18th May 1975

Knockhill circuit hosts its first car race

Knockhill motor racing circuit was created on a sheep farm and disused railway line close to Dunfermline by motorbike racing enthusiast Tom Kinnaird. It has been used for a variety of racing events, including Formula 3 and Touring Car Championships.

The full circuit runs to just over 1.3 miles, but cut-throughs allow for shorter loops of one mile or half a mile, depending on the event. Races can be held in either direction for greater variety and the track has a significant gradient, with a difference of close to 200ft between the highest and lowest points. There are at most ten corners on any circuit, with a single straight running alongside the pits and one hairpin bend, called Taylors.

Racing at Knockhill

As befits a track created by a fan of motorbike racing, the first event was a bike race, held in the autumn of 1974. The first car race took place the following year, on 18 May 1975.

There had been hopes that Knockhill might one day host a Formula 1 race, and, to that end, the track attracted significant investment, allowing for the construction of new facilities, including a media centre. Although the venue was unsuccessful in its attempt to lure Formula 1, it did welcome Formula 3 in the late 1980s and the British Touring Car Championships from the early 1990s.

Since Ingliston hosted its last race in 1994, Knockhill has been the only full-time motor racing venue to operate on this scale in Scotland. Like the remaining portion of the track at Ingliston, Knockhill is used by experience day events.