Rockingham opener to include Brooklands Vets

Ninety four years after Hugh Locke-King completed Britain’s first purpose-built motor circuit at Brooklands, veterans of the great banked outer circuit are to be invited to christen the stunning new Rockingham Motor Speedway, near Corby, in 2001.

Although RMS prime mover Peter Davies and his team are negotiating to attract Indycar and NASCAR races to the Northamptonshire complex, a Brooklands Revival element will be part of the inaugural event, tentatively scheduled for the May Bank Holiday weekend.

Leviathans like the Napier-Railton, which in John Cobb’s hands set the ultimate Brooklands lap record at 143mph, and the best of the Bentley Specials, will make a wonderful spectacle at the 1.5-mile tri-oval, which will also boast an integral infield course, as did Brooklands. “While our aim is to attract major International championships, the first meeting will be a compilation event, to give a taste of what Rockingham can do,” said Davies. “We’ll run pre-war and Historic cars, demonstrations of American classes, and a selection of club races.” MP