GOODBYE TO ROCKINGHAM
Brack: second in Indycar 2001
Kenny Brack Runner-up, Indycar at Rockingham, 2001
“I think Rockingham was unique in that it was like two larger corners, Turn 4 and Turn 1, and then you had two shorter corners that you came around on the back side, it was unique in the shape and the banking too was different. I mean, all tracks have different banking and different corners, but it was a specific shape and the length I think was 1.2 miles, the whole thing about it was a little bit different than the oval tracks. But it ended up being very interesting, a very challenging track.
“It is obviously disappointing that the track won’t be around because it’s been used for a lot of races, particularly road course racing. It’s of course a great deal of history that will disappear and that’s sad for the racing community.”
Ben Collins ASCAR champion, 2003
“It really was one heck of a circuit. In ASCAR, we would be flat through Turn 1 and then Turn 2 would be tricky. Get that right, and you were flat through Turn 3 and then you would be on the rev limiter going into Turn 4 – so that would be 180mph. We could battle side-by-side, and that is something that the Indycars couldn’t do because the track was too tight.
“Tying in the events with music concerts was a masterstroke and fans really took to the events. Seeing oval action live is something else: fans could grab a beer and a hot dog, sit in the stands and watch the entire circuit. It was almost gladiatorial. There was access for all the fans to the cars and drivers. It was a wonderful period of my history.”
Jonny Adam British GT driver
“I have good memories of 2011 with Andrew Howard, it was my first year of British GT and first year of GT racing, we won with the DBRS9. I remember it was absolutely monsoon conditions on the Sunday, so it was a wet race and then the wiper failed after 20 minutes of Andrew’s stint!”
Leawood Super Silhouette champion, 2007, Pickuptruck racer, BTCC racer
“I absolutely loved Rockingham, although I had bittersweet memories: I won the Silhouette series which went there, but I also wrote off my Renault UK Clio Cup car and then my British Touring Car Championship [Toyota Avensis] in 2014.
“But it was the Pickup series I did that was the best racing I have done anywhere. I think it was really underrated as a category. The edge-of-the-seat action, the speed, the tactics – and how you used the draft. It had it all, and often you could be four abreast. There was nothing like it anywhere else, and now Rockingham is going, there will be nothing like it
Rob Austin Britishtouring Car Championship driver
“I wouldn’t say I liked the place, but I certainly had some good results there. It was a track that had a bit of everything in terms of corners, and it had the banked Turn 1, which was something you couldn’t experience at any other track. Having said that, I preferred the old configuration with the chicane on the inside of Turn 1 where the cars used to take off – that was all about mindless bravery! The rest of it had elevation change and it was a real challenge.
“I have a theory about great tracks: they all have trees. Think about it: Brands GP, the Nordschleife, Le Mans – they all have trees! Maybe that is where Rockingham went wrong. They should have got planting – that could have made the difference.”