Oulton Park

Oulton Park at a glance

Location

Tarporley, Cheshire

Type

road course

Length

4.307 km (2.676 mi)

Turns

17

Direction

clockwise

Surface

asphalt

Opened

1953

Owner

MotorSport Vision (MSV)

Address

Little Budworth

Phone

+44 344 225 4422

Website

oultonpark.co.uk

Track map and layout

Oulton Park is laid out through the wooded, undulating parkland of the former Grey-Egerton family estate in Cheshire, and its rapidly changing gradients and blind crests have drawn comparisons to the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The full International Circuit runs clockwise over 4.307 km and 17 turns, opening with Old Hall before dropping through Cascades and around the lake at Island Bend, climbing to the circuit's highest point at Hill Top and threading through Knickerbrook, historically an off-camber, high-speed right-hander now preceded by the Hislop's chicane added after Paul Warwick's fatal 1991 crash. The Island Circuit (3.616 km, 11 turns) bypasses the outer Foulston Chicane loop for a shorter club and BTCC lap, while the tighter, twistier Fosters Circuit (2.656 km, 11 turns), added in 1975, uses the infield only and is popular for smaller-capacity racing and track days.

Named corners and sections

• Old Hall. The first corner after the pit straight, a fast right-hander that sets up the run down towards Cascades.
• Cascades. A sweeping downhill sequence taking its name from a nearby waterfall feature in the parkland.
• Island Bend. A corner that curls around the lake at the centre of the circuit, giving the Island layout its name.
• Knickerbrook. A fast, historically off-camber right-hander; a chicane (Hislop's) was added just before it in 1991 following the death of racer Paul Warwick.
• Shell Oils Hairpin. A slow, tight hairpin in the infield section used on all three circuit configurations.
• Foulston Chicane. A chicane on the outer loop of the International Circuit, named after former owner John Foulston.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

Oulton Park's International Circuit hosts two rounds of the British Superbike Championship each season plus the British Touring Car Championship, British GT Championship, TCR UK and GB3, drawing some of the largest crowds on the domestic calendar (BTCC attendance hit a reported 43,000 in 2014). The circuit's historic-racing tradition is celebrated each August at the Oulton Park Gold Cup, first run in 1954 and sometimes described as 'the Goodwood of the north', which continues the race that Stirling Moss famously won five times between 1954 and 1961.

Getting there and parking

Oulton Park is in rural Cheshire, close to Tarporley and Little Budworth, roughly 13 miles from Chester and 17 miles from Warrington. There is no station at the circuit; the nearest stops on the Mid-Cheshire Line are Delamere, Cuddington and Winsford, around 10 minutes' drive away, with Chester and Crewe the nearest mainline stations for longer-distance connections. Manchester and Liverpool John Lennon are the two nearest airports, both under 25 miles away.

• Manchester Airport (MAN) · about 44 min drive
• Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL) · about 40 min drive

Parking

General parking is provided in fields around the circuit, usually included with event tickets; arrive early for BSB and BTCC weekends as rural approach roads are narrow and congest quickly.

Because the circuit has no station of its own, visitors relying on rail should plan a taxi or pre-arranged transfer from Delamere, Cuddington, Winsford or Chester rather than expecting a direct connection.

Hotels and camping near Oulton Park

Oulton Park allows on-site camping for many of its weekend events, which is the simplest option for BSB and BTCC visitors given the circuit's rural location. Beyond the site, Tarporley is the closest village with places to stay, with a wider choice of hotels in Chester, Warrington and Northwich, all within about 20-30 minutes' drive; the surrounding countryside also has more than 30 campsites that fill up around major race weekends.

Where to look

Tarporley is the nearest village with accommodation; Chester offers the largest range of hotels within roughly half an hour's drive, with Warrington and Northwich also within reach for those wanting more choice.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

Oulton Park, one of the six circuits owned and run by MotorSport Vision, hosts car and bike track days across all three of its layouts through MSV Trackdays, with the shorter Fosters Circuit often used for lower-speed or novice sessions and the full International Circuit reserved for faster groups and bigger bike days. Independent organisers also book the circuit for track days throughout the season.

Who runs days here

• MSV Trackdays (car)car
• MSV Trackdays (bike)motorcycle
• Trackdays.co.ukboth

Lap records

Spectator guide

Oulton Park's parkland setting gives spectators plenty of grass banking and woodland vantage points, with Old Hall, Cascades and the lakeside Island Bend among the most popular spots to watch cars and bikes tackle the circuit's elevation changes. The undulating layout means many areas offer views of several corners in sequence rather than a single straight or bend.

Seating

Viewing areas and grandstands take their names from the corners they overlook, including Old Hall, Cascades, Lodge Corner and Knickerbrook.

Best places to watch

The banking around Cascades and Island Bend gives a sweeping view of the circuit's fastest, most photogenic section as it drops past the lake.

Weather

• August (Gold Cup): typically mild, highs around 18-20°C

History of Oulton Park

From country estate to Formula Two opener

Oulton Park was developed by the Mid-Cheshire Motor Racing Club on parkland belonging to the Grey-Egerton family and opened on 8 August 1953 with a 33-lap Formula Two race won by Tony Rolt in a Connaught. The circuit expanded twice within its first year, and in 1954 the Oulton Park Gold Cup was established as an international-calibre race that quickly became one of the most prestigious non-championship events in Britain; Stirling Moss won it five times between 1954 and 1961.

Growth, tragedy and safety reform

Grovewood Securities bought the circuit in 1964 and carried out safety upgrades as the venue's reputation grew through the 1960s and 1970s, hosting the RAC Tourist Trophy from 1965 to 1969 and non-championship Formula One races into the early 1970s alongside Formula 5000. The Fosters Circuit, a shorter infield-only layout, was added in 1975 to give club racers and smaller championships a faster-turnaround option alongside the full International and Island configurations. Safety concerns resurfaced in 1991 after the fatal crash of racer Paul Warwick at the fast Knickerbrook corner, prompting the addition of a chicane just before it that remains in place today.

Life under MotorSport Vision

MotorSport Vision took over Oulton Park's ownership and operation in January 2004, one of six circuits in its portfolio alongside Brands Hatch, Donington Park, Snetterton, Cadwell Park and Bedford Autodrome, and has continued safety investment including protective marshalling cages added in 2007. Today the circuit hosts two rounds of the British Superbike Championship each year plus the British Touring Car Championship, British GT and TCR UK, drawing crowds reported as high as 43,000 for BTCC in 2014, while the Gold Cup meeting each August keeps the circuit's historic-racing tradition alive.

Frequently asked questions

Other tracks nearby

• Three Sisters Race Circuit · 37 km · road course
• Aintree Circuit · 40 km · road course
• Donington Park · 92 km · road course
• Birmingham Superprix · 92 km · historic circuit (defunct)
• Mallory Park · 107 km · road course
• Anglesey Circuit / Trac Môn · 125 km · road course