opinions on rockingham?

[thommo_fan]

seeing as the btcc will be visiting rockingham for the first time this year i was wondering what people thought of the infield circuit?

from what i've seen of it on the tv it looks a bit mickey mouse, like the indieonapolis GP.
the big adantage is that spectators can see the whole circuit from where ever they sit.

[Craig Antill]

I hate the place. Cold, windswept, lacking in feature and the organisation is woeful. But no doubt Paul Rayner will be along soon telling us how wonderful it is... :p

Champcars on the oval are great. Everything else though... grrr

[Amanda]

I like Rockingham. We always watch the ASCAR races from the roof of the pit garages which gives a good view of most of the circuit. The facilities are excellent and I am looking forward to seeing the BTCC race there.

[bramble]

I like Rockingham too, it's only a few miles from where I live, its easy to get too, parking is good, nice facilities, although the seats can get a little uncomfy, but I suppose I could take a cushion!
The fact that you can see all of the track is fantastic, that alone is worth going to see. I believe the infield will see some great Touring action.

[Alan]

Have to say I think the Rock is great, probably the best motor racing facility in the UK - and they treat visitors as customers, not an inconvenience!
As for buying tickets etc - service has always been excellent. Organisation is overall much better than alot of other circuits.

[touring fan]

I love Rockingham, I don't know what it is but there's something about it that I just really really like. Incidently, dos anybody know which track layout they plan to use for the BTCC? I can't wait to see them coming round turn 4 and along the pits straight.

[King Cleland]

Never been there!

[nitromaster]

Every circuit has it's faults.

Overall, I like Rockingham..

[King Cleland]

I haven't heard great reviews about it! :S

[lauz]

rockingham is amazing. the view of the track is great from the top of the rockingham building and the pit garages.

[Sim_Da_BTCC_Man]

I love Rockingham. Facility wise I would rank it number one. (hopefully it will be respected and stay like this for years to come). I've been round the oval with Darren Manning and what a fantstic ride that was :). Great spector views aswell but can you sit on the banking?

[lauz]

nope you can only get as far as the ends of the last two grandstands. there is banking in front of the main grandstand which you can sit on but that is all the banking.

[Les]

you can't stand on the infield which is a pity.

(and why doesn't the img work - had to attach map!!)

[King Cleland]

It seems to lack character, but never been there myself so difficult to judge!

[Ann]

I've always enjoyed Rockingham. As has been said the facilities are better than any other uk circuit & so is the viewing. I've only seen the infield used a few times as I've mainly been there for ASCAR but it didn't seem that characterless to me. Can't wait to see what the tourers are like there :D

[thommo_fan]

watching the btcc cars coming through turn 4 should be fabulous sight.

[lauz]

yeah it will but the drivers had better remember that there is a wall on one side of them.

[Amanda]

That wall is scary! I hope they all keep well away from it.

[Ed- the MG fan]

The Rock is a really good track..


I was lokking on thier web site during Christmas and they have many different track layouts. Anyone know which one the BTCC is using?????

[Claw]

Not to keen on it. The other meeting should have gone to Castle Combe! :D

[thommo_fan]

castle combe is not the safest of circuits

[Claw]

So. It's still good. Rockingham seems bland to me.

[bramble]

Rockingham may not have the same character as other English circuits, but that because they are all about 50 years older than Rockingham. It has an electric, exciting atmosphere, probably because you can see everything at once.

[thommo_fan]

the majority of posts seem to have positive things to say about rockingham, so that'll be a thumbs up then

[King Cleland]

Castle Combe would have been great!

would have halved the distance from nearsest circuit!

[V6.]

Its a fun track to drive on TRD, it will probably make very good racing but the track dosent seem to have any really memerable corners on it.

[acorn]

Originally posted by lauz
nope you can only get as far as the ends of the last two grandstands. there is banking in front of the main grandstand which you can sit on but that is all the banking.

i believe the reason you can't sit on the bank past the grandstands is because rockingham is classed as a stadium and has to provide a seat for every punter just like the football grounds that caused the taylor report.

[Reynard]

Pound for pound, Rockingham is probably the best circuit in the UK; great views, fantastic facilities. Due to its nature, it certainly doesn't give you the feel of Brands Hatch, say, but it is far better than Silverstone and unlike Silverstone, everyone gets a decent view of the action.

I did just about every day of every ASCAR meeting there and I loved it. The best feeling is standing on top of the pits garages watching the racing - you can't do that anywhere else in the UK!

It certainly is a different experience from standing up to your ankles in mud at Snetterton... I believe you'll all be pleasantly surprised.

[McKay]

Arg! I like the place, yeah, but the fact its takign Knockhills place is VERY annoying. Why can they just not Add an extra meeting on to the calendar, or get rid of the second Brands meeting, and put Knockers there.

[John]

Originally posted by McKay
Arg! I like the place, yeah, but the fact its takign Knockhills place is VERY annoying. Why can they just not Add an extra meeting on to the calendar, or get rid of the second Brands meeting, and put Knockers there.

Here here!! But dont get me started on that again!! ;)

[The Stig]

Never been and can't wait to go. Consensus seems to be from people who've been, it's pretty good. Like the idea of an overview of the whole circuit from one vantage point. Any of our more experienced fans recommend the best place to watch for a first timer ??

[Sarah]

I like to sit at the top of the Rockingham building although you are a long way up. The seating in the other stands is not so comfortable so, as someone else has said, take a cushion. The top of the garages is worth visiting too.

[touring fan]

Recieved a letter from rockingham recently which said the seating will be unreserved for ALL events this season.

[acorn]

Originally posted by The Stig
Any of our more experienced fans recommend the best place to watch for a first timer ??

you might get tennis neck sitting in the rock building although the view of the whole circuit is great. when its sunny(and i'm sure it will be ), i like to sit midway along the top of the turn one grandstand to watch the first chicane marker destruction when it's being used. also you tend not to be looking in the wrong direction if something happens. you can still see all the pit lane. you'll get dizzy if you watch from the top of the garages plus being lower down some of the track is obscured.

[bramble]

the Rock isnt usually very crowded, so my advice would be to move around a bit. I've found that the views from turn 1 are better than the views at turn 4, and turn 1 is always a good place to sit for the start of a race.

[speedy king]

When i first went to Rockingham i thought it would be soooooo dull........i proved my self sooooooo WRONG!

Rockingham has great facilities, yes, even the toilets! You get great views and you can get so close to the action if you want.

It's DEFINATELY worth going!

(point: take some spare air with you cos you might need it if a car goes in to the concrete wall at top speed!!

[Peter]

I had a wonderful time at the two CART events at the circuit. I will miss them, however the BTCC gives me an opportunity to return!

I do not know a great deal about the infield, as I have only witnessed Champ Cars and ASCAR, which use the oval.

Is the infield accessible for spectators? It is no good having the fans sitting on the oval, as the majority of action is likely to take place at the back of the track.

I note with great interest that DTM are using the full oval at the Lausitzirng this season- weather permitting. Hopefully, the BTCC will do the same at Rockingham in the near future.

I think it will feel like a luxury, because of all the wide pit boxes and the immaculate paddock and spectator facilities.

[Paul Rayner]

Originally posted by Craig Antill
...no doubt Paul Rayner will be along soon telling us how wonderful it is... :p
Cheeky! I wasn't the first this time by a long way though!

Yeah, I make no secret of the fact that I like Rockingham, and rank it as one of my favourite tracks. I think that the infield course produces some great races, as it has three main overtaking opportunities (first chicane, turn 2 hairpin/chicane, depending which track they're using, and Tarzan hairpin).

I think Touring Cars should use the "historic" circuit, rather than the "International Long" circuit used by F3/GTs because, at 2.5 miles, the lap times are a bit long. I'd like to see them go through the first chicane more often!

[Paul Rayner]

Originally posted by acorn
i believe the reason you can't sit on the bank past the grandstands is because rockingham is classed as a stadium and has to provide a seat for every punter just like the football grounds that caused the taylor report.

I read something recently about Rockingham, and how they'd had to change the design slightly from the original plan. It was originally meant to have places to sit on the banks, but this wouldn't be allowed for oval racing (I don't know why though).

I don't know whether Rockingham could open up the banking for spectators down towards Turn 2 for road course races, but I believe they have looked into it.

[touring fan]

I don't think anyone's mentioned it yet so I'll add that it's worth watching for while from just behind the fence on the grass along the start finish straight.

[Sim_Da_BTCC_Man]

Originally posted by Paul Rayner
It was originally meant to have places to sit on the banks, but this wouldn't be allowed for oval racing (I don't know why though).


Something to do with cars hitting the wall? It would be against regualtion being so close to the walls and fencing? Just a thought because it wouldn't be particularly safe if a car hits that wall, debris could easlily get over the fencing.

[touring fan]

It's a pretty high fence, couldn't they just do what they have on the front stretch with another fence to keep people back from the wall?

[Paul Rayner]

Originally posted by Sim_Da_BTCC_Man
Something to do with cars hitting the wall? It would be against regualtion being so close to the walls and fencing? Just a thought because it wouldn't be particularly safe if a car hits that wall, debris could easlily get over the fencing.
Yeah, it'll be something like that, but I don't see what the big difference is between having people on a grass bank or in seats in the same place. Must be some technical legal thing.

[The Stig]

From what I've read here, Rockingham is quickly becoming a don't miss event for spectators. Opinion seems largely in favour. How many, if any, of the current crop of drivers have raced there before and will unfamiliarity be a disadvantage. Or are BTCC drivers good enough to learn the "new" track pretty quickly.

[touring fan]

As far as I know,only Phil Bennett has been round the track when he did faking it and Matt neal's raced on the oval. Is there likely to be any testing there before the race weekend?

[cav1995]

Originally posted by McKay
Arg! I like the place, yeah, but the fact its takign Knockhills place is VERY annoying. Why can they just not Add an extra meeting on to the calendar, or get rid of the second Brands meeting, and put Knockers there.

Yep, I'll agree with that.

I have got a copy of Total Immersion Racing on the PC and the Rock is on that. I haven't unlocked it yet though.

[acorn]

i would say very few of the current crop have "raced "at rockingham. this will mean that there will be less advantage for those who have experience of a circuit and will mean that those who learn quickly will shine(assuming they've got the machinery to match)

[bramble]

Originally posted by McKay
Arg! I like the place, yeah, but the fact its takign Knockhills place is VERY annoying. Why can they just not Add an extra meeting on to the calendar, or get rid of the second Brands meeting, and put Knockers there.

The reason Knockhill was dropped was because its facilities didn't meat the BMP's standards.

[Reynard]

Originally posted by touring fan
As far as I know,only Phil Bennett has been round the track when he did faking it and Matt neal's raced on the oval. Is there likely to be any testing there before the race weekend?

Nope - Tim Harvey's also raced at Rockingham - and on the road circuit at that...

What & when?

2001 British GT championship when he was driving the Hayles Racing Viper (with Rob Wilson) in the GT class.

As for getting dizzy watching cars on the oval from the top of the pits garages - I managed a whole season of ASCAR with my head remaining firmly planted on my shoulders. One gets used to it after a while.

Besides, it is my favourite place to watch racing from!!! :)

[Claire]

Both Colin Turkington and Alan Blencowe have raced at Rockingham when they were in Fiesta's. Even if they haven't raced there before the drivers are a talented lot and i'm sure they will do just fine!! :p

I like Rockingham, not only is it close to home but the facilities are great. Not sure what the atmosphere will be like as it's such a big place but I'm looking forward to it. Just a shame that we had to lose Knockhill to make way for it.

[cav1995]

Can't any body throw a few million squids in knockhills direction?

[touring fan]

I can't believe I forgot so many of them! :eek: (and remembered the one programme that featured a man who thought he had pre baked tyres). I hang my head in shame..........
BTW, I read in a magazine today that the BTCC will use the international circuit but I'm afraid I can't remember which magazine it was.

[burfield17]

knockhill is in serious need of some cash flow, they complain that the facilities arnt up to scratch, well, the organisers should do somthing about it, because it really is a brilliant track and its a shame to leave it out