Legal Action

[Speedworx]

According to a report in my local paper. Rockingham Motor Speedway has been told that if it holds a race meeting on a Saturday this year. It could face legal action for breaking the rules.

How stupid is that?

[KC]

Is their a rule or law concerning holding sporting events on Saturdays?

[Speedworx]

Report from Evening Telegraph dated Thursday, February 21 2002:

Legal threat to car racetrack

Rockingham Motor Speedway has been tld if could face legal action if it holds events on a Saturday again.

It has been served a breech of condition notice by East Northamptonshire Council.

The raceway claims it did not break the rules in September by allowing Champ Cars to race on a Saturday, because it was appealing against the condition at the time.

After the notice was served, chief executive David Grace said: "We are in weekly contact with the council and all other relevant agencies and I am confident we can reach an agreement that will satisfy all parties concerned."

"We have received a wide range of very supportive responses from local people and businesses who feel our presence here is a positive move for Corby and the wider East Northmaptonshire region, but we do also listen to the minority view very carefully."

East Northamptionshire Council leader John Richardson said the enforcement order was the counci's first step in making sure Rockingham 'played by the rules'.

If Rockingham goes ahead with plans to hold the event on a Saturday again this year, legal action will be taken. The company could be fined and forced to stop Saturday events.

Cllr Richardson said: "All along we have said that there was an indentifiable breach of condition. There's straightforward evidence of that. Anything else in terms of noise is much more complicted to prove. We mean to act on the conditions as they are at the moment. Where we've got a case that will stand up in court we will got for it."

Rockingham Motor Speedway is in talks with the council in a bid to make 'sensible' changes to the current restrictions.

[Stephen Green]

You have to wonder at the people who went ahead invested and built a motor speedway, knowing Champ cars run on Saturdays as do any other forms of motor racing, without getting the bloody planning permission sorted before they dug one inch of soil?

I'm afraid I think the future of Rockingham is just that...rocky!

[djb]

I realize that I just read this rather quickly, but it is not clear to me the reason for the complaint/possibiltiy of fine etc. Is is a noise issue? How does this compare with other circuits in terms of rules of when cars can run on them, and or the types of cars (ie, decibals-wise)

The blurb here gives the impression that it is a problem with the local political structure, but again, is this just rumblings or a confirmed stance by the local govt?

just curious,

[Stephen Green]

Well from what I read it looks like it's a political issue and that the local authority are standing firm on conditions that were part of the original planning permission. Each circuit has their own restrictions as to what times and days the track may be used for racing or testing. Those restictions also cover the hours during the day that the circuit may be used.

[Liz]

Looks to me as if they went ahead under the old saying "It is easier to obtain forgiveness than permission." That is, the thing's built, the money's flowing into the community, what's the big deal about a little noise one day out of the year? The Molson Indy has been here for about 10 years and they are still getting complaints about noise, pollution, people parking on the street, etc. etc. etc. Nobody really pays much attention anymore.

[Stephen Green]

The thing is Liz, I don't think the money is flowing into Rockingham. Apart from the Champ Car race they don't have any big meetings planned that I can see. Even the Champ car race last year was undersold ticket wise as they applied F1 prices and thousands voted with their wallets!

I have said from the outset that Rockingham is doomed. I hope I'm wrong as I would hate to see any race circuit fail, but I still can't see how they will ever make enough from gate money to cover the cost of funding the loans and building costs?

[Speedworx]

Rockingham is planning to have an FIA SCC meeting. Also the race last year run started at something like 16:30, so it probably did break the hours it could hold races.

I believe Rockingham will survive and will be a great success.

[Stephen Green]

Hakkiman I hope you're right, I don't want it to fail either. Just have a feeling in my bones that it's going to I'm afraid

[Sato san]

Rockingham is a great place...it deserves to suceed

[Speedworx]

Its the best track that Britain has.

[Stephen Green]

I beg to differ, but then I am biased towards Brands Hatch

[Speedworx]

I'm biased towards Rockingham, cos I'm a member of the supporters club.

[Stephen Green]

Ahhhhh, so you're the one are you?

[Sato san]

WELL im a memeber of the Rockingham supporters club as well...but i have to say that Brands Hatch is where my heart lies . Rockingham is a fantastic place and i love it , but Brands has got so much history and the GP circuit is just fabulous. In the summer you can sit out at hawthorns all day without a care in the world.

[Stephen Green]

Next time you visit Brands, wander round to Dingle Dell, they are extending the gracel traps there and it should be even better to view from. I was out there on Satuday and the ground force were working away trying to get it finished for the new season. The debris fence at Clark Curve has also been moved back to give bigger run off areas.

[B/Mark]

What are they doing to the kerbs out there, they were put in to make Dingle Dell corner safer and all it achieved was a better quality of shunt! Which brings us neatly to Rockingham where the kerbs at the Chicane were lethal last year I hope they have been improved.

[Sato san]

Stephen dingle dell chicane is great isnt it, but is does make a shunt or 2. I remember seeing Atushi Katsumata have rather a large moment there in his promatecme F3 last year, he ended up stuck in the gravel near the barrier and they had to red flag the qualifing session as i remember.

Are they just giving more gravel run off area by taking out some tree's that are behind it ? as there doesnt seem to much room there as there are houses quite near it to .

[Stephen Green]

Mark, from what I could see the curbs haven't been touched, nor has the track, it's purely the run off on the outside of the bend. They can't take out trees as they are now right up against the boundaries of their land. I'm not too sure if the houses there are the ones Octagon bought when it was planned to hold the GP there.

[Speedworx]

Stephen Green: what do you mean that I am the one????

[Stephen Green]

It was a joke Hakkiman. I meant you are THE supporter of Rockingham.

[Lee Janotta]

Hi... Outside observation... I don't really understand why anyone would build a superspeedway in the UK in the first place... Believe me, you _don't_ want series like ASCAR over they, they're like a cancer!

Brands is a _gorgeous_ track, Donnington's quite good, Knockhill's a hoot! Silverstone and Rockingham have good facilities, but the tracks are flat and hard to pass on. I mean, really, was CART the only motivation here?

[Speedworx]

Please don't bash Rockingham!!!

ASCAR is going to rock this year. I can't wait to go watch it. Its taken the spot the BTCC used to have in my heart.

[Lee Janotta]

I'm not bashing it, any piece of pavement you can race on is a decent track. But I really don't see it as having a lot of personality. That, and a friend who's driving in BNS doesn't care for it much at all.

I suppose ASCAR might be interesting for now since it's new there... Seems a bit snobbish though that they won't run at the existing ovals in Europe like Monza and Montlhery.

Eh, I'm biased, though. NASCAR tries to either control or stomp out every good series here. Currently involved in full-scale warfare with CART and ALMS... And CART's fighting a losing battle.