Rockingham shut for resurfacing
Aerial view of Rockingham Motor Speedway
Picture: Rockingham Motor Speedway
Rockingham Motor Speedway has shelved its first race of the season and brought forward resurfacing work in a bid to cure the problem of damp patches on the track surface.
Rockingham's opening event, the BARC Championship race meeting, scheduled for the weekend of the April 27/28, has been postponed following a decision to accelerate a resurfacing programme on the 1.5 mile banked oval track.
The event had been due to use a combined infield road course, which also uses Turn 4 and the start line straight of the oval.
Following consultation with the track's engineers and the BARC, the decision has been made to accelerate the surfacing programme that was scheduled for mid-May. This will place a new wearing course of hard bitumen on top of the sealing surface of the banked oval, which will effectively remove the problem of 'weepers' experienced at last year's ChampCar event.
Work is due to commence on Tuesday April 23 and will take five days to complete.
Our priority is to solve the problem with the 'weepers' on the oval and we will do whatever is necessary.
David Grace
"We have decided to commence the re-surfacing work as soon as possible" said Rockingham Chief Executive David Grace. "Although that means track activities, including the BARC meeting and ASCAR Spring Training, will be postponed, our priority is to solve the problem with the 'weepers' on the oval and we will do whatever is necessary to make that happen.
"We are working with the British Automobile Racing Club to find an alternative date later in the year. On behalf of Rockingham I would like to apologise to the competitors and fans for any inconvenience caused, but Rockingham is still the best motor sport venue in the country for both drivers and spectators and I look forward to welcoming the BARC back in the near future."
ASCAR Spring Training will be completed over three days prior to the first oval race meeting on Sunday May 5. Rounds 1 & 2 of the 2002 ASCAR championship will take place on that date as scheduled and will be unaffected by the resurfacing work, which will have been completed the week before.
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