ROCKINGHAM returned to our television screens last night (Sunday, July 6) when the venue appeared on the new series of the BBC’s flagship motoring show Top Gear.

The Northamptonshire circuit featured as the setting for one of the infamous challenges handed to the presenters throughout the series by the Top Gear production team.

For this challenge, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were each given £1,000 to buy an Alfa Romeo.

The Top Gear presenters all agree that you can't call yourself a true petrol-head unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo. They argue that only when you've experienced the passion, the soul and the racing pedigree of an Alfa will you know what it is to truly love cars.

The Top Gear office set the presenters a series of tests to prove Alfa Romeo owners have nothing to look forward to but inconvenience, heartache and mysterious puddles of greenish liquid.

Determined to prove the production team wrong, the presenters put their bargain-basement Alfas through a series of tasks, including taking part in an RMA Track Day. Each Alfa was tested on Rockingham's international super sportscar circuit, familiar to fans of the British Touring Car Championship.

Director of Sales & Marketing at Rockingham, Charlotte Orton, said: “We have a spectacular venue which makes the perfect stage for television, and has resulted in Rockingham being seen on top-rated programmes such as Top Gear.

“It is great testimony to the Rockingham team that television production companies keep returning to the circuit year after year. The wide range of programmes produced at the circuit demonstrates the diversity of the venue.”

The long-running show has built-up a cult following over the years and is again expected to attract millions of viewers for the 11th series. If you missed Rockingham’s appearance last night, you can catch Top Gear on BBC2 at 9pm on Friday (July 11) or on BBC iPlayer.