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Post by Carl on Jan 7, 2020 0:18:11 GMT
We all have favorite circuits, some because we grew up nearby, others because a convenient day's journey allows us to see a favorite series.
Photographs and fond recollections are in order.
This is my favorite photograph of Riverside International Raceway, one of the great natural terrain road courses, where I spent countless days and whole weekends absorbed in Can-Am, F5000, IMSA, Trans-Am, SCCA amateur and even a few stock car races. This picture was taken on a winter morning relatively late in the track's history, as suburbs drew near, and is from an unusual perspective which showcases the natural beauty of the California high desert with the San Bernardino Mountains just to the north.
The only time I saw Jim Clark was here in late October of 1965 at the Los Angeles Times Grand Prix for sport racers at which he brilliantly drove an obstinate Lotus 40 to a close 2nd behind a faster Chaparral. Three years later I approached and shook hands with Bruce McLaren on the Thursday before the Can-Am. When I close my eyes I can see each corner of this beautiful road course, truly a place for heroes.
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Post by mikael on Jan 7, 2020 3:27:07 GMT
An interesting thread, Carl. In my case, after many years in Japan, the outstanding circuit is clearly Suzuka. I've seen the F1 GP's there in 1996, 2005, and then from 2010 onwards, every year (except for one or two "misses"). Fuji Speedway I've visited only once, and it was only because we happened to be in that area, on a road trip to Tokyo. Luckily, a number of gear karts (250cc, I believe) were practicing on that day - it was interesting to watch. The Sugo Circuit (Sugo Sportsland) is located quite nearby to where we live. I've seen a round of the "Super Formula" (at that time, Formula Nippon) there, in pouring rain. (A supporting standard car race was held as well.) The track may not be of Grand Prix standard, yet it's quite spectacular, with large gradients - some steep climbs really put standard cars to the test. Back home in Denmark, the tracks are on a smaller scale. Also, in a country that is as flat as a pancake, there's a limit to how spectacular the tracks can become. Yet the "Ring Djursland", in the middle of Jutland (near Aarhus) actually has some spectacular steep sections, even though it's located on a piece of flat farm land. Finally, I would actually like to add a motocross track to "my favourites" list: the motocross track in Vimmerby, Sweden. Watching the 250cc World Championship final there in the late summer of 1982 might, after all, be my no. 1 motor sport memory. Watching American rider Donnie Hansen shock the world elite by winning both heats by a large margin - clearly riding in a style completely different from anybody else (like consequently landing on the front wheel after a jump that was immediately followed by very fast turn - nobody else did something like that at that time) - never have I been so impressed!  The spectacular Suzuka Circuit, in Mie Prefecture, not far from Nagoya (Japan).  Sugo Sportsland, near Sendai (Japan). The driving direction is clockwise.  Ring Djursland, near Aarhus (Denmark). The driving direction is clockwise, so there's just one left-hand corner. A nice little track, initially privately owned (by the late Jens Christian Legarth).  The motocross track in Vimmerby, deep in the Swedish forests. The photo is from Motocross des Nations 1990. A very spectacular, very fast track.  Donnie Hansen in Vimmerby, Sweden, 1982. (Sadly, this was to become his last ever race ... He's alive and well, but he had a career-ending practice accident in Germany, just after the Swedish GP.) |
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Post by Carl on Jan 7, 2020 17:53:06 GMT
Mikael, Great response. Suzuka may be the very best Grand Prix venue and easily my number one choice to attend. Can you describe, using landmarks in the photograph, approximately where you like to sit?
The story of Donnie Hansen, spectacular glory and sudden tragedy, is sadly not unusual in motorsport. His creative riding style provided an amazing advantage and must have been, as you wrote, awesome to see.
Cheers, Carl |
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Post by Carl on Jan 7, 2020 22:36:03 GMT
The great Dan Gurney was the master of Riverside. He was after all, a hometown boy who'd watched the track being built. His allegiance to Ford often disadvantaged him in USRRC and the Can-Am, but he almost never lost driving stock cars for the Wood Brothers. It was upon his recommendation that Colin Chapman employed their innovative pit crew for Jim Clark at Indianapolis.
Gurney at Riverside in 1966, one of his many stock car victories there. Only David Pearson finished on the same lap. 
In 1960's Times Grand Prix for sports cars, a three-way battle for the lead between Dan Gurney, Stirling Moss and the underrated Bill Krause, here at the first apex of Turn 7, didn't last very long as both Lotus 19s suffered mechanical failures. In the same race, Carroll Shelby finished 5th, like Krause in a Maserati Tipo 61, and Ken Miles further back in the beautifully aerodynamic Porsche 718 RS
This 1971 photograph of a combined SCCA field of G and H Production, D Sedan and D Sports Racer was taken on the pace lap from the Champion Bridge over the back straight. In less than a minute they were at Turn 6 where I was likely sitting. SCCA National weekends were my favorites because crowds were light and the racing was excellent.
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Post by chrisb on Jan 8, 2020 16:39:29 GMT
great thread Carl and Mikael, both of the circuits you talk of are two of the many I would love to see but unlikely now
well, the normal ones are at the top of the list, Spa, the ring, Brands, Donington, Clermont Ferrand, Pau, Rouen, Zandvoort, and now I scratch my head - I have a wonderful glossy book called Grand Prix battlegrounds which provides a comprehensive guide to circuits post 1950
liked the Osterreichring - [not the truncated version] but like both the original and very scary [but wouldn't I like to drive it] Spa and the revised version - narrowing it down and I will go away and look at this book, Spa seems to be top of my circuits both old and new, or maybe the ring..or... doh..
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Post by Carl on Jan 9, 2020 19:03:10 GMT
great thread Carl and Mikael, both of the circuits you talk of are two of the many I would love to see but unlikely now well, the normal ones are at the top of the list, Spa, the ring, Brands, Donington, Clermont Ferrand, Pau, Rouen, Zandvoort, and now I scratch my head - I have a wonderful glossy book called Grand Prix battlegrounds which provides a comprehensive guide to circuits post 1950 liked the Osterreichring - [not the truncated version] but like both the original and very scary [but wouldn't I like to drive it] Spa and the revised version - narrowing it down and I will go away and look at this book, Spa seems to be top of my circuits both old and new, or maybe the ring..or... doh.. Chris,
Tell us your favorite memories of Spa and Brands Hatch, two of the all-time great circuits. Didn't your older brother once encourage you to breach a perimeter fence at Brands Hatch? I envy the number of fantastic race tracks you've been to. Damn you, sir! 
Cheers, Carl
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Post by Carl on Jan 9, 2020 23:05:07 GMT
Rene may be reluctant to share his experience on the high banking at Monza, during which he was chased on foot by Carabinieri for almost 2 miles onto the front straight, where he made his escape. Running on the steep banking had left his shoes worn unevenly at the exact degree of steepness of the banking, so new shoes were bought to avoid suspicion until he had safely crossed the border.
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Post by chrisb on Jan 10, 2020 9:10:29 GMT
yes my brother did so, but not just the once, but twice sir, twice indeed, 1964 and 1965, ouch, that really does sound like a lifetime ago, but it is bringing some memories back, our Mother collecting us at the entrance in her beloved Moggy Minor estate and a very helpful policeman doing his traffic duties stopping all the traffic so we could get in and rejoin the other world, gosh that was funny
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Post by chrisb on Jan 10, 2020 9:14:23 GMT
Carl, I have yet to visit Monza and one of the plans is to tour Italy and visit all these wonderful places, just need the money and a few other things first, but your comment reminded me of my first trip to Le Mans where, with a rather aggressive Kiwi mechanic we tried to have a look at the Mulsanne straight and fell foul of some gendarmes who objected to our presence and gave us a bit of a hiding for our transgression - naturally we retired to the wine tent to console ourselves
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Post by charleselan on Jan 10, 2020 15:24:22 GMT
It is knowing where to begin with this as there are so many great circuits that i have been to over the years, both tarmac and some truly great old style motocross venues.
The original Silverstone was the first race track for cars that I visited as it was quite near where i lived in the Uk (about one hour and 20 minutes drive) and although somewhat featureless it held great affection for me. I knew it well and quickly learnt the ropes as to how to get the best of being a spectator at that venue.
The same could be true of Brands Hatch and I became very familiar with the Grand Prix circuit there and I have to say that it was my favourite by far. Although several years later i travelled to Oulton Park and that runs Brands very close in my experience.
Donington Park was also a favourite and holds a special place for me as it was the first circuit that gave me a Press Pass and opened up completely new doors for me in that respect. I also saw my first ever RAC Rally Special Stage at Donington well before it re-opened as a race circuit and that would have been in 1970 when i was at college. A group of us travelled up from Birmingham to watch the stage as one of my college friends parents had a farm just down the road from the circuit.
Of all the current race tracks however Spa stands out as by far the greatest to me, even in its truncated form of today, an awesome place to visit. I have seen F1 and World Touring Cars (Spa 24 Hours) there and it was a fantastic experience. While at the 24 Hours event my mate and I drove around most of the old original track including the fearsome Burnenville and the Masta Kink which believe me is no Kink; in fact we thought we were in the wrong place at the time as it was far more challenging than we were lead to believe from written documentation.
One of my great passions is to visit old abandoned road courses from the past. I have driven around the Nurburgring, just a phenomenal place that sends goose bumps up ones neck. Also the old Reims GP circuit which has an incredible atmosphere about it even though the old paddock; pits and Grandstands are semi derelict, or should I say in need of restoration. One can still drive around most of the old 1950/60's circuit just to get a feel for what it must have been like.
I have also driven several laps around the Monaco GP circuit, at normal road speeds, which was also fun.
Le Mans is far more interesting than it appears on TV or film, it is a long road course by todays standards and has some really excellent vantage points and some very fast places as well.
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Post by mikael on Jan 11, 2020 5:42:41 GMT
Suzuka may be the very best Grand Prix venue and easily my number one choice to attend. Can you describe, using landmarks in the photograph, approximately where you like to sit? Carl, around the Esses, in the near end (lower part) of the photo, there are two run-off "sandboxes" (gravel traps) on the left hand side and two on the right hand side of the track. In recent years, we've been sitting right in front of the second sandbox on the right hand side of the track - or, in other words, by the last left-hand turn in the Esses. I never get tired of that part, because clearly, it's such a difficult combination of turns. Also, the energy recovery systems are busy there, emitting various odd sounds, which is fascinating too. I saw that, for F1 in 2019, the average speed through the Esses was around 220 km/h (137 mph) - it's very impressive indeed.
The Spoon Curve is interesting too, and clearly difficult as well, with its two apexes. The drivers brake down for the first apex, accelerates mid-corner, and brake down yet again for the second apex. I recall that Jacques Villeneuve got the exit wrong one time during the race in 2005, and ran for quite some distance on the following straight section (leading to 130R) with two wheels out in the grass - of course without lifting even the slightest! just as one would expect with him :-)
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Post by René on Jan 11, 2020 12:30:14 GMT
Great thread! Maybe not one of the 'great tracks' but I have to start with Zolder. Circuit Zolder-Terlaemen is the first race track I visited for the 1979 Belgian Grand Prix which remains an ever lasting memory for me. My hero Jody Scheckter won in the Ferrari and I had an instant new hero when Gilles drove an amazing race from the back of the field to third (and to run out of petrol 400m before the finish!). I have been there many times (it's only an hour drive) for the Grand Prix and other race events and still go there when there's something interesting on the program. Of course Zolder is also the scene of one of the most tragic events in our sport's history with the fatal accident of Gilles Villeneuve in 1982 so very mixed emotions about this track. As I said, maybe not one of the all time great tracks but it isn't a bad track either. There are some challenging corners and the racing is usually good. Gilles actually liked this track very much as he ones said in an interview.  Jody wins at Zolder 1979.  Then of course there is Spa Francorchamps. Also about an hour drive for me and without a doubt one of the great race tracks of the world. The scenery is beautiful and the way the track goes up and down is just fantastic. You cannot believe how steep the climb up the Raidillon is when you walk the track. It's like a wall! I never went to see a race on the old track but I do remember family outings in the car driving on the track which was partly open road and my brothers and me always encouraging my dad to go faster. Which he did of course against the wish of my mum!  I was there in 1983 for the first Grand Prix on the new track and have been going there almost every year since then. For the Grand Prix but also many other events. Almost like a second home!  And last but not least, Carl already mentioned the track, there is Monza. The temple of speed where the passion for the sport and the love for Ferrari is almost like a religion. My first visit was in 1989 and I have been there another five times or so. The atmosphere is the best which cannot be compared with any other place. I have great, great memories of Monza. I usually went with a few mates in the late 80s, early 90s and those were just great times. Lots of fun, beer, girls and Forza Ferrari! And indeed climbing the old banking and being ordered down by the Carabinieri! Ah, those were the days...   I have seen more great tracks but those three hold the strongest memories for me. |
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Post by charleselan on Jan 11, 2020 17:02:35 GMT
You guys may have seen this little film clip before but it does show what the original Spa Francorchamps track was like to perfection. Filmed in 1958 at the time of the Belgian GP that year it clearly shows what a terrifying place it really was and that was filmed in a road car at road car speeds.
The Masta Kink really just blows ones mind to think that back in the 1960/70's those that were brave and talented enough were taking it flat, personally it beggars belief as it sure as blazes isn't a mere kink in the straight. Apparently Chris Amon took it flat in his March 701 in 1970 in his attempt to beat Pedro Rodriguez in the flying Yardley BRM P153.
Lovely also to see the wonderful 1958 Ferrari Dino 246 cars, always favourites of mine, and a brief glimpse of Olivier Gendebien's yellow painted works car along with the normal red cars.
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Post by Carl on Jan 11, 2020 17:55:41 GMT
You guys may have seen this little film clip before but it does show what the original Spa Francorchamps track was like to perfection. Filmed in 1958 at the time of the Belgian GP that year it clearly shows what a terrifying place it really was and that was filmed in a road car at road car speeds. The Masta Kink really just blows ones mind to think that back in the 1960/70's those that were brave and talented enough were taking it flat, personally it beggars belief as it sure as blazes isn't a mere kink in the straight. Apparently Chris Amon took it flat in his March 701 in 1970 in his attempt to beat Pedro Rodriguez in the flying Yardley BRM P153. Lovely also to see the wonderful 1958 Ferrari Dino 246 cars, always favourites of mine, and a brief glimpse of Olivier Gendebien's yellow painted works car along with the normal red cars. John Charles, It has been seen before but is newly fascinating for those aware of the old Spa-Francorchamps and its dangers. As you say, it's frightening to imagine how they could drive at 9/10ths. Great film! About ten to fifteen years ago, there was an excellent series of articles in Motorsport about the great old tracks no longer in use. I have all the issues and occasionally indulge my historical interest in the remnants of what once was. Even though there is space available almost everywhere in America, the tendency here is to always tear down. Damn shame.
-Carl
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Post by Carl on Jan 31, 2020 8:26:19 GMT
The 1965 Motor Trend 500 was the 3rd of 4 wins in a row at Riverside for Dan Gurney in a stock car. This highlight film has good detail and several legendary drivers. Junior Johnson started on pole according to some deep south arcane logic while Gurney, more than a second faster, started 11th! Also in the race are Parnelli Jones, AJ Foyt, David Pearson, Bobbie Allison, Bob Bondurant, Ned Jarrett and Fred Lorenzen.
Dan Gurney doesn't really feature in the film until the 3 minute mark, when he challenges Parnelli Jones for the lead through Turn 6. Gurney drove for the famous Wood Brothers team, whose mechanics crewed that year for Jim Clark's Indy 500 win.
Late in the race, Foyt was seriously injured when his brakes failed at the high speed entrance to Turn 9, a long and dangerous slightly banked right hand sweeper leading onto the start/finish straight. A treacherous turn eventually made more safe with a dog-leg on the approach, nevertheless the amazing Gurney earlier had his rather large Ford in a four-wheel drift battling with Foyt for the lead.
From when NASCAR knew how to race:
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