28 replies to this topic

[David Force]

The magnificent circuit set in Montjuich Park in Barcelona will host a small 'revival' meeting this weekend. A selection of cars which raced there prior to the closure in 1975 will take part in parade laps and hosts Martini have persuaded Ferrari to bring one of their current (or near current ! ) Formula 1 cars for Marc Gene to demonstrate.

We expect to see a number of 3 litre cars such as Lotus 49 and 49B, Lotus 72, Tyrrell 001 and 006 amongst others. Examples of GT40, T70, 917 and 250LM will no doubt add to the spectacle.

There will be no races and the track activity will be controlled, but for any of you who have ever been to this fabulous circuit you will appreciate how exciting the sights and sounds of the cars celebrating 75 years of racing there will be.

[Huw Jadvantich]

Will the Lotus 49s have high wings?

[Bonde]

...not for long if it's a real revival...

[David Force]

The Matra MS10 is here with quite a high wing but mounted on the engine not the gearbox. It has the 'winglets' on the front rocker arms which are beautifully crafted but did they really provide any more downforce ?

The Lotus 80, static unfortunately sports its little sliding skirts under the nose reminding us that the search for that elusive downforce in odd parts of teh car is not a new thing...

Emerson just arrived, he will drive the Lotus 72.

There is the most amazing collection of Pegaso cars, six I think.

For the modern F1 guys it is interesting to be in Spain and here their take on the Alonso affair.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by David Force

For the modern F1 guys it is interesting to be in Spain and here their take on the Alonso affair.

I was in Spain a few days ago, I tried not to be drawn into conversation on the subject for fear of the Guardia Civil!!!!!

I visited Montjuich Park last December, I remember the races well, it must have been amazing to see those cars "flying" around the park circuit


Sterling

[lil'chris]

Originally posted by David Force

Emerson just arrived, he will drive the Lotus 72.

Has he checked the bolts holding the armco yet ?

[jarama]

A few pictures taken today by the paddock area:




The ex-Stewart MS10 Matra





A bunch of Renaults 8 TS (the spanish denomination for the Renault 8 Gordini 1108cc)





The Pegaso Z-102 Spyder Rabassada...





... alongside the Spyder Pedralbes





The Nacional Pescara -as seen on the '33 Penya Rhin GP (held @ the Montjuïc Park circuit)- alongside an Alfa Romeo 6C





Pegaso Z-102 Spyder Serra (Serra was a coachbuilder from Barcelona)




Carles.

[sterling49]

That Matra is gorgeous Carles, even with the small wing, Uncle Ken built them well ;)

Any Lotus models? A 49 maybe or even a 72

Thanks for posting the photos, so near yet so far, I was in Spain on Monday

Sterling

[jarama]

Originally posted by sterling49
That Matra is gorgeous Carles, even with the small wing, Uncle Ken built them well ;)

Any Lotus models? A 49 maybe or even a 72

Thanks for posting the photos, so near yet so far, I was in Spain on Monday

Sterling

I'm with you, Sterling. Really gorgeus. And speaking of gorgeous "monopostos" the '67 Ferrari 312 must be in anyone's wish list:





On the Lotus theme, there were also a few beauties:




The '67 ex-Jimmy Clark Lotus 49, alongside the '67 ex-Chris Amon Ferrari 312




The '73 Lotus 72D, to be driven by Emmo Fittipaldi again





A Bugatti Type 37, alongside two gorgeus berlinettas Pegaso Z-102 Touring



Carles

[sterling49]

The spaghetti pipes on the 312 are great, especially in their trade mark sperex, the 49 and 72,thank You!!!!

If I had to choose i think the 72 just pips the 49 as my all time favourite F1 car,

Salut Carles

[mfd]

Originally posted by jarama
The ex-Stewart MS10 Matra

This was the type of wing the MS10 used in the latter half of 1968.
It was the Matra MS80 that raced at Montjuich in 1969 with the large suspension mounted wing.

[David Force]

Emerson did not check the bolts in the armco, mainly because there was no armco ! Speeds were strictly controlled and everyone had a great time. The official police figures said 250,000 people were there and it certainly seemed like it.

Emmo was greta value, drove the 72 with verve and entertained us with stories of how the circuit was almost flat fro the lower part right up to the Olympic Stadium. Just a slight lift in top at the last left hander. No wonder there were accidents...

Marc Gene was not allowed to show haw fast a modern car with tonnes of downforce could have gone but the 'slow' speed demo was entertaining and the donuts tasty despite the police absolutely forbidding them before the event.

Lots of folk had a greta day out and all was safe.

Will try to grapple with posting some pics on my return

[Barry Boor]

Can anyone confirm how much of the original circuit was used recently?

I hope, all of it, but isn't there a roundabout near the entrance to the Spanish village?

[Kanzo]

Yes, all of it was used on the weekend - though the roundabout they made some years ago makes it impossible to follow exactly the same route all around the circuit.

But it was a fantastic show all weekend. My photos are here. The F1 cars are an the first pages, followed by the F2 cars, GT:s, prototypes etc.

[David Force]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
Can anyone confirm how much of the original circuit was used recently?

I hope, all of it, but isn't there a roundabout near the entrance to the Spanish village?

Yes there is a roundabout at the top of the hill and we didn't have time to dig it up ! In fact it made little difference as we installed two hay bale chicanes on the top straight anyway (the police, who were on the whole pretty good, installed a radar trap there also as of course it was the quickest part of the old circuit).

Otherwise they used every bit of the old circuit and not only has it not changed one metre but the backdrops are all as they were so, unlike Monaco, it is still very much the same. Just brilliant...

[David Force]

Originally posted by Kanzo
Yes, all of it was used on the weekend - though the roundabout they made some years ago makes it impossible to follow exactly the same route all around the circuit.

But it was a fantastic show all weekend. My photos are here. The F1 cars are an the first pages, followed by the F2 cars, GT:s, prototypes etc.

Kanzo, so they were your pictures I saw on Google Map a while back. I sent these originally to some of the drivers to give them an idea of the circuit so thanks for that. I am sorry we did not meet.

Unfortunately I cannot open your pictures here

[Kanzo]

Originally posted by David Force
Lots of folk had a greta day out and all was safe.

I have to say I was very happy to be standing on the other side of the track when a red GT car accelerated heavily at the Teatre Lliure corner about half a meter from the spectators. People looked like this for a while...

[Kanzo]

Originally posted by David Force


Kanzo, so they were your pictures I saw on Google Map a while back. I sent these originally to some of the drivers to give them an idea of the circuit so thanks for that. I am sorry we did not meet.

Unfortunately I cannot open your pictures here

Wow, I´m happy to hear that my photos from last year´s trip were helpful to someone.

I love this track also virtually. The one they made to the Grand Prix Legends game is fantastic and great fun! http://montjuich.speedgeezers.net/

[Phil Rainford]

Can I point you to this article from regular poster Simon Arron......


http://www.telegraph...3/mfmont123.xml

Kind regards

Phil

[Barry Boor]

Thanks for that link, Phil. Nice article (apart from that aggravating mini advert that covers part of the text!).

I have been to Montjuic, but at the time was misled by a British tour guide who claimed that I was mistaken and there never was any racing in the park!!!!

When she asked around and found out that there was, a local told her that motor cycles continued to race there after the cars had left but too many fatal and serious accidents finished it off.

I can't confirm this latter fact.

[lil'chris]

Barry,

I think the 24 hours race for bikes continued until 1986 or 7 and there were a number of bad accidents which presumably led to the demise of racing in the Parc.

[fines]

I think the bike races stopped a little earlier. I visited Barcelona in 1986 or '87 with a group of friends, and of course made a point about looking in on Montjuïc. Sadly, I was the only motorhead in the group, so we weren't lingering around as long as I would have wanted! It's a superb place, even without the motorsport connections, well worth a visit.

Oh, and one more thing: in another thread I once declared Long Beach to have been the best street circuit ever. Of course, I had completely forgotten about Montjuïc then... First comes Montjuïc by a wide margin, then Long Beach, and then the rest...

[Barry Boor]

As the circuit climbs up towards the start/finish 'straight' there is now a 'chicane' for drivers to negotiate, should any form of competition return to Montjuic.

It comes in the form of a roundabout close to the entrance of the Spanish Village.

The roundabout outside the Sea World exhibit at Long Beach has been incorporated into the circuit quite successfully so there is no reason why this can't happen in Barcelona.

We live in hopes!

[fines]

Yeah, one can but dream, it seems...

Come to think of it, I believe I have seen that roundabout at the entrance to the Spanish Village in a pre-war circuit map already! Wish I could clearly remember the source, but it has always bugged me! :

[willini]

Not sure how close it is to the real thing but the version for Grand Prix Legends is fantastic to drive. The run up from the bottom is very fast, across the start finish line,followed by a downhill jump before standing hard on the brakes. Great fun for those that are so inclined and gives a small insight into just what a great track it was and how brave you needed to be to extract a quick time.. Definitely one of my favourites in the Grand Prix Legends game.

[JacnGille]

Originally posted by willini
Not sure how close it is to the real thing but the version for Grand Prix Legends is fantastic to drive. ...Definitely one of my favourites in the Grand Prix Legends game.

Yes. And the makers were kind enough to allow it to be used in F1 Challenge allowing for the 'early to mid 70s F1 cars to race there too.

[bigears]

Is there any photographic material from the circuit in the late 1970s or even in the 1980s?

[helioseism]

For photographs of the action at the circuit, there is the book "40 Anos De Historia Del Automovilismo En El Circuit Del Montjuic - 40 Years Of Motor Racing History At The Park Circuit", by Javier del Arco de Izco, published by Edicions Hipotesi SL/RACC in 2000. A big 588-page hardcover in Spanish & English, probably hard to find now. I think there was a companion motorcycle volume as well.

[Carles Bosch]

Originally posted by helioseism
For photographs of the action at the circuit, there is the book "40 Anos De Historia Del Automovilismo En El Circuit Del Montjuic - 40 Years Of Motor Racing History At The Park Circuit", by Javier del Arco de Izco, published by Edicions Hipotesi SL/RACC in 2000. A big 588-page hardcover in Spanish & English, probably hard to find now. I think there was a companion motorcycle volume as well.

Yes. There's also the "55 Años de historia del motociclismo en el Circuito de Montjuïc", by the same author and made to the same standards.


Carles.