Shock as Three Sisters Race Circuit closes

Shock waves rippled through the community yesterday as news emerged that the company which owns the track days and karting school has gone bust.

But documents have revealed that the self-proclaimed lease owners, Motorsport Management Ltd, tenants The Racing School Ltd and also Three Sisters Racing Ltd, which has gone into liquidation, all have involvement from members with the same family name.

The site today remains locked. But at around 10.30am, the managing director of Motorsport Management Ltd, Mark Foulston, emerged from within the facility to unlock and re-secure the gates behind him.

The sign on the gate at Three Sisters. Pic by Jonny Williams

Mr Foulston explained that the company he is managing, Motorsport Management Ltd, was owed £700,000 by Three Sisters Racing Circuit Ltd.

But companies house shows that following its liquidation in 2015, Three Sisters Racing Circuit Ltd was sold to The Racing School Ltd, which is owned by Josiah James Foulston.

Josiah James Foulston is also the majority shareholder for Lat Holdings Ltd, a private limited company which controls the majority of the shares for Motorsport Management Ltd, of which Three Sisters Racing Circuit Ltd were supposedly tenants owing thousands of pounds.

The unexpected closure has caused public outcry, with many left out of pocket after booking track days and other events at the facility demanding to know what will happen next.

Coun Bob Brierly, a long-term supporter of the race course who has also raised money to provide karts for disabled drivers, spoke about the future of the facility.

“This is my passion,” he said. “It’s the Three Sisters complex. It was built for motorsports, it cannot be sold off under the localism act. It’s a community asset and it’s too important for people to just go.”

One customer, Andy Owens, booked a party for more than 60 people, and has now lost £1,800 with no idea if he will receive a refund.

He said: “We were busy organising an event at Three Sisters and now it’s gone bust. There’s now £1,800 of people’s money that’s gone missing. I have been a regular customer for five or six years now, we have done this once or twice annually.”