Racing track renames corners after key figures

A motor racing circuit has renamed its best-known corners to honour two men who were "crucial in making the track what it is today", its chief executive said.

The stretch of track at Castle Combe Circuit formerly known as Hammerdown is now called Howard's Way and the right‑hand corner Tower has been renamed as Gooch's.

The new names pay tribute to Howard Strawford and Rodney Gooch, who played key roles in developing the circuit regarded as the West of England's home of motorsport. Strawford died in 2013 and Gooch died in 2019.

"People dub Howard as the circuit's saviour, he laid the foundations and Rodney continued that work," said George Marshallsay, the track's marketing and sales manager.

Strawford took over the site in 1976, founding Castle Combe Circuit Ltd and saving it from closure, Marshallsay - who is also Strawford's grandson - told BBC Radio Wiltshire.

It had previously been run as a test track and was only used for a handful of race days a year, he said.

Before his death, Strawford had made such an impact that he was honoured with his own race day.

Gooch was a motorcycle racer in the 1960s and 1970s and worked with the management team for more than two decades to help boost the circuit's profile.

"He was very passionate, he pioneered the motor racing national and also introduced the autumn classic," Marshallsay said.

Graham Marshallsay, managing director of the circuit, said the renaming of the corners was "the perfect way to permanently acknowledge their lasting contributions".

"The venue's success story is largely thanks to their passion and dedication over the past few decades," he added.

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