31 replies to this topic

[Barry Boor]

I promise this is the last old track thread from the French trip.....

Angoulême is a remarkable race circuit. Less than a mile long, it makes Monaco and Pau look like the wide open prairies.... Indeed, a couple of the corners look too tight to get anything round in one go.

I apologise to those with slow systems but I think the thing needs to be posted in one go for continuity's sake.

The following circuit plan is from Maporama.com, and the numbers will be referred to as you work your way down the images, which are in sequence around the lap in the direction the cars travelled unless stated otherwise:



The grid forms up in front of the Cathedral St. Pierre; with the start line just a little way down the road:

#1

#2

#3

#4
The corner is not the one to the left, but is over by those parked cars.

#5

#6
Looking back towards #5.

#7

#8

#9
Looking back towards #8.

#10
Looking back towards #9

#10
Taken from same place as previous image but looking in direction of travel.

#11
Looking back towards #10

#12

#13

#14

#15
The next corner, a hairpin, is by the big tree in the centre of this picture.

#16

#17

#18
Looking back down towards the hairpin.

#19

#20

#21

#22
Looking back down towards #21.

#23

#24

#25

#25
Taken from same point as previous image but looking back towards final corner.

....and that's about it.... give me a minute and I'll look up the Samaritans number for you.....

Our car was parked with a 1 hour ticket and we were about a quarter of a mile from the circuit. Even then, we did our walk around, took our photos and were still back to the car within the hour!

Not surprisingly, this place had a lap record speed, in 1951, of 44.9 m.p.h, 72.3 k.p.h.

I hope it takes you less time to look at this post than it took me to prepare and post it....

[Twin Window]

Brilliant images, Barry - and I must confess that I'd never heard of the place!

[smithy]

What races took place here?

[Barry Boor]

In the early 1950s it was a Formula 2 race.

That lap record I mentioned was held by Louis Chiron in an H.W.M.

Others will be able to add much more info I am sure.

[Rob29]

Quote

Originally posted by Barry Boor
I promise this is the last old track thread from the French trip.....

Why Barry? Its the best stuff I have seen on Atlas for months! Thanks.
Oh,for Twin Window,historic races still take place there in September.

[Arjan de Roos]

Quote

Originally posted by Barry Boor
I promise this is the last old track thread from the French trip.....

"You make us envy you so much, grrr "

No, once again: great inspiration for next holiday trips. "Honey, we're going to France!"

And your trips are truly 100% nostalgia! Next stop Italy?

[Cirrus]

We're taking the Volpini FJ there this September. Some of those potholes look like real filling looseners!

[ian senior]

Quote

Originally posted by Cirrus
We're taking the Volpini FJ there this September. Some of those potholes look like real filling looseners!

Will you be able to let us see some action pictures from the September event? Do hope so!

[KJJ]

Bravo!

[Gary C]

great pictures, Barry! Having driven through the town just last week, I can vouch for it when I say it looks awesome to drive around!

[sieb]

Great stuff! I didn't know this place was real, because I only herad about it through my Michel Vailant comics.......

[Roger Clark]

Once again, my pictures wouldn't add much to Barry's but here are a couple showing what it was like. both are from Huet's "Un Sorcier Une Equipe".

The first shows Prince Igor Troubetzkoy leading Robert Manzon in 1948. Somehow the cathedral looks larger and more imposing in this photograph than it does in reality.



The second shows Andre Simon (I think) in 1951. At the side of the road is Robert Aumaitre, "Le Grand Robert", chief mechanic of Bugatti before the war and Gordini after it. One of the legendary figures of French motor racing, sadly I could find not a single mention of him in TNF.

[KJJ]

Quote

Originally posted by Roger Clark
Somehow the cathedral looks larger and more imposing in this photograph than it does in reality.

I guess the photographer used an old fashioned view camera, the type with the tripod, bellows and black cloth. That would allow him to keep the lines of the building parallel without the converging verticals you get normally.

For anyone who doesn't know. you can browse the Angoulême F2 results here

[gdecarli]

With Barry's authorization (Thanks!), I have just added this photo tour on my website.

Ciao,
Guido

[MCS]

I keep returning to this thread...no surprise really.

I looked at the place on my way further south a couple of years ago and was astounded. I didn't take any pictures and we carried on to our destination. This thread, therefore, holds even greater interest for me.

Along with the other old French circuit threads that Roger and yourself have posted recently Barry, I would respectfully suggest you consider going in to business together, running European tours to old race circuits - you'd be absolutely brilliant!

Mark

[D-Type]

Quote

Originally posted by KJJ

I guess the photographer used an old fashioned view camera, the type with the tripod, bellows and black cloth. That would allow him to keep the lines of the building parallel without the converging verticals you get normally.

For anyone who doesn't know. you can browse the Angoulême F2 results here

Also, the optics of the lens affect the picture. A long focus lens has the effect of compressing perspective. Relative to the size of the cars, the cathedral will be larger than with a 'standard' lens. Conversely, if the photographer had been very close to the cars and used a wide angle lens the cathedral would have been relatively a lot smaller.


Yes, I used to read Amateur Photographer

[Pils1989]

( I have an old Nikon SLR lens which can move verticaly and horizontaly to straighten buildings, I don't know when it was invented... ?)

[Rob Ryder]

Pure coincidence
I was looking for some rally results in my old copies of Motor Sport and came across these two photos in the November 1987 edition!

(Source : Motor Sport 1987)


Maurice Trintignant, Lotus 24 (Source : Motor Sport 1987)

[Barry Boor]

Thanks for those, Rob.

[petefenelon]

Splendid stuff - incredibly atmospheric and evocative. Thanks!

[Gary C]

a bit of a mixed grid in that last piccy!!

[f1steveuk]

Since moving to France I have been staggered by just how many circuits France has/had!! I'm in a little town called Belves, about in the middle between Anguoleme and Pau. Just south of us is Cadours, where Raymond Somner was killed, and just about every stretch of road down here has a memorial, and a lot of them are motor sport related

[Barry Boor]

The Cadours circuit drive-around images will be on a Cadours thread very soon.

[RobertV]

Goodmorning. I hope you are stil following this thread because the Angouleme circuit is in danger.
Some new civil servant, Mr. Boulanger, has decided in all his wisdom to speedlimit the circuit to 50 km per hour. That will kill the event. I have visited this event for years now and it is great!!!
So if you want to be sure to enjoy this great race, come this year in september. It'll probably be the last year. If you want to see more recent pic's I have some.
Regards
Robert

[busso2]

Robert's comments are very worrying. This is a fabulous event and it would be a tragedy if it was curtailed. Although rated as 'demonstrations', the racing is fairly serious although the organisation is done with a light touch. The annual Bugatti race is a positive joy.

I raced there in an 50s/60s Alfa Romeo race in 2002 in my Giulietta and it was a marvelous weekend. The tight bumpy circuit calls for real concentration and all the surroundings are seriously solid but that's street racing.

Get there if you can, you'll really enjoy it

Paul

[33 route d'orleans]

Here is a petition to sign on the ACOCRA site, the organisers of the Circuit des Remparts : http://www.circuit-d.....e soutien.htm
We hope that an agreement will be find between the Charente préfecture and the ACOCRA who have many supports from all the nation.
Thanks for them

[Cirrus]

I realise that many TNFers will be in Sussex next weekend, but is anyone going to Angoulême? We'll be there with Volpini, Elva and Alexis Juniors.

[Alan Cox]

Barry - I have only just latched on to your excellent thread after some months without access to TNF. IMHO it's a splendid and most worthy contribution. As an Angouleme habitue for the past 11 years (when, latterly, most of you will have been at Goodwood Revivals) I thought you might be interested in my adding some recent on-track action to the thread, just to prove that guys can still race there Your photos added a new dimension, as I have never seen the place devoid of crash barriers.

I'll start with some Bugatti stuff, but, if anyone is interested, I can add other categories:



Alexandre Lafourcade - 35B - Winner 2005 Bugatti GP race, at top hairpin.



Lucas Slijpen - 35



Dominique Baldy (Type 37) finds his meeting has come to a premature end


John Lewis - Lotus 72



Gregory Ramouna - 35B

Edited by Alan Cox, 05 September 2010 - 11:06.

[Cirrus]

Are any TNFers going? I'm really looking forward to the event - it was one of the highlights of 2005 for me. We're taking the Lotus Elite (though, sadly I'm not driving), and a couple of methanol-fuelled 500's, which will be a new experience.

Angoulême is very accessible from the UK via Eurostar (and one connection). There seems to be a general conception that the event is little more than a parade. Nothing could be further than the truth. Tony Goodwin had to use all the skills he learned in 1960s European F3 racing to anticipate the flag drop, and win a very handsome trophy in last years Formula Junior race.

And the food........

And the Cognac.......

Come on.... You know it makes sense!

[Alan Cox]

For the first time in ten years I won't be going, but looking at the entry list you won't be short of British company, Cirrus. Duncan Pittaway with is Type 35 Bugatti, James Diffey and Craig Mycock with their Brescias, virtually all of the 500cc F3, and Lagonda and Vintage fields, while I note that Clay Regazzoni is racing a Mustang in the "Tourisme" encounter.

Looks like being another fun weekend.

[Sportcars]

After 24 hours of Le Mans 1980, Jean Rondeau is in Angoulême car with his victorious "Le Point" B M379, in september

Behind, That's me with the ridiculous hat ;)



DR, private

[Nick Wa]

See bidochon's thread Please help me with my father's photo archive
from post # 108 and on.