I'm currently planning a short visit to France and was wondering if anybody had - or could point me to - any good information on the tiny street circuit at La Chatre.
I know it was highlighted briefly in the wonderful "Old French Circuits" thread - even though it wasn't in the initial list. But I suspect that's the kind of place it is, or rather was. Simply put, I suspect that mention of other similar circuits brings it to mind.
My recollections are that David Purley took a hat-trick of F3 wins there and that Roger Williamson and Tony Brise (lap record holder, according to the thread) both achieved results.
On that basis, I'm planning to make a detour - my wife will be pleased!
All information of interest.
Many thanks.
Mark
Looking for info on La Chatre circuit in France...
Started by
MCS
, Oct 20 2004 20:07
18 replies to this topic
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#2
petefenelon
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Posted 20 October 2004 - 20:39
Originally posted by MCS
I'm currently planning a short visit to France and was wondering if anybody had - or could point me to - any good information on the tiny street circuit at La Chatre.
I know it was highlighted briefly in the wonderful "Old French Circuits" thread - even though it wasn't in the initial list. But I suspect that's the kind of place it is, or rather was. Simply put, I suspect that mention of other similar circuits brings it to mind.
My recollections are that David Purley took a hat-trick of F3 wins there and that Roger Williamson and Tony Brise (lap record holder, according to the thread) both achieved results.
On that basis, I'm planning to make a detour - my wife will be pleased!
All information of interest.
Many thanks.
Mark
If you can read French there's quite a nice little site on http://www.chez.com/...rs/circuit.html with some photos and snippets of history.
#3
MCS
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Posted 20 October 2004 - 20:54
Thanks Pete - most interesting.
Listed competitors - as you will have seen - included Stewart (that might be worth checking), Cevert, Pescarolo, Beltoise, Jabouille, Depailler, Alboreto, Baldi, Berger, Grouillard, Alesi, Bernard and one A. Prost.
Bit sad, I guess, that I am going because of Purley, Williamson, Brise and co....
Whatever.
Thanks again.
Mark
Listed competitors - as you will have seen - included Stewart (that might be worth checking), Cevert, Pescarolo, Beltoise, Jabouille, Depailler, Alboreto, Baldi, Berger, Grouillard, Alesi, Bernard and one A. Prost.
Bit sad, I guess, that I am going because of Purley, Williamson, Brise and co....
Whatever.
Thanks again.
Mark
#4
Team Gunston
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Posted 20 October 2004 - 21:03
Hi Mark,
La Châtre (with " â ") is one of my home circuits with Magny-Cours. I don't know the year-by-year records of this circuit, but I have to inform you that, because of safety regulations, its promoters are no longer allowed to organise proper racing on it.
Fortunately, this tiny and bucolic circuit is still used (almost daily) by a racing school (with single-seaters !) and it is open for GT cars and bikes collectors meetings several weekends in the year.
In fact , for the international and top national events organised there until the 90s, a portion of the public road (D 940 from Bourges to La Châtre) was used as a part of the circuit : this road was in fact the main straight. Something you can compare - well, at a different level - with the Hunaudières straight at Le Mans. Of course this straight was welcome when you were the driver of a big Lola T70 !
The races were always spectacular at La Châtre and I enjoyed very much my Sundays when I went there as a spectator. A nice place for Formula Ford wheel-to-wheel dices for instance.
If it happens that you are not able to see a racing car when you visit La Châtre, I bet that at least your wife will enjoy the bucolic landscape.
Regards,
Philippe
La Châtre (with " â ") is one of my home circuits with Magny-Cours. I don't know the year-by-year records of this circuit, but I have to inform you that, because of safety regulations, its promoters are no longer allowed to organise proper racing on it.
Fortunately, this tiny and bucolic circuit is still used (almost daily) by a racing school (with single-seaters !) and it is open for GT cars and bikes collectors meetings several weekends in the year.
In fact , for the international and top national events organised there until the 90s, a portion of the public road (D 940 from Bourges to La Châtre) was used as a part of the circuit : this road was in fact the main straight. Something you can compare - well, at a different level - with the Hunaudières straight at Le Mans. Of course this straight was welcome when you were the driver of a big Lola T70 !
The races were always spectacular at La Châtre and I enjoyed very much my Sundays when I went there as a spectator. A nice place for Formula Ford wheel-to-wheel dices for instance.
If it happens that you are not able to see a racing car when you visit La Châtre, I bet that at least your wife will enjoy the bucolic landscape.
Regards,
Philippe
#5
philippe7
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Posted 21 October 2004 - 06:55
Check out this map on Darren Galpin's site
http://www.silhouet....cks/chatre2.jpg
The circuit still in use today is the "Ecole" circuit
The former "Grand Prix" circuit indeed used part of the main road , which was the main straight as Team Gunston says . This is very clear if you match the map and the aerial photo on the web site mentioned by petefenelon .
But this "new "complex was only built in 1975 , before that the circuit was really only a 1,25 km loop which included the main public road straight and a "return" portion , with one hairpin at one end and two 90° curves at the other.....so if you want to put the wheels of your car on the same tarmac as those of Mrss Williamson , Brise and Purley, ( all pre-75 alas ) your safest bet is to drive the piece of public road which was the former main straight .
http://www.silhouet....cks/chatre2.jpg
The circuit still in use today is the "Ecole" circuit
The former "Grand Prix" circuit indeed used part of the main road , which was the main straight as Team Gunston says . This is very clear if you match the map and the aerial photo on the web site mentioned by petefenelon .
But this "new "complex was only built in 1975 , before that the circuit was really only a 1,25 km loop which included the main public road straight and a "return" portion , with one hairpin at one end and two 90° curves at the other.....so if you want to put the wheels of your car on the same tarmac as those of Mrss Williamson , Brise and Purley, ( all pre-75 alas ) your safest bet is to drive the piece of public road which was the former main straight .
#6
MCS
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Posted 21 October 2004 - 08:17
Thanks Team Gunston and Phillippe7 
I'm getting quite excited now !
Mark
I'm getting quite excited now !
Mark
#7
gdecarli
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Posted 21 October 2004 - 08:22
I thought it was built in 1981, while, according to http://www.chez.com/...rs/circuit.html and http://www.chez.com/...to/circuit.html (French pages linked here by petefenelon) it was built in 1978. I think this should be the right date.Originally posted by philippe7
But this "new "complex was only built in 1975
(map from my website, click to open the page)
Ciao,
Guido
#8
Hugo Boecker
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Posted 21 October 2004 - 13:29
Listed competitors - as you will have seen - included Stewart (that might be worth checking), Cevert, Pescarolo, Beltoise, Jabouille, Depailler, Alboreto, Baldi, Berger, Grouillard, Alesi, Bernard and one A. Prost.
Jackie Stewart came 2nd with his Cooper BMC F3 in 1964
1. Eric Offenstedt Lola Ford
2. Jackie Stewart Cooper BMC
3. Silvio Moser Brabham Ford
4. Pierre Ryser Cooper BMC
5. Bruce Eglington Lotus Ford
6. Charles Crichton-Stuart Cooper BMC
an interesting list
#9
Mallory Dan
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Posted 21 October 2004 - 14:16
Originally posted by MCS
I'm currently planning a short visit to France and was wondering if anybody had - or could point me to - any good information on the tiny street circuit at La Chatre.
I know it was highlighted briefly in the wonderful "Old French Circuits" thread - even though it wasn't in the initial list. But I suspect that's the kind of place it is, or rather was. Simply put, I suspect that mention of other similar circuits brings it to mind.
My recollections are that David Purley took a hat-trick of F3 wins there and that Roger Williamson and Tony Brise (lap record holder, according to the thread) both achieved results.
On that basis, I'm planning to make a detour - my wife will be pleased!
All information of interest.
Many thanks.
Mark
Wasn't it Chimay where Purls had his hat-trick, or La Chatre aswell ??
#10
Muzza
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Posted 21 October 2004 - 14:34
Hello, Folks,
So, compiling what you fellows wrote, and adding what is given by the website mentioned by Pete Fenelon (http://www.chez.com/...to/circuit.html and http://www.chez.com/...rs/circuit.html) I now understand that...
1.) There were actually three different lay-outs used at La Châtre;
2.) The original one, described by Philippe above, was used between 1956 and 1977 (or 1978). Its inauguration had been planned to take place on 17 June 1955 but it happened on 19 June 1956 (Guido, you may want to correct this in your website). This configuration was 1,266-km long, as shown by Dan King's Racing Circuit on this page. Guido puts the start/finish line of this variant on the main straight (public road) - can someone confirm that?
3.) The track was the extended in 1978 (according to http://www.chez.com/...to/circuit.html and http://www.chez.com/...rs/circuit.html) or 1975 (according to Philippe) to 2,325 kilometers. This configuration was used until 1995.
4.) The current circuit école (seen at this page at Racing Circuits) uses - as Philippe said - only a tiny fraction (maybe 60-meter long) of the original track in which Williamson, Prise and Purley raced.
Anyone working on a La Châtre Grand Prix Legends simulation?
Cheers,
Muzza
So, compiling what you fellows wrote, and adding what is given by the website mentioned by Pete Fenelon (http://www.chez.com/...to/circuit.html and http://www.chez.com/...rs/circuit.html) I now understand that...
1.) There were actually three different lay-outs used at La Châtre;
2.) The original one, described by Philippe above, was used between 1956 and 1977 (or 1978). Its inauguration had been planned to take place on 17 June 1955 but it happened on 19 June 1956 (Guido, you may want to correct this in your website). This configuration was 1,266-km long, as shown by Dan King's Racing Circuit on this page. Guido puts the start/finish line of this variant on the main straight (public road) - can someone confirm that?
3.) The track was the extended in 1978 (according to http://www.chez.com/...to/circuit.html and http://www.chez.com/...rs/circuit.html) or 1975 (according to Philippe) to 2,325 kilometers. This configuration was used until 1995.
4.) The current circuit école (seen at this page at Racing Circuits) uses - as Philippe said - only a tiny fraction (maybe 60-meter long) of the original track in which Williamson, Prise and Purley raced.
Anyone working on a La Châtre Grand Prix Legends simulation?
Cheers,
Muzza
#11
Muzza
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Posted 21 October 2004 - 14:46
Originally posted by Mallory Dan
Wasn't it Chimay where Purls had his hat-trick, or La Chatre aswell ??
Dan,
Indeed Purley won in Chimay in 1970, 1971 and 1972, but I am not sure about La Châtre.
Muzza
P.S.: I know this is off-topic, but Purley beat Hunt in Chimay by one tenth of a second in 1971, then Bourgoigne by two tenths the following year and Rousselot by fourth tenths in 1973! The old Chimay track was place of some hair-raising slipstreaming battles...
#12
MCS
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Posted 21 October 2004 - 15:02
Thanks Dan and Muzza.
Wasn't Chimay covered in a Motor Sport piece about a year ago ?
And, yes, I'm sure you're right, Purley's three wins were at Chimay...
Mark
Wasn't Chimay covered in a Motor Sport piece about a year ago ?
And, yes, I'm sure you're right, Purley's three wins were at Chimay...
Mark
#13
SEdward
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Posted 21 October 2004 - 15:57
...which is in Belgium! And is definitely well worth a visit. And yes, it was featured in Motor Sport sometime last year.
Edward
Edward
#14
philippe7
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Posted 21 October 2004 - 16:03
Muzza, Guido,
Regarding the date of the building of the "long" circuit, sorry , 1975 is a mistyping, it must indeed be 1978 as stated on the official website
Thank you Guido for your map which does show the "original" layout ( with the blue part ) as it was before. I am fairly certain that the start-finish was indeed on the "public road" , as on Guido's map, until 1978 ( La Chatre was famous for not having any pits ! ) . When the long version was built the start-finish was moved to where the pit complex was built, as you can see on the aerial photo.
And finally, yes, Muzza, there is only a very tiny portion of the current "circuit école" which was part of the original track.....so the public road main straight is indeed the portion that MCS should drive for nostalgia purposes.....
Regarding the date of the building of the "long" circuit, sorry , 1975 is a mistyping, it must indeed be 1978 as stated on the official website
Thank you Guido for your map which does show the "original" layout ( with the blue part ) as it was before. I am fairly certain that the start-finish was indeed on the "public road" , as on Guido's map, until 1978 ( La Chatre was famous for not having any pits ! ) . When the long version was built the start-finish was moved to where the pit complex was built, as you can see on the aerial photo.
And finally, yes, Muzza, there is only a very tiny portion of the current "circuit école" which was part of the original track.....so the public road main straight is indeed the portion that MCS should drive for nostalgia purposes.....
#15
Mallory Dan
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Posted 21 October 2004 - 17:01
Originally posted by SEdward
...which is in Belgium! And is definitely well worth a visit. And yes, it was featured in Motor Sport sometime last year.
Edward
Famous for its bottled beer I believe, very strong, bit of an acquired taste, perhaps thats what inspired Purls !!
#16
RAP
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Posted 21 October 2004 - 19:34
I am curious as to what raced there before F junior/F3 came along. Does anyone know races/results for the early meetings ?
#18
Hugo Boecker
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Posted 22 October 2004 - 00:57
Originally posted by RAP
I am curious as to what raced there before F junior/F3 came along. Does anyone know races/results for the early meetings ?
Chimay or La Chatre ?
The story of Chimay is told in Biaumet beautiful two tome books.
