Knockhill
Race track in Fife, Scotland
title: "Knockhill" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["motorsport-venues-in-scotland", "sports-venues-in-fife", "1974-establishments-in-scotland", "1974-in-scottish-sport"] description: "Race track in Fife, Scotland" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knockhill" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Race track in Fife, Scotland ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox motorsport venue"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Knockhill Racing Circuit |
| nicknames | Home of Scottish Motor Racing |
| location | Fife, Scotland |
| coordinates | |
| opened | |
| fia_grade | 3 |
| logo | [[File:Knockhill Racing Circuit logo - 2017.png |
| image | [[File:Knockhill track map.svg |
| image_caption | All circuit layouts from 2018 |
| events | Current: |
| BTCC (1992–2002, 2004–present) | |
| BSB (1996–2019, 2021–present) | |
| Former: | |
| British GT (2001–2003, 2005, 2008–2010) | |
| TCR UK (2018, 2023) | |
| British F3 (2001–2005) | |
| layout | Clockwise International Circuit (1974–present) |
| length_km | 2.0389 |
| length_mi | 1.2669 |
| turns | 9 |
| record_time | 0:41.880 |
| record_driver | GBR Heather Calder |
| record_car | Gould GR55 |
| record_year | 2018 |
| record_class | British Sprint Championship |
| layout2 | Anti-clockwise International Circuit (1974–present) |
| length2_km | 2.0389 |
| length2_mi | 1.2669 |
| turns2 | 9 |
| record_time2 | 0:42.940 |
| record_driver2 | GBR Heather Calder |
| record_car2 | Gould GR55 |
| record_year2 | 2018 |
| record_class2 | British Sprint Championship |
| layout3 | National Circuit (1974–present) |
| length3_km | 1.609 |
| length3_mi | 1.000 |
| turns3 | 10 |
| layout4 | Tri-Oval Circuit (1974–present) |
| length4_km | 0.482 |
| length4_mi | 0.300 |
| turns4 | 3 |
| :: |
|name = Knockhill Racing Circuit |nicknames = Home of Scottish Motor Racing |location = Fife, Scotland |coordinates = |opened = |fia_grade = 3 |logo = [[File:Knockhill Racing Circuit logo - 2017.png|class=skin-invert|250px]] |logo_caption = |image = [[File:Knockhill track map.svg|class=skin-invert|250px]] |image_caption = All circuit layouts from 2018 |events = Current: BTCC (1992–2002, 2004–present) BSB (1996–2019, 2021–present) Former: British GT (2001–2003, 2005, 2008–2010) TCR UK (2018, 2023) British F3 (2001–2005) |layout = Clockwise International Circuit (1974–present) |length_km = 2.0389 |length_mi = 1.2669 |turns = 9 |record_time = 0:41.880 |record_driver = GBR Heather Calder |record_car = Gould GR55 |record_year = 2018 |record_class = British Sprint Championship |layout2 = Anti-clockwise International Circuit (1974–present) |length2_km = 2.0389 |length2_mi = 1.2669 |turns2 = 9 |record_time2 = 0:42.940 |record_driver2 = GBR Heather Calder |record_car2 = Gould GR55 |record_year2 = 2018 |record_class2 = British Sprint Championship |layout3 = National Circuit (1974–present) |length3_km = 1.609 |length3_mi = 1.000 |turns3 = 10 |record_time3 = |record_driver3 = |record_car3 = |record_year3 = |record_class3 = |layout4 = Tri-Oval Circuit (1974–present) |length4_km = 0.482 |length4_mi = 0.300 |turns4 = 3 |record_time4 = |record_driver4 = |record_car4 = |record_year4 = |record_class4 =
Knockhill Racing Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Fife, Scotland. It opened in September 1974 and is Scotland's national motorsport centre. The circuit is in the countryside about 6 mi north of Dunfermline. It is the only FIA-approved circuit in Scotland.
History
The circuit opened in September 1974. It was created by joining service roads to a nearby disused mineral railway, closed in 1951, which had served Lethans Colliery. The first car race was held on 18 May 1975.
Between 1974 and 1983 the circuit had several owners, who helped to steadily develop the circuit's facilities and attractions. Derek Butcher became the owner in 1984 and since then Knockhill has been developed to a point where it is able to host rounds of most of the major British car and motorbike championships. The circuit hosted a round of the British Touring Car Championships for twelve years until the deal ended in 2002 with the promoters seeking infrastructure upgrades. Knockhill made improvements and the touring car series returned to Knockhill in 2004 with ITV televising the event live. The British Formula Three Championship and British GT Championship returned to Knockhill in May 2005.
In 2008 Knockhill named a corner Leslie's Bend in honour of the racing-car driver David Leslie shortly after his death in a small jet-aircraft accident at Farnborough.
In 2012 the circuit restarted racing and track days in the anti-clockwise direction. It gained a licence for motorbikes and cars to compete in both directions, the first racing circuit to achieve that in the UK in modern times. the circuit has an FIA grade 3 licence, the only circuit in Scotland issued with a licence by the FIA at this time.
The circuit
The circuit has three layouts, the 1.300 mi International layout with 9 corners, the 1.000 mi National layout with 10 corners and the 0.300 mi tri-oval. On all layouts the circuit is 10 m wide and has a total elevation change of 37 m.
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Knockhill_duffus_dip.JPG" caption="Renault]] [[Formula 1]] colours at Clark's corner"] ::
After the exit of McIntyre's there is a short straight leading to the next corner, a shallow right-hand corner named Butcher's. After this the track dips downward (reaching the lowest point of the circuit) before rising fairly steeply towards another very challenging corner. The Chicane is a challenge because the second, right-hand part of the corner is completely blind and drivers do not see the apex of the second part until after they have turned in and it is this combined with the presence of a sausage kerb on the inside of the track to deter corner cutting that results in vehicles often going through the chicane on two wheels (and occasionally off the ground completely). After a run down the short back straight comes the next corner, Clark's, a blind uphill right hander, frequently the scene of vehicles getting onto two wheels and/or running wide into the gravel on the outside of the corner. Fairly quickly following this is a corner now named Hislop's but previously named Railway, with reference to the fact that it is this section of the track that runs along the location of the old railway line. This corner is a left-handed kink taken at relatively high speeds. [[File:Knockhill taylors.JPG|thumb|upright=1.2|right|Some [[Volkswagen]]s at Taylor's corner]]
Then comes the second-longest straight of the circuit, also named Railway, where vehicles often slipstream one another in preparation for the heaviest braking zone, belonging to the ninth and final corner. Taylor's is a hairpin corner that is one of the tightest found anywhere in the UK. It has an uphill apex, is arguably the best overtaking point of the circuit and was previously known as the Real Radio Hairpin for sponsorship reasons. Leaving Taylor's vehicles accelerate hard on the partly uphill pit straight towards the finish line.
Events and facilities
The circuit hosts different events throughout the year, with the main points usually being the annual rounds of the British Touring Car Championship and British Superbike Championship. There are also lesser events such as the monthly meetings of the Scottish Motor Racing Club, Knockhill Motor Sports Club and Super Lap Scotland and regular trackdays for cars and bikes. Some events are exclusive to the circuit, such as legend racing and the Scottish Formula Ford Championship races. Highlights of these events are televised as part of a show on Motors TV. The circuit has on-site parking for 3,000 cars located in the areas south of Taylor's hairpin, Hislop's, Clark's and the Chicane.
Knockhill offers a range of motorsport facilities. In addition to the main circuit it has a concrete rally stage to the south of the hairpin, a 500-metre long karting circuit located east of the main paddock area, a skid pan to the east of the karting circuit and an offroad course located to the north of the main circuit. There is also another offroading course in the main circuit's infield, which is now used for Rallycross events following its re-profiling in 2019.
The main circuit offers track-driving experiences using a choice of Ferrari F430, Aston Martin Vantage, Legend race car, Honda Civic Type Rs and Audi-powered, Van Diemen single-seater formula cars. The rally stage can be used for a rally driving experience in modified Ford Fiestas, the skid pan for a skid-control driving experience in a number of different cars, and the offroad course using a Jeep Wrangler. The circuit offers motorsport taster days for people with disabilities, as well as a driving experience for those too young to legally drive on the public roads using Ford Fiestas.
In popular culture
The circuit was the location for Kaiser Chiefs' "Hole in My Soul" music video, part of their Stay Together album, and appears in several video games, including Project CARS 2, Colin McRae: Dirt and some of the games in the TOCA series. It appeared on television in Episode 7 of Series 8 of the British motoring programme Top Gear and the first episode of Idris Elba: No Limits. The track also appeared in The Grand Tour presents: Lochdown, where the track is featured in a series of time trials performed by the presenters.
Lap records
As of August 2025, the fastest official race lap records at the Knockhill Circuit are listed as:
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Notes
References
References
- [http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/owner-unique-knockhill-racing-circuit-3454530 Owner of unique Knockhill racing circuit recalls early years as it celebrates 40th anniversary] ''[[Daily Record (Scotland). Daily Record]]'' 25 April 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
- Johnston, Tim. (20 May 2000). "Knockhill party bikes to a close Motorsports". [[The Herald (Glasgow).
- Hunston, Hugh. (15 October 1979). "Knockhill revival". Glasgow Herald.
- Douglas, Derek. (2 December 1980). "Revival plan for racing track". Glasgow Herald.
- Barry, Maggie. (2014-04-25). "Owner of unique Knockhill racing circuit recalls early years as it celebrates 40th anniversary".
- (8 January 2003). "Knockhill is on track to keep pole position". The Scotsman.
- (12 February 2004). "Knockhill all set for return of Touring Cars". The Scotsman.
- (16 March 2004). "ITV to broadcast live from Knockhill". The Scotsman.
- (25 March 2005). "Knockhill revving up for the season". The Scotsman.
- (9 April 2008). "Knockhill Announce Special Tribute to David Leslie". Knockhill Racing Circuit.
- (11 February 2014). "British Superbike Championship To Run Knockhill Circuit in New Direction in 2014". roadracingworld.com.
- McGill, Jim. (22 March 2012). "Motorsport: New direction for Knockhill". The Scotsman.
- (6 May 2025). "LIST OF FIA LICENSED CIRCUITS UPDATED ON : 2025-05-06".
- Kennouche, Sofiane. (19 November 2015). "The story behind Knockhill: Scotland's race track". The Scotsman.
- Allan, Matt. (1 April 2016). "Knockhill set for the new racing season". The Scotsman.
- (31 October 2015). "Scottish Championship Car Racing – Mallard Productions".
- "Rallycross comes back to Knockhill {{!}} Knockhill Racing Circuit".
- (16 October 2015). "Disability motorsport's talent search". BBC News.
- "Teenage Driving Experiences {{!}} Teen Drive {{!}} Teen Rally Driving".
- Barry, Maggie. (29 August 2016). "Kaiser Chiefs burn the rubber at Knockhill Racing Circuit". Daily Record.
- "BBC One - Top Gear, Series 8, Episode 7".
- (6 July 2015). "Rally Driving".
- Sanderson, Ginny. (30 July 2021). "Here's when you can watch The Grand Tour's 'Lochdown' Scotland special".
- (7 July 2024). "List of Category's at Knockhill Racing Clockwise at 7th July 2024".
- (16 June 2024). "List of Category's at Knockhill Racing Clockwise at 16th June 2024".
- (22 May 2005). "2005 Knockhill British F3 - Round 6".
- (19 June 2022). "2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship - Round 4 - Race 2 - Classification".
- (13 August 2023). "2023 ROKiT F4 British Championship Certified by FIA Round 23 - Classification".
- (5 September 2010). "BTCC - Round 8 - Knockhill - 2010 - Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship - Round 15 - Classification".
- (13 August 2023). "Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain 2023 - Round 9 - Classification".
- (24 August 2014). "BTCC - Round 7 - Knockhill - 2014 - Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain - Round 20 - Classification - Amended".
- (17 June 2023). "2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship - Round 4 - 2023 Quattro Group British Supersport & British GP2 Championship - Race 1 - Sprint - Classification".
- (12 May 2002). "British GT Championship Knockhill 2002".
- "Thomas Erdos - Driver Database".
- (9 May 2010). "British F3/GT - Race 2 - Round 4 - Knockhill - 2010".
- "British GT Championship - GT3 2010 standings - Driver Database".
- (16 August 2025). "Porsche Sprint Challenge Great Britain 2025 - Round 10 – Classification".
- (30 August 2020). "BTCC 2020 » Knockhill Round 11 Results".
- (2 September 2007). "TOCA - Round 9 - Knockhill - 2007 - Formula BMW UK Championship - Round 17 - Classification - Amended".
- (5 July 2025). "2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship - Round 4 - 2025 Pirelli National Sportbike Championship - Race 1 - Classification".
- (23 July 2023). "2023 Knockhill TCR UK Touring Car Race 1 - Classification".
- "Tim Sugden - Driver Database".
- (15 August 199). "BTCC 1999 » Knockhill Round 19 Results".
- (20 June 2023). "2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship - Round 4 - 2023 R&G British Talent Cup - Race 1 - Classification - Amended v2".
- (17 August 2008). "TOCA - Round 8 - Knockhill - 2008 - SEAT Cupra Championship - Round 15 - Classification".
- (22 July 2001). "BTCC 2001 » Knockhill Round 14 Results".
- (14 September 2019). "British Touring Car Championship - Round 8 - 14th/15th September - Knockhill - 2019 - Renault UK Clio Cup - Round 13 - Classification - Amended".
- (13 July 1975). "RAC Knockhill 1975".
- (1 June 2024). "List of Category's at Knockhill Racing Clockwise at 1st June 2024".
- (13 May 2018). "TCR UK 2018 » Knockhill Round 4 Results".
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