arse and watched live motor sport . But BTCC and GP apart , it really doesn't . For example , I've been to the last two CSCC meetings at Brands and Thruxton , both cracking race meetings , but crowds maybe as much as 1500/2000?
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