Knockhill axe Jim Clark corner
1 May 2007 by Keith Collantine
The owners of Scottish racing circuit Knockhill are axing the name ‘Clark’s’ from one of the corners in deference to a sponsor.
The corner on the circuit visited by the British Touring Car Championship and other series was named after twice Formula 1 World Champion Jim Clark. It is to be re-titled “Carlube”.
Of course national racing circuits need to do everything they can to keep the money flowing in – but it’s a shame they’d go so far as to ditch the name of one of the world’s greatest racing drivers.
Indeed, it’s equally disappointing that Carlube are apparently happy to be seen as the brand responsible for it – but what do I know about marketing?
This sort of thing happens in other forms of sport, too.
What I wonder is, names like ‘Clark’s Corner’ come from local (or driver’s) vernacular, right? It doesn’t matter if there’s a big yellow seashell sign near a corner, that doesn’t make it “Shell Corner” until attendees start calling it “Shell Corner”, and if nobody names it anything, it becomes “a 90-degree right-hander” or “Turn 12.”
In other words, I try not to take renaming rights too seriously.