Qui Me Comitat Vincebit
Rockingham (Historic meeting)
26 -
28 May 2001
Set in the Northamptonshire countryside, using reclaimed ex-British Steel
land, Rockingham is a wonderful setting for what will be, in the future, a
terrific racing venue for certain types of cars. For the spectator nowhere is
better. The newly built grandstands give a complete view of the whole circuit –
quite a change from other tracks where viewing is so limited - and an excellent
walkway over the pits allows one to see the start line and all the pit action.
For competitors, life wasn’t quite so easy. Motor access to the Paddock
is by tunnel, some distance from the motorhome paddock. A car is necessary to
transfer all tools, starting clobber etc to the race cars parked in the centre.
Everyone drove backwards and forwards constantly – the paddock marshalls
disliked support vehicles parked for too long on the inside of the track.
Bicycles had also been discouraged in the pre race instructions: how the
organisers expected us to look after our cars no one could guess.
The layout led to a very disparate feeling. If you were in the infield you felt literally miles from your motorhome and kit….if you were outside the oval you were miles from the race cars. The Coys hospitality tent existed in its own vacuum even further away and sadly failed to create a welcoming atmosphere for the drivers. It was therefore a great pity that the inside of the circuit lacked somewhere where the drivers could go, possibly just to get a drink….now that might have created some cohesion.
There was an interesting turnout of cars, from Mansells ultra-fast single
seater CART Champ car, which lapped the gently banked oval at a staggering 164
mph on the Friday morning, three demonstrative NASCARS and the Anglo equivalent
ASCARs, which also used the oval. In stark contrast the pre war cars raced on a
mickey mouse infield circuit before rejoining the oval for about a half mile of
banking. Many TOPS members were to be
seen on the track and, indeed, many TOPS
cars were casualties of the arduous inner circuit, among them Charlie Dean’s Bugatti
which broke its gearbox, and Boswell’s
Bequet which blew its engine.
There was some good racing. Tania Pilkington was TOPS Head Girl for the weekend and pedalled her Cooper with verve, despite apprehension at the new type of circuit. Ted Rollason looked as calm and well-prepared as ever, and James Wood was driving Stephen Curtis’ ex Scragg HWM like a dervish, and seemed intimidated neither by the circuit nor the rarity of his mount. John Guyatt turned out in his real-life Indy single seater, the Kurtis 500, and certainly once the great Offy engine was persuaded to turn over (it needed about 70 bhp from its electric starter) his performance in the Monzanapolis race would make any Yank proud, taking a class win. Nick Rossi, never a man to do things by halves, drove two cars at the weekend, his C-type Jaguar, and his Monza-esque 1750 supercharged Alfa. Irvine Laidlaw did the job properly with trusty 1937 Maser 6CM, Lola Mk1, Porsche 904 and 1962 BRM P57. Barrie Baxter came out to play with the 4CM and the Tec Mec . Von Schenk drove the beautiful 300S, joined battle with Richard Wills in Lolas Mk1, and dueled with Laidlaw in Porsche 904s. One of the Maserati sportscars had the major off of the weekend, turning over when turning into the infield part of the circuit from the oval. (see comment below) The car was badly damaged. It was interesting to see Ludo taming an AC Cobra with Bill Wykeham. George Daniels paraded with the single seater Birkin Bentley and the newly acquired 1908 Itala. There were many others, and if I have left you out please forgive me: it’s the fault of the meeting, not your prowess.
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It was a long meeting. Friday, the official opening day, was without
doubt the most entertaining with great displays from the Red Arrows, trick
motorcyclists and drivers and, of course, demos from Our Nige. With such a new
circuit there were inevitable problems, for instance there were no kerbings on
the infield circuit corners, allowing stones to be thrown all over the track
with inevitable results for paintwork. It’s a circuit with great potential but
the driver hospitality needs thinking about – the Coys Anglo-American Gala
Dinner should really have produced slightly more than a single glass of
champagne, a small hot dog, a spare rib and an ice cream or doughnut for
pudding! Those who paid £100 per ticket must have been overjoyed by such
flattery. No marks there I’m afraid, and insult was further added at breakfast
(possibly a driver's most important meal) when machine coffee and a single croissant
was the only offering!
Robertino Wild was driving Burkhard von Schenk’s Maserati which went
off the track - the verge was so rough that the car turned over. Robertino was
taken to Kettering hospital (instead of Northampton which is about the same distance)
where most of his injuries went undiagnosed. Fortunately, due to his own
medical training, he was able to recognise serious danger signs and with much
difficulty persuaded the staff to get a doctor to him.
J.B.
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Photographs N.R and R.H.
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