314 replies to this topic

[Racer.Demon]

This evening, browsing through an old photo album of a holiday in France and stumbling on a ticket for the Chambord château car park, my eye was suddenly caught by the ticket supplier's address - 11, rue P. Depailler, 63000 Clermont Ferrand!

A Google search has confirmed that this is indeed rue Patrick Depailler, situated in the town's Parc Technologique de la Pardieu, and that our carefree French Grand Prix hero of the 70s, a Clermont Ferrand native, also has a street in Perpignan named after him.

This got me going - and yes, we have a rue Jean Behra in Mulsanne (obviously) and Allonnes and even a boulevard Jean Behra in Jeannot's city of birth Nice. Le Mans has a rue François Cevert, as do Angers, Linas, La Saussaye, La Rivière de Corps, La Roche sur Yon and Allonnes (again), with another one west of Paris, with a karting centre located on it. There's a place F. Cevert in Avignon. Even more surprising was the Lycée professional François Cevert I found. Linas-Montlhéry has an allée François Cevert, as could be expected.

The obvious place for a rue Philippe Étancelin is Saint-Gaudens, while Molsheim would of course have a rue Louis Chiron and a rue Maurice Trintignant, with Le Petoulet also having a street named after him in Elancourt and a cours in Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes. Ah, but then Ray Sommer will be remembered in the same fashion as well? Yes, he is, in Albi and Cadours...

This town of Allonnes seems to have a whole racing drivers quartier, as a rue Pierre Levegh is also found there.

I'll end here, as it seems that the French certainly have their way with honouring their racing drivers of the past (as opposed to their circuits of the part, but that's another topic altogether).

What other examples have you encountered in the rest of the world?

[Gary C]

well, there's certainly a Sopwith Drive (sorry, not a race driver, but aircraft manufacturer) in the new buildings across the old Brooklands circuit infield.

[Vitesse2]

Burton's Biscuits, who make Wagon Wheels, are based at Vanwall Road, Maidenhead.

IIRC there are a number of roads named after Jim Clark in the Scottish Borders.

[Gary Davies]

Here in Adelaide there was a great outpouring of "driver-namism" in the largely industrial suburb of Wingfield around the time we had the Australian Grand Prix.

So today we have:
Berger Road
Capelli Road
Johansson Road
Lafitte Road
Rosberg Road
Senna Road, and
Streiff Road.

[jmp85]

in the "riverside today" topic there is information on a whole swat of driver-named streets, that now stand in suburbia-land that is covering the hallowed grounds where dan and mario and phil and them all raced.

[Hieronymus]

Just outside Cape Town, South Africa is an industrial area called Killarney Gardens (situated next to the Killarney motor racing circuit). The street names in this area were named after famous racing drivers and also race circuits:

Clark, Scheckter, Lauda, Mansell, Senna, Hunt

Monza, Silverton (sic), Daytona, Kyalami, Donnington (sic), Laguna, Estoril

With regards to Racer.Demon's research on French drivers, I know that there is also a sports complex named after Patrick Depailler. It is in the north of France near Dieppe. Can't remember the exact name of the town at this moment.

[BertlF]

There's definitely a "Jochen-Rindt-Strasse" (Jochen-Rindt-Street) in Vienna. It's in a relatively new industrial area in the southern subsurbs.

Bert

[Bernd]

Brabham Drive leads one to the Eastern Creek Race Circuit.

[Ron Scoma]

In Chicago there are streets named Clark, Hill, Lotus, Mason, Hunt, and Austin.

In Tennesee I bet there is a d'Erlanger street near the hospital.
Along the Highways, marking posts with 356 are more often missing than not.

This could be an entire new area of stealing, I mean collecting.

Ron, who is thankful for TNF for providing me with yet another area of collecting to fill my oh so limited space.

[Doug Nye]

Here in Farnham, 'Hawthorn Drive' is road beside the town's 1970s-built sports centre. There was a campaign at the time to have the centre named after our 1958 World Champion who grew up and lived in the town. It failed in face of ignorant small-time councillors. The road name was by way of 'consolation'.

One problem perhaps was that when some strait-laced ladies went around the town petitioning locals to support naming of the sports centre after Mike Hawthorn, they were shocked to hear such doorstep reactions as:

"What??!!! After what he did to my sister/daughter/girlfriend/mother/aunt/grandma..." (delete as applicable).

What a hero...?

DCN

PS - There's a 'Graham Hill' roadname on a modern industrial estate in Bourne, Lincolnshire, where the Pilbeam factory is situated.

[Hieronymus]

Originally posted by Hieronymus


With regards to Racer.Demon's research on French drivers, I know that there is also a sports complex named after Patrick Depailler. It is in the north of France near Dieppe. Can't remember the exact name of the town at this moment.

The Patrick Depailler Sport Complex is in Martin-Eglise (near Dieppe).

Streets named after Moss and Clark in Westmead, Durban, South Africa.

[Holger Merten]

"Bernd Rosemeyer Strasse", both in Chemnitz and at the Nürburgring.

[Eugen]

In Prague there is a "Ulice Elisky Junkove" (Elisabeth Junek street).

[bobbo]

I'd be willing to bet that every one of the 50 United States has at least 10 "Dale Earnhart" Drive/Road/Lane/whatever. And at least 1/2 of them are official, not someone's private lane. I can find 3 in about 1 hour drive from my place.

A real tribute to one of the most popular NASCAR drivers.

Bobbo

[René de Boer]

There is a Van Lennepweg in Zandvoort, but it is named after a former mayor of Zandvoort, rather than after the two times winner of the Le Mans 24 hours.

I remember having booked a room there for a German colleague and he was amazed as I gave him the address. "You Dutch are naming roads after racing drivers! In Germany, people would never do that." (it was the pre-Schumacher-era). I didn't tell him the truth...

[Mark Ballard]

It cheers me up every time I see it.

In Silverstone Village (2 miles from the circuit) there is a 'Graham Hill'

[BRG]

There is an estate in Towcester (nearest town to Silverstone) which sports various racing names - Clark, G. Hill, Senna, Tyrell, etc. And there is a Senna Lane in Northwich in Cheshire.

There are very many Mansell roads, streets etc throughout England. However, I think they all predate "Our Nige" as it is quite a common English place name!

[fines]

After Paul Greifzu died in 1952, a street in his hometown (?) Riesa was named "Paul-Greifzu-Straße".

[David Beard]

Originally posted by Gary C
well, there's certainly a Sopwith Drive (sorry, not a race driver, but aircraft manufacturer) in the new buildings across the old Brooklands circuit infield.

What? Who was that Tommy Sopwith I saw racing a Jag Mk2 at Silverstone. then?

[David Beard]

The street I live on is called Fossdale MOSS. What (who?) could be better?

[Richard Jenkins]

Near the street I used to live in Tilehurst, Berkshire, they renamed a road after one of Tilehurst's most famous residents (albeit briefly), Ayrton Senna Road

Also, Cliff Griffith, Indy 500 racer, was honoured with a road named after him in Rochester, Indiana.

[maxim]

In Verona (Italy) I saw a street plate "VIA A. Ascari".
I've always thought it was named after 2 WDC Alberto Ascari, but I've recently discovered it's about "VIA Antonio Ascari" (Alberto's father).

[Doug Nye]

If you visit the Ferrari reparto Corse at Fiorano you also find Via Gilles Villeneuve, of course...

DCN

[kober]

Originally posted by Eugen
In Prague there is a "Ulice Elisky Junkove" (Elisabeth Junek street).

Thanks Eugen, I know that part of Prague a little bit, but I didn't know about this street.
I've made a little search and I found out that street in Brno is called Chironova (Chiron's) - it leads in the direction to the new circuit and its extension probably could be part of the old one. Also one part of the old circuit is officially called Farinova zatacka, Farina curve.

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by David Beard


What? Who was that Tommy Sopwith I saw racing a Jag Mk2 at Silverstone. then?

He'd be the bloke on the left in this picture David:



The one the road is named after is in the middle of this one:

[Ray Bell]

There are other streets named for Brabham...

One that stands out is Ken Tubman Drive in Maitland...

[CLX]

There are many street, avenues and race tracks named after Senna, Piquet and Fittipaldi here in Brazil.

[Amazin]

There's an Emerson Fittipaldi Street in Miami. It's Emmo's office street.

I remember watching on the tv when they named the street. Emerson came in driving his Penske. What a great moment.

Amazin

[Criceto]

Apart from the aviation linked Sopwith reference, there are a host of racing names in the vicinity of Brooklands, and I suspect it may be a candidate for the biggest cluster of race references in any one place.

I give you:

John Cobb Road
Campbell Road
Segrave Close
Parry Drive
Kaye Don Way
Eyston Drive
Dixon Drive
Mays Close
Staniland Drive
Davis Road
Fernihaugh Close
Bentley Drive
Hadley Place

On the village of Silverstone, the Graham Hill already mentioned also leads to Stewart Drive and Brabham Close.

And I've found a very unlikely Mansell reference which also predates Nigel, but is fun nonetheless. If you watch the classic car chase in the Steve McQueen movie "Bullitt", when the Mustang and the Dodge Charger leave the city limits of San Francisco and the omnipresent green VW Beetle behind them, watch out for the roadsign as they set out on the country road. It's called Mansell Boulevard!

[dretceterini]

There actually is a Rue d'Valle in Los Angeles

[mera308gtb]

Not a driver name, but a Brands Hatch corner name:
When Nigel Mansell lived in Clearwater, Florida his house was on Druid Avenue.

[biercemountain]

Long Island New York has the Vanderbuilt Motor Parkway which is the circuit used for the famous Vanderbuilt Cup races. It makes the Nurburgring look positively Mickey Mouse in comparison.

Hey Mera308gtb! I guess you've got a Mera/Fiero. What year is it? They are pretty cars.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by mera308gtb
Not a driver name, but a Brands Hatch corner name:
When Nigel Mansell lived in Clearwater, Florida his house was on Druid Avenue.

Coincidentally, Bill Patterson lives in Aintree Street (or Road or Avenue or something)...

[Jimmy Piget]

The legendary madame Camille Du Gast has a Parisian street named after her.
But I'm afraid the ediles had honoured more the Animal defence cause militant than the racing driver that she both was.

[eldougo]

If you watch the classic car chase in the Steve McQueen movie "Bullitt", when

Criceto ********* HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU WATCHED THAT MOVIE TO
GET SUCH DETAILS ( GREAT EYESIGHT). : :

[dbw]

not to mention the red speedster parked on the street as the sunshine cab[driven by a very young robert duvall..]pulls in to the phone booth..also notice the abnormal number of porsches parked and driven in the movie....[now i can testify to the large number of vw bugs as i was there..]oh,yeah..how 'bout rue bugatti?

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Criceto
.....Mays Close.....

Now there's one to be careful of...

.....please, Tim, don't mention this to a certain fan of Stoddart's team.....


Kind of reminds me of this one...



...and looking a little closer...

[Barry Boor]

The obvious place for a rue Philippe Étancelin is Saint-Gaudens,

Funny you should have quoted that one, Racer, because I have just been browsing Multimap, as you do!!!! in preparation for a visit of Les Amis des Circuits d'Antan, sometime in the future, and I chanced to search for the St. Gaudens circuit. It leaped out of the map at me as so many of these circuits do, and when I zoomed in to a larger scale, I find that sections of the old circuit are named thus:

Avenue Rene Dreyfus, leading into the Boulevard Jean-Pierre Wimille, which leads into the Boulevard Raymond Sommer; then following the sharp right-hander in the south-east corner of the track the next section is called the Rue Phillipe Etancelin which changes to the Route du Circuit. This meets the Avenue Dreyfus at the north-west corner of the track.

A minor road just inside the area where the pits were is called the Rue Charles Pozzi.

So there is a magnificent example of honouring your heros. Well done to the local council of St. Gaudens, I say.

[fines]

[MrAerodynamicist]

Originally posted by Richie Jenkins
Near the street I used to live in Tilehurst, Berkshire, they renamed a road after one of Tilehurst's most famous residents (albeit briefly), Ayrton Senna Road

You forgot half the story - despite only being a 100 meters long dead-end road, they felt the need to stick in speed bumps. No other road in the area has speed bumps.

@ Multimap
http://www.multimap....&multimap.y=335

[DOHC]

When I lived in Auckland, I once by chance found a Bruce McLaren Rd (or street, or drive or something).

[David Beard]

Originally posted by Vitesse2


He'd be the bloke on the left in this picture David:

The one the road is named after is in the middle of this one:

Related though, weren't they?

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by David Beard


Related though, weren't they?

Yes - father and son. TEB Sopwith raced powerboats and cars, also entering Jags for Graham Hill (among others). Tommy Sopwith Senior flew and built planes and raced yachts.

[Ray Bell]

Does Hotchkiss Drive count?

It's in Balcatta, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia... and it was named by a car enthusiast who was always trying to get this sort of thing past his superiors in Town Planning... this one succeeded, just a bit too obscure for them!

But then again, the surrounding streets are:

Bugatti Way; Salmson Street; Delage Way; Alfa Place and Ballot Way...

No wonder it's not far from Coin Drive!

[indysteve]

All of these streets are within a short distance of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

Foyt Drive
Hanks Drive
Holland Drive
Kurtis Boulevard
Nalon Court
Nalon Drive
Nalon Lane
Parsons Drive
Rathman Drive
Sachs Drive
Unser Boulevard
Wallard Drive
Ward Drive

None of these are major roads. They are all residential streets in the Speedway, Indiana area.

These streets are also in the same vicinity, but I don't think they are actually named after racing drivers:

Clark Road
Salazar Drive

I'm fairly certain that Clark Road is named after World War II Gen. Mark Clark, since there are other streets nearby named Eisenhower, Patton, etc. Salazar Drive, I believe, existed before the racing career of the driver with the same name.

[josh.lintz]

Originally posted by Amazin
There's an Emerson Fittipaldi Street in Miami. It's Emmo's office street.

I remember watching on the tv when they named the street. Emerson came in driving his Penske. What a great moment.

Amazin

Here's a pic.
http://members.tripo...cs/emmo-way.htm

[Clone]

Originally posted by DOHC
When I lived in Auckland, I once by chance found a Bruce McLaren Rd (or street, or drive or something).

http://www.bruce-mclaren.com/main.htm

In West Auckland, New Zealand the following are named after Bruce:

Bruce McLaren Intermediate School

Bruce McLaren Park

McLaren Industrial Park

Bruce McLaren Road

[theunions]

Originally posted by indysteve
All of these streets are within a short distance of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

Unser Boulevard

There also is one such in Albuquerque.

[Racer.Demon]

Thank you all for the surprising amount of response to this thread. It seems that there are more countries in the world that honour their motorsport heroes - and not just the dead ones.

[RaymondMays]

Originally posted by Doug Nye
PS - There's a 'Graham Hill' roadname on a modern industrial estate in Bourne, Lincolnshire, where the Pilbeam factory is situated.

There is now also a "Raymond Mays Way" in Bourne, which will become part of the town bypass, around the new housing estate at the southern edge of the town.