82 replies to this topic

[SimeonSasparella]

I always like to discover little known tracks, thought It'd be a nice idea to share some rare gems from our own countries.

 

Every "developed" country in a racing sense has got 4-5 tracks everybody knows, but some of the others may be unknown to outsiders because they only host national...(or even regional !) events

 

I think is a good place to start is Siracusa, in Sicily

Once a glorious street track during the 50s and 60s (several non-championship F1 races were raced there) the newer permanent circuit (1972) is blindingly fast, especially the middle section (the esse in the middle is a quicker Ascari).

Poor management and lack of funding have meant that this track has virtually hosted no racing for over 40 years 

In Sicily the situation is not that happy with Pergusa, Siracusa and Racalmuto, 3 tracks in a radius of 150 kms, and not a single one able to host national-level racing...

 

 

Still in the South...

 

Many of you will be familiar with the circular-shaped Nardò track...of course used for testing only

But not too mnay will be aware of the presence of a proper track within its boundaries...and the layout is superb, I guess the influence of Hugenholtz is clear in many bits...I wonder how racing there would be, should it ever open for "serious" racing besides trackdays 

looks indeed like a cross between Spa and Zandvoort...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share some hidden gems from your country! 

Edited by SimeonSasparella, 10 May 2016 - 21:16.

[TimRTC]

Darley Moor is probably one of the least well known in the UK, a gem because of its really old school nature - it is an old airbase with the three runway triangles connected by hairpins at each end. You drive in along the old access roads and facilities are minimal. Pretty much only used for club bike meetings now.

 

Similarly York Raceway is a drag circuit on an old RAF base which just uses the runways and access roads with the control tower being the race control. Incredible setting, it really feels like you have gone back to the 60s, even the grandstand is just planks of wood. Well worth going to if you get a chance.

 

[Jimisgod]

https://en.wikipedia...erville_Raceway

 

Baskerville supposedly Australias oldest continuously operating race track.

[Turboflame]

In Belgium there is of course Francorchamps and Zolder. Less known is the circuit of Chimay.

 

http://www.circuitso...nl/en-US/chimay

 

It's a charming old streetcourse that twists and turns up and down through the countryside of Southern Belgium (comparable with the old Spa).

 

Belgian touring car races (Procar) were held there untill a fatal crash in 1992. That also meant the end of the old, dangerous track with it's very fast corners. Now only motorcycle races and classic events are run at the new track, which also has it's charm. It's 4,5 k long and still has some 2 k of the old track (which was 11 k long). The uphill part of the new track is also used for an annual hillclimb race.

Edited by Turboflame, 10 May 2016 - 21:57.

[Marklar]

Bilster Berg in Germany....and designed by (you guessed it right) Hermann Tilke......

 

....nobody is racing there though. Purely a test track.

Edited by Marklar, 10 May 2016 - 22:03.

[senna da silva]

Shannonville

 

Toronto Motorsport Park

[Yamamoto]

Bilster Berg in Germany....and designed by (you guessed it right) Hermann Tilke......

 

....nobody is racing there though. Purely a test track.

 

Do you know how long the main straight is?

[Archer]

The Sitges-Terramar autodrome, it was the third permanent autodrome built in Europe, built in 1923 was active only until 1925 because the speeds of the cars had advanced so much that the oval wasn't safe enough to hold international races. The track maintained some kind of local activity until the 50's. This track held the first Spanish Grand Prix. It counted with 2 bankings, both above 60 degrees.
 

 

Also, some years ago, Red bull filmed a lap around the track with a DTM car https://www.youtube....h?v=H0frJrTduaU

 

*I was going to post a lot of images, but this forum is a pain in the ass, even also to post embedded youtube videos, I give up with that in the future. Come on, we are in 2016.

[Marklar]

Do you know how long the main straight is?

Around 500 m

[HaydenFan]

The Sitges-Terramar autodrome, it was the third permanent autodrome built in Europe, built in 1923 was active only until 1925 because the speeds of the cars had advanced so much that the oval wasn't safe enough to hold international races. The track maintained some kind of local activity until the 50's. This track held the first Spanish Grand Prix. It counted with 2 bankings, both above 60 degrees.
 

 

Also, some years ago, Red bull filmed a lap around the track with a DTM car https://www.youtube....h?v=H0frJrTduaU

 

*I was going to post a lot of images, but this forum is a pain in the ass, even also to post embedded youtube videos, I give up with that in the future. Come on, we are in 2016.

 

Not DTM car, but a car with suspension that couldn't handle what remains of that circuit. 

 

I live in the U.S. We have hundreds (if not thousands) of race circuits. I live about 5 miles or so from this gem of the mid west short track racing scene. 

 

 

Not a major short oval (like a Bristol, Martinsville, Eldora), but on major racing calender's of ARCA, and of USAC, the former ASA series. Jeff Gordon won there in a USAC Midget, as well as JJ Yeley when he took the Triple Crown in '03. Many young NASCAR stars have run the circuit on their way to the Sprint Cup series as well as the place Martinsville '02 Winston Cup race winner Johnny Benson, Jr. started out racing. 

Edited by HaydenFan, 11 May 2016 - 00:23.

[Yamamoto]

Around 500 m

 

Cheers. It looks good fun actually.

[Riverside]

Circuit Mont Tremblant,  Quebec,  Canada.  Home of 2 Canadian GP's - a real gem in the Laurentian mountains.

 

 https://en.wikipedia..._Mont-Tremblant

 

Video is Canadian Alex Tagliani in 2007 Cart Series,  I was there.   

 

 

[HaydenFan]

And as quickly as it re-entered major motorsports for that lone Champ Car race in '07, it disappeared. 

[Radoye]

Mont Tremblant is a fabulous circuit, too bad it's in the middle of nowhere.
 
One that i ran into recently while looking something up on Google Earth and didn't even knew it existed - Calabogie Motorsports Park:

Google Map

Edited by Radoye, 11 May 2016 - 00:39.

[Riverside]

Mont Tremblant is a fabulous circuit, too bad it's in the middle of nowhere.
 
One that i ran into recently while looking something up on Google Earth and didn't even knew it existed - Calabogie Motorsports Park:

Google Map

 

 

 Calabogie is a fav of Superbikes, great indeed. 

[senna da silva]

Circuit Mont Tremblant,  Quebec,  Canada.  Home of 2 Canadian GP's - a real gem in the Laurentian mountains.

 

 https://en.wikipedia..._Mont-Tremblant

 

Video is Canadian Alex Tagliani in 2007 Cart Series,  I was there.   

 

 

 

The thread title is "little known". 

[D28]

And as quickly as it re-entered major motorsports for that lone Champ Car race in '07, it disappeared. 

It didn't disappear but was purchased by Lawrence Stroll, famous for a stable of many vintage Ferraris. It is his private circuit, used for vintage racing events, track days and so forth. Situated in the middle of Mt Tremblant town, noise restrictions are a drawback to a return to professional racing series.

[beqa16v]

Rustavi International Motorpark

Location - Rustavi, Georgia (Republic)

Length - 4.2 Kilometers

Direction - Counter clockwise

Noticable characteristics:

- Heavy brakings;

- An 'R' shaped (Rustavi) T1-T2 combination.

 

The track was built in 1960s during USSR times and was one of the few full-time racetracks in the union. Was in appalling condition before 2011 when a renovation was conducted.

 

My lap around the track

 

[SimeonSasparella]

That is actually a really cool layout, t3 looks like a really fast and dangerous kink

[beqa16v]

That is actually a really cool layout, t3 looks like a really fast and dangerous kink

It depends. All racing series which compete there take it flat out, including us in single seaters. But none of these cars have very powerful engines. In a street car or a powerful enough car you have to lift but how much? Depends on your balls and the limit of the car. Besides you have to cross the track to have a good entry into the next right turn and that is a real challenge. There is also a wall on your left and a few people oversteered in that kink and went left into the tire barrier.

 

From my experience in a single seater, exit of the T2 (how early you go full throttle and how much track you use on the exit) and last two corners are the most challenging mentally, they reward you for bravery, they are very scary

T3 we take flat out at almost 200 without braking a sweat. It can be scary if you are a beginner though, but you quickly learn to trust the car there.

Edited by beqa16v, 11 May 2016 - 06:15.

[PayasYouRace]

I think any circuit that hosted a world championship race or similar major event would be outside the scope of this thread.

[balage06]

Hungary's lesser-known circuits hosting mainly national events:

Pannónia-Ring

 

Euro-Ring (it was featured in rFactor 1 though)

 

Kakucsring

[Rob29]

Amazing thread-discovered several circuits I had not heard of before-did not know they built a 'permanent' circuit at Siracusa-was it ever used for a race? As to the UK-if Superkarts can be included-I remember going to races  in Hull and Peel Isle of Mann,which I don't think were ever held again

[beqa16v]

Euro-Ring (it was featured in rFactor 1 though)

 

Kakucsring

I drove on Euroring in 2009 when I was a student in Budapest. Rented a race prepared Rx-8. Small track with many layout possibilities. Was interesting to drive there. 

[YoungGun]

Castrol Raceway - Edmonton Alberta

 

[sjakie]

 

Rijeka, or Grobnik Autodrom in Croatia. From 1978 until 1990 it hosted the Yugoslavian motorcycling GP, but after the career ending crash of Reinhold Roth the GP riders never returned...

Edited by sjakie, 11 May 2016 - 07:20.

[Retrofly]

Cadwell Park - UK

 

Twisty flowiong circuit, narrow and challeninging with a lot of undulation, oh and a mountain

 

 

Might be familier to BSB fans and people form the UK. Tough circuit to learn, only circuit that sent me to hospital.

Edited by Retrofly, 11 May 2016 - 07:51.

[sjakie]

Now I notice the thread title: "from your own country..."

 

 

Circuit de Peel, a European short oval...

[muramasa]

　

Tsukuba Circuit in Japan
 
location: https://www.google.c...Xaj6exV7G9h77Js
 
track length:  2.045km (2.070km for 2 wheels)
track width:   10-17m

home straight: 282m, back straight: 437m

 
 

 

also has oval track and short track as you can see in this pic

 

 

usually used for junior bike/formula and grassroots roadcar/bike racing events

 

 late last year Kamui Kobayashi drove Super Formula car, setting track record of 44.008 seconds

[JeePee]

Tsukuba Circuit in Japan

Tsukuba is featured in (almost?) every version of the Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo gaming franchises, so raced on by more than 100 million people I guess.

[Retrofly]

Tsukuba is featured in (almost?) every version of the Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo gaming franchises, so raced on by more than 100 million people I guess.

Haha, this. I know it like the back of my hand!

[Retrofly]

Pembry - Wales

A small track in the middle of no where, built on an old airfield, an existing airfiled is still pretty close and you'll see microlights flying around most nice days

 

 

 

I remember it having huge kerbs but they seemed to have smoothed them out. Another circuit I crashed out of, and also got a false start (though I protest)

[muramasa]

Tsukuba is featured in (almost?) every version of the Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo gaming franchises, so raced on by more than 100 million people I guess.

Haha, this. I know it like the back of my hand!

 

ha

i dont play games at all so didnt know

 

any other circuits introduced on this thread featured in those popular games?

 

 

 

 

how about Nikko and Mobara

 

Nikko

 

Mobara

Edited by muramasa, 11 May 2016 - 08:24.

[Peat]

Darley Moor is probably one of the least well known in the UK, a gem because of its really old school nature - it is an old airbase with the three runway triangles connected by hairpins at each end. You drive in along the old access roads and facilities are minimal. Pretty much only used for club bike meetings now.

 

Darley Moor is what sprung to mind when i saw the title of this thread.

I've had a go in a Superkart around there. Not the most challenging layout, but utterly terrifying if something were to 'go wrong'.

[Rob]

Oliver's Mount in Scarborough. It's England's only circuit on public roads that regularly holds racing. Technically, racing is banned on public roads in England and normally requires an act of parliament (that's what they did for the Birmingham Super Prix). Oliver's Mount gets around this by a legal quirk - I believe that the council haven't legally adopted the roads so they aren't bound by that law.

 

 

[KinkyMasta]

ParcMotor Castellolí is a very cool track near Barcelona, with a very fun downhill section:

 

 

Also the urban circuit of Alcañiz (Circuito de Guadalope) was a very challenging track, before they decided no to race any more due to safety reasons

 

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=UtPZinjTYzY

[taz]

In Belgium there is of course Francorchamps and Zolder. Less known is the circuit of Chimay.

 

http://www.circuitso...nl/en-US/chimay

 

It's a charming old streetcourse that twists and turns up and down through the countryside of Southern Belgium (comparable with the old Spa).

 

Belgian touring car races (Procar) were held there untill a fatal crash in 1992. That also meant the end of the old, dangerous track with it's very fast corners. Now only motorcycle races and classic events are run at the new track, which also has it's charm. It's 4,5 k long and still has some 2 k of the old track (which was 11 k long). The uphill part of the new track is also used for an annual hillclimb race.

There's also the new track 'Jules Tacheny' (Mette), opened in 2010:

 

[Riverside]

It didn't disappear but was purchased by Lawrence Stroll, famous for a stable of many vintage Ferraris. It is his private circuit, used for vintage racing events, track days and so forth. Situated in the middle of Mt Tremblant town, noise restrictions are a drawback to a return to professional racing series.

 

Stroll bought in 2000 and modernized the whole track and facility.... long before Champ Car went there.  

[Brackets]

What's with the Silverstone roof?

[king_crud]

Oran Park, great circuit in south west Sydney. Hosted all sorts of popular domestic championships, both cars and bikes. Now turned into another soulless housing suburb

[Anja]

Cadwell Park - UK

 

It looks absolutely fantastic and insane at the same time.

 

 

 

I don't have much to work with coming from Poland, a country in which motorsport was never popular in the first place and even then rallying overshadows racing pretty heavily.

 

The only proper racing circuit in the country is Tor Poznań. Nothing very interesting about it. Built in the 1970s, hosted some very minor international racing, nothing serious. The unofficial lap record was achieved by Marc Gene in Ferrari 248 during some demo event.

 

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=aWP5PFbZtZQ

 

 

There's also Tor Kielce I guess. In its short and wholly permanent form it's just sort of an elongated, flat oval. The big loop uses nearby public road and another purpose-built section (I even heard some people referring to that part as "Polish Nurburgring", because every country has to have one, right?). As far as I recall never used for anything above national level.

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=6Qn_LhuHlGo

Edited by Anja, 11 May 2016 - 13:46.

[Jon83]

There's a karting track near me in a town called Larkhall, near Glasgow. Hamilton raced there when he was a child I think.

 

Only other one in Scotland I can think of is Knockhill.

[HeadFirst]

Shannonville

 

Toronto Motorsport Park

 

Originally from S. Ontario, I've ridden Shannonville several times. There was also a proposed F1 course (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth) to be built on a disused airport, just south of Wasaga Beach. When I get the time, I'll see what I can dig up.

[midgrid]

It didn't disappear but was purchased by Lawrence Stroll, famous for a stable of many vintage Ferraris. It is his private circuit, used for vintage racing events, track days and so forth. Situated in the middle of Mt Tremblant town, noise restrictions are a drawback to a return to professional racing series.

And of course he is the father of Lance Stroll, current European F3 driver and Williams junior.

[Atreiu]

Autódromo de Tarumã.

Criminally unsafe, but fast and fun. Like a smaller Brands Hatch, I guess.

 

 

http://www.autodromodetaruma.com.br/

[Atreiu]

Bilster Berg seems fun.

[EightGear]

Autódromo de Tarumã.

Criminally unsafe, but fast and fun. Like a smaller Brands Hatch, I guess.

 

 

http://www.autodromodetaruma.com.br/

 

Incredibly fun in Automobilista though, especially in the Formula Vee.

[7MGTEsup]

There's a karting track near me in a town called Larkhall, near Glasgow. Hamilton raced there when he was a child I think.

 

Only other one in Scotland I can think of is Knockhill.

 

I raced at Larkhall up till about 1993 it's a pretty fast flowing track. Another fast Kart track was at Wigan called three sisters. All can be found on google earth I'll post up later if I remember.

[FredrikB]

Oran Park, great circuit in south west Sydney. Hosted all sorts of popular domestic championships, both cars and bikes. Now turned into another soulless housing suburb

 

iRacing scanned it and released it after it was torn up iirc. You can drive it there...

[Kulturen]

I like Oran Park, small mickey-mousy track which I usually hate on first look but is actually fantastically challenging and fun with good flow.