Rockingham Motorspeedway

[nickyf1]

Whats wrong with the track? After whatching fith gear, the track looked a state, the grass was long and if a car went off it would get lost in that grass! The track looked empty and lifeless, you would'nt believe that champ cars once raced there and other top level racing. So whats up?

[Rockmunky]

it doesn't really pull in the crowds sadly, i quite like the track.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/northamptonshir..._feature.shtml

Oh dear..

[Knowlesy]

That is very sad to see, although entirely predictable.

[Alwaysfirst]

Partly it is due to the lack of advertising. I live 30 miles from the track in Peterborough, one of the closest cities to the track, & I've never seen a single bit of advertising for the races, even in the early days for events like the champ cars.

I've been once & I won't go again. There were so few people there that the atmosphere was rubbish (& that's the PG version!) & several scheduled events like being able to walk the track never happened & the crowd weren't told. Ask anybody at the track when anything was happening & nobody knew. Then when one martial told you that the track was now open to walk around you got 5 running towards you telling you very rudely to get off the track, not listening to your reasoning why you were there & threatening to have you thrown out if you didn't move now! & I'm not the only person that this has happened to. I know of at least 3 other people that were all treated in the same way there. When things like this happen it's not surprising the crowds that do turn up once aren't keen to return.

Such as shame as well as the track has a lot of potential, as do the series that race there, if only someone would give them a good beating into shape.

[nickyf1]

Hmm.. this gives me an idea for a challenge! Very sad to see, the track had a lot of potential, its such a shame that such a high level track should be turned into a place where carnivals happen...

[Al Weyman]

I was there racing for the first time several weeks ago and I thought the place impressive but a bit souless, quite the opposite to Brands which has a certain buzz about it. A real case of missed oppertunities and as Barrett Homes are now a major share holder in the complex and have also applied for planning permission to build 5000 homes nearby and have their own (I believe) sound men monitoring the track I think a change of use application to raise the place to the ground and build residentual homes is imminent.

I personally feel this has been a long term aim as I was told a tale only the other day when discussing this subject of planning permission, a guy I know was on a building site for 6 months work building a new staff canteen, on completion/handover day he thought that was it look for a new employment tomorrow. But no, the foreman told all the crew to report back the following day where they proceeded to rip the whole thing down and rebuild it as officies as change of use application had been approved but they would not have been able to build offices directly on the plot but a peoples canteen was fine.

It is all about planning permission IMHO, go in on the pretext of offering something to the local population to get the council on board then apply for change of use a few years down the line, it sucks!