Rockingham Motor Speedway

Motorsport venue
Name = Rockingham Motor Speedway
Location = Northamptonshire, England
Coordinates = coord|52|30|54|N|0|39|27|W|region:DE-BR_type:landmark|display=inline,title

Layout1 = Oval Circuit
Length_km = 2.38
Length_mi = 1.47
Turns = 4
Banking = 3.5 - 7.9º
Record_time = 0:24.719
Record_driver = Tony Kanaan
Record_class = CCWS
Record_team = Ford
Record_year = 2001
Layout2 = International Super Sportscar Circuit
Length_km2 = 3.12
Length_mi2 = 1.94
Turns2 = 12
Layout3 = National Circuit
Length_km3 = 2.74
Length_mi3 = 1.70
Turns3 = 9
Layout4 = Lake Circuit
Length_km4 = 1.08
Length_mi4 = 0.67
Turns4 = 5
Layout5 = Handling Circuit
Length_km5 = 1.56
Length_mi5 = 0.97
Turns5 = 4
Layout6 = Rally Stage
Length_km6 = 1.00 - 1.98
Length_mi6 = 0.62 - 1.23
Turns6 = 15 (approx)
Surface6 = Gravel

Rockingham Motor Speedway is a motor racing circuit [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/256591 near] Rockingham and Corby in Northamptonshire, England. There is an unusually shaped oval circuit, and an infield road course. It is close to the A6116 and only one mile north of the A43. Although very close to Corby - virtually adjacent to the industrial estates, it is actually in the district of East Northamptonshire.

History

It was opened by the Queen on May 26, 2001. Rockingham is Europe’s fastest banked oval racing circuit, with the unbeaten lap record for the convert|1.5|mi|km|1 oval set at 24.719 seconds by Tony Kanaan in his Ford/Lola Champ Car on 22 September, 2001ndash an average speed of convert|215.397|mi/h|km/h|3|abbr=on. Rockingham is the first purpose built banked oval in the UK since Brooklands in 1907. It has a capacity of 52,000 and has both an oval (US Style) and a road based (Formula 1 Style) track.

tructural characteristics

The length of the oval circuit is a total of 1.5 miles (2.41 km) and the length of the main road course is 2.237 miles (3.6 km). In total there are fourteen configurations of track which can be used for anything from touring cars to motorcycles to rally cars.

The site is built on a former iron ore quarry.

Events

* CART races were held at the track in 2001 and 2002 and were won by Gil de Ferran and Dario Franchitti respectively. The races were known as the Rockingham 500.

* On December 12 2004, the first Stage Rally, the Rockingham Stages, was held at the venue. This was jointly promoted by Middlesex County Automobile Club & Thame Motorsport Club.

* Rockingham plays host to the majority of the races in the Pickup Truck Racing series.

* Until 2008 it held VSR v8 trophy series (under the banner 'SCSA').

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

Oval lap records

* Champ Car: 24.719s , Tony Kanaan (2001)
* Pickup Truck Racing: 39.887s, Steve Dance (2006)
* SCSA: 34.475s, Ben Collins (2003)

External links

* [http://www.rockingham.co.uk Rockingham Motor Speedway official site]
* [http://worldstadia.com/stadium/england/rockingham_raceway/516.php Rockingham Speedway - Description and Gallery]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/northamptonshire/asop/corby/rockingham_motor_speedway.shtml BBCi: Rockingham Motor Speedway]
* [http://www.pickuptruckracing.com Pickup Truck Racing]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Rockingham,+UK&layer=&sll=52.95929,6.525707&sspn=0.023577,0.084028&ie=UTF8&z=15&ll=52.515411,-0.657592&spn=0.011909,0.042014&t=k&om=1 Satellite image by Google Maps]

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