just seen this on Autosport

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/55933

so looks like a few of us will get our wish of BTCC at Rockingham, shame its at the expense of Silverstone.

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In the Daily Telegraph, Kevin Garside made the well-received point that even if Mosley had criticised JYS's comedy music hall trousers, at least they remained round his waist, not his ankles...

I've got mixed emotions about this Rockingham date. The last BTCC race held there was one of the best I've ever seen but it is a shame to see Silverstone lose out. Personally I've never been to a BTCC race at Silverstone and probably never would have but I am seriously considering a trip to "The Rock" So selfishly it's all good for me as I'll be at both Brands Hatch events and Both Thruxton events with the possibility of going to Rockingham as well.

Seems a strange "U" Turn from Mr Gow though since this post on the BTCC forum in August:

http://btcc.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3411

But a welcome one and good to see that the fans are being listened to.

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UKOG ONLINE RACING

Exactly what i was thinking, as people were rubbishing the idea a few months back. Superb news for Rockingham, and with the Formula 3 guys returning for the first time in 3 or 4 years and British GT for the second year running, it seems to me that finally Rockingham is starting to sort itself out!

Now, just need to make sure we get a great crowd that day. Please Please Please Rockingham, advertise it!!!!!

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Steve Pearce - COME ON JIMMIE #48 D

Does this mean we can see more flying F3's as they attempt to straightline, the chicane at turn 1?

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If you've never been at Le Mans, than you've never experienced a race! - Tom Kristensen

i woundn't have though so, my guess is they'll use the same layout the british gt ran earlier this year and go straight around the banking at turn 1. It worked really well actually.

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motorstv

ummm not sure

Yes i think thats the plan, take turn 1 flat through the banking, round the hairpin, down the hill, back up the hill, round the big long left hander(s), through Tarzan, down the school straight, through the hairpin and back onto the front straight again.

Only think that interests me is that that final chicane willbe a nightmare for open wheelers, it really is quite tight and its difficult to see much happening once they are into that complex!

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Steve Pearce - COME ON JIMMIE #48 D

well i for one will be sending alan gow a e mail at the fact silverstone has been droped .. i been a big big fan of the btcc for over 20 years ops: (omg i am old ) and now if silverstone is not put on calander i for one will no longer follow the btcc . think i go and follow the french turismo championship

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http://www.goldencrumb.co.uk/index.htm

I don't think you can blame Alan Gow, Ade Have you read the press release?



Seems Silverstone can't cope with too many big events at once which is odd considering Brands will be hosting the Final of the A1 GP one weekend followed by the Opening round of the BTCC the next.

Jonathan Palmer - 1 The old boys network of the BRDC - 0


I thought Silverstone needed all the money it could get but turning away the BTCC could be one of the nails in its coffin. Brands has already got 2 BTCC rounds a DTM round a WTCC round and the A1 final and all Silverstone's got is F1 for a worldwide audience. I hate to admit it but the Rock could possibly be a contender for a better place to hold F1 than Silverstone. Imagine going to see the F1 and actually being able to sit in a spot where you can see the whole race instead of one tiny piece of track. 80 acres of hard standing parking and good facillities, I think I'd even pay the exorbitant ticket price to go and see it if it were there. If typically British stick in the mud old boys network style tradition weren't in the way The Rock would be a no brainer.

Still at least Silverstone was good for seeing Miss Dynamite slamming into a wall LOL

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UKOG ONLINE RACING

Well you cant argue that, Rockingham IS the best place to watch a race from, no matter what it is. Sadly though i dont see much that F1 could do there. The sports car circuit, the only one not using the turn 1 chicane is too short really. COuld perhaps include the run through piffpaff in there, but it'd only add another 1/5th of a mile or so. I suspect if they ever seriously wanted F1 there it'd need an extra chicane, accesible from the straight on the run up to turn 4 (perhaps on the grass?), so they could use the full long circuit, all 3 miles of it, without needing the turn 1 chicane!

If i had a vote for where F1 in the UK would be, in terms of actual tracks, Donington would get it every time, followed by Rockingham, then Silverstone and Brands in 4th!

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Steve Pearce - COME ON JIMMIE #48 D

I retract the above statement. Seems I got my dates a bit muddled up ops: But the rest still stands.

And I still find it strange that Silverstone don't feel that they can cope with 3 events in close succession. Oh well their loss

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UKOG ONLINE RACING

Are you sure Silverstone had any say int eh decision at all, it seems that Gow made them weel aware some time ago that they werent gonna be hosting a round of the championship, and know in typical Silv fashion they have thrown their teddies out with a damning press release!!

Think the Rock is a far better for BTCC than it ever was for anything else! It is stock car racing after all!!

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I'm going to stop the start watch (Murray who else)

What i find irritating though about the whole thing is that Thruxton and Brands Hatch both have two dates. I can see that the tracks have fantastic racing, and certainly brands is a great thing from a sponsorship side of things, but cant help feel that not going ot Silverstone is a kick in the teeth, as it is after all the motorsport centre of the UK!

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Steve Pearce - COME ON JIMMIE #48 D

I see what you mean but there anot 20 odd million people living within 50 or so miles of Brands and Thruxton in Silverstone are there!

And the traffic situaiton with the worst roadworks ever in Britain down near where I live will put a lot of people off to be honest

All of this has probably got bugger all to do with it, its probly all very political, but I think the catchment area thing definately explains why Brands gets two rounds, and probably Thruxon

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I'm going to stop the start watch (Murray who else)

Probably with Brands, though large events i maintain that its crap, i took 3 hours to get from the M20 junction to brands, and im not doing that again!

Not sure bout Thruxton though.

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Steve Pearce - COME ON JIMMIE #48 D

It took me around 1.5 hours to get out of Rockingham and Brands Hatch last time I was there, but I wouldn't let that put me off going again

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If you've never been at Le Mans, than you've never experienced a race! - Tom Kristensen