Oulton Park International Circuit
Oulton Park International Circuit Notes:
The Oulton Park Circuit is a motorsport raceway founded in 1953 at Little Budworth, a village in Cheshire, half an hour away from Liverpool, England. The circuit was born out of necessity to accommodate the increasing number of racers and motorsport fans in Northwestern England who desired to have a top-notch racetrack in the area. Several domestic racing events take place at Oulton Park Circuit, such as the British GT Championship, the British Touring Car Championship, and the British Superbike Championship, to name a few. A wet track surface is a natural condition for any English raceway, even more so in the Northwest, one of the wettest regions of Europe.
The International Circuit in Oulton Park is clockwise-oriented, with a total length of 4.32-km (2.69-miles). There are 17 turns in this raceway, nicely adapting into the topography to create exciting elevation changes in its whole trajectory. The northern part of the circuit is a semi rectangle, and the southern portion borders the Oulton Lake nearby to form the tail of the track. The majority of the curves in the layout are fast-paced sweepers, contributing to the high average velocity of 143 km/h (89 mph). Racing at Oulton Park Circuit is a memorable experience for any driver, experienced and novice alike.
International Circuit Notes:
Oulton Park's International Circuit represents the venue's longest and most demanding configuration, stretching 2.692 miles (4.332 km) through 17 corners across Cheshire's rolling parkland countryside. This layout utilizes the full circuit perimeter, including every major corner that has made Oulton legendary since 1953—Old Hall's medium-high speed right-hander opening, Cascades' quick cambered left, the notorious Island Bend that ranks among Britain's bravest corners, and the reconfigured Knickerbrook chicane modified in 2002-2003 to improve safety. The International Circuit serves as the primary layout for British Superbike Championship, British GT, GB3, GB4 championships, and the historic Oulton Park Gold Cup, demanding absolute commitment through elevation changes that drop and climb across the natural terrain.
What distinguishes the International Circuit from Oulton's shorter Island and Fosters configurations is the complete experience of the venue's character—every blind crest, off-camber exit, and compression that defines British circuit design philosophy. Island Bend exemplifies this challenge, approaching blind over a crest before dropping through a fast right-hander where commitment separates podium finishers from mid-pack runners. The 2.692-mile lap creates different strategic considerations compared to shorter variants, with tire degradation and fuel consumption becoming factors during longer race distances. Northwest England's variable weather adds another dimension, with morning fog, mid-session rain, and evolving grip conditions common across race weekends. The International Circuit showcases why Oulton Park remains a driver favorite despite—or perhaps because of—its unforgiving nature where mistakes meet unforgiving barriers and grass runoff that punishes track limit violations.
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