Reinvention of former Rockingham Speedway officially gets under way

It had once been hoped that the track would attract motor racing fans from around the world

Formerly Europe’s fastest race circuit, the new owners of Rockingham - as it will now be called - have announced the launch of its new 250 acre automotive logistics hub with planning consent for end-to-end vehicle processing and 40,000 sq ft of offices.

Rockingham ended its life as a racetrack at the end of 2018 after the Northants Telegraph confirmed it would become a car storage site. It ended a tumultuous 17 years for the track which had never turned a profit but had been a mainstay in the BTCC calendar and had hosted concerts by big names including 50 Cent.

Since its closure, more than 150 jobs have been created at the site, owned by a Jersery-based fund, which is now home to big names in the industry including GEFCO and City Auction Group.

The new usage offers open storage for more than 40,000 vehicles and bosses say it ‘has the capacity to handle the most ambitious of processing contracts.’

After police raised safety concerns over the plans, the owners say they have surrounded the site with protective fencing, with entry and exit only possible through manned access points. There are 24hr security patrols and a CCTV system.

Stuart Wright, Principal of Rockingham Group commented: “We have big plans for Rockingham and are on course to create the UK’s leading state-of-the-art automotive logistics centre.

“We plan to make a significant investment to redevelop and extend the facilities to prepare, de-fleet and remarket a greater volume of private and commercial vehicles. We will provide our occupiers with the capacity to handle PDI and de-fleet contracts in excess of 150,000 vehicles per annum.

“Rockingham offers the automotive sector great facilities and is already home to a number of leading automotive logistics companies including Groupe CAT, GEFCO, IT Fleet Automotive and City Auction Group.

“These companies provide a range of storage, refurbishment and remarketing services to dealer groups, rental companies, fleet operators, leasing and finance companies. As it develops, Rockingham will supply game-changing facilities to the UK’s automotive industry, due to its space, location, planning and infrastructure, which will include provision for electric vehicles.

“We have launched a new website to showcase our services and we will be talking to new automotive partners across the UK over the coming months.”

Nick Walker, Director of IT Fleet Automotive: “We are very much looking forward to building a significant presence at Rockingham over the coming months and are excited to see the growth of this automotive hub.”

Rockingham has also launched a new website with more information.