Abandoned tracks - worth a visit?

[Alfa_75_Steve]

Just looking at plans for a spring driving break next year.

I want to re-visit Le Mans, and will certainly be taking in Reims.

However, I've been looking at other old tracks to visit - and would love to go and see what's left of Clermont-Ferrand.

The problem is that info. on the 'net is very sketchy - I can't find any definitive evidence that you can still go and look at the old track or what is left of it.

Has anyone been recently?

[mybrainhurts]

I think you can still get to Silverstone...

[Fittster]

Brooklands? Go and play with some Mercs.

[Alfa_75_Steve]

Just to clarify, I want to get away from the UK, so Brooklands etc. aren't valid suggestions.....

I particularly want pointers to places to visit in France and Germany.

[speedychrissie]

im not sure about the track at clermont-ferrand, but i will say that the town itself is not a very nice place! i stayed there for one night on my 3 week, 3000 mile trip around europe 2 years ago and it was easily the worst place i went through on the trip. all industrial and nothing to see.

the old rally road just south of it though is quite nice and nearly makes up for the town.

[Leccy]

Alfa_75_Steve said:

Just looking at plans for a spring driving break next year.

I want to re-visit Le Mans, and will certainly be taking in Reims.

However, I've been looking at other old tracks to visit - and would love to go and see what's left of Clermont-Ferrand.

The problem is that info. on the 'net is very sketchy - I can't find any definitive evidence that you can still go and look at the old track or what is left of it.

Has anyone been recently?

Chimay in Belgium? It's now a public road and it's usually empty.

http://www.circuit.be/index.php

Edited by Leccy on Saturday 23 August 23:50

[Alfa_75_Steve]

Yup, Chimay is a possibility, as is Spa.

If I can find some kind of insurance for the 'Ring, I'll be doing that, too.... but I'm not sure where to look these days.

[Hoofty]

Last time I enquired, Competition Car Insurance offered ring insurance (own vehicle damage only), albeit not cheap - £110 per day, 10% excess. That was about 2-3 years ago though, things may have changed.

[bodhi]

speedychrissie said:

im not sure about the track at clermont-ferrand, but i will say that the town itself is not a very nice place! i stayed there for one night on my 3 week, 3000 mile trip around europe 2 years ago and it was easily the worst place i went through on the trip. all industrial and nothing to see.

the old rally road just south of it though is quite nice and nearly makes up for the town.

Well perhaps you should have stayed there for more than a night, it wouldn't result in you talking quite so much st. Clermont-Ferrand is lovely - I lived there for 18 months and it was superb. Try looking above the city and look at the extinct volcanos surrounding it - you won;t see anything similar anywhere else in Europe. I'd fully recommend Charade, plus the road up towards the Puy-de-dome is pretty special too.

[smiller]

Alfa_75_Steve said:

Just looking at plans for a spring driving break next year.

I want to re-visit Le Mans, and will certainly be taking in Reims.

However, I've been looking at other old tracks to visit - and would love to go and see what's left of Clermont-Ferrand.

The problem is that info. on the 'net is very sketchy - I can't find any definitive evidence that you can still go and look at the old track or what is left of it.

Has anyone been recently?

The following is a good resource:

http://www.ddavid.com/formula1/track.htm

As is:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[blod]

Clermont-Ferrand is a fantastic city, it's the home of Michelin. The old circuit is a good place to visit, driven around it last year by a local taxi driver, the elevation changes are incredible. Very similar to the Eiffel mountain range in Germany.

[speedychrissie]

bodhi said:

speedychrissie said:

im not sure about the track at clermont-ferrand, but i will say that the town itself is not a very nice place! i stayed there for one night on my 3 week, 3000 mile trip around europe 2 years ago and it was easily the worst place i went through on the trip. all industrial and nothing to see.

the old rally road just south of it though is quite nice and nearly makes up for the town.

Clermont-Ferrand is lovely - I lived there for 18 months and it was superb. Try looking above the city and look at the extinct volcanos surrounding it - you won;t see anything similar anywhere else in Europe. I'd fully recommend Charade, plus the road up towards the Puy-de-dome is pretty special too.

Sorry, I didnt mean to offend anyone, I was just stating what i experienced when i went there. Maybe we just stayed in a bad area of the city, but we walked for about half an hour from our hotel and couldnt find anything of interest.

I agree that the volcano ranges around it are special, but during my trip i wished that i had found a B&B in the countryside outside of clermont-Ferrand.

[Truckosaurus]

Richard Meaden's "Classic Motorsport Routes" book is well worth getting hold of it you're going to make a serious trip of it.

[Bahnstormer]

Autodrome is another good book about old Circuits , and also the Circuits of the Past website is very good.

[jonnylayze]

The Pescara GP circuit in and around Pescara - used before and after WWII is still there in all its glory. For a clear definition of the route (and to get into the spirit of the thing) read Richard Williams' "Last Road Race". A cracking book and a great circuit, albeit completely open to everyday traffic.

I've also done a lap of the Mille Miglia course - this changed annually but I based my trip on Denis Jenkinson's account of teh '55 MM. As 'tracks' go, this has everything and is absolutely awesome.

[Alfa_75_Steve]

Truckosaurus said:

Richard Meaden's "Classic Motorsport Routes" book is well worth getting hold of it you're going to make a serious trip of it.

Bahnstormer said:

Autodrome is another good book about old Circuits , and also the Circuits of the Past website is very good.

Great recommendations, thanks.

I think I'll be buying those two.

[anonymous-user]

Leccy said:

Alfa_75_Steve said:

Just looking at plans for a spring driving break next year.

I want to re-visit Le Mans, and will certainly be taking in Reims.

However, I've been looking at other old tracks to visit - and would love to go and see what's left of Clermont-Ferrand.

The problem is that info. on the 'net is very sketchy - I can't find any definitive evidence that you can still go and look at the old track or what is left of it.

Has anyone been recently?

Chimay in Belgium? It's now a public road and it's usually empty.





http://www.circuit.be/index.php

Edited by Leccy on Saturday 23 August 23:50

They still race there very occasionally. Passed through on the way back from Stelvio last year. Some wacky VW Beetle racing had just packed up. But you're right, rest of the time it's a public road (and some of the circuit is simply a loop so has no other traffic on it...d'you see where I'm going with that?..)

[Leccy]

Crossflow Kid said:

Leccy said:

Alfa_75_Steve said:

Just looking at plans for a spring driving break next year.

I want to re-visit Le Mans, and will certainly be taking in Reims.

However, I've been looking at other old tracks to visit - and would love to go and see what's left of Clermont-Ferrand.

The problem is that info. on the 'net is very sketchy - I can't find any definitive evidence that you can still go and look at the old track or what is left of it.

Has anyone been recently?

Chimay in Belgium? It's now a public road and it's usually empty.





http://www.circuit.be/index.php

Edited by Leccy on Saturday 23 August 23:50

They still race there very occasionally. Passed through on the way back from Stelvio last year. Some wacky VW Beetle racing had just packed up. But you're right, rest of the time it's a public road (and some of the circuit is simply a loop so has no other traffic on it...d'you see where I'm going with that?..)

I saw where you were going with that a few months ago when I went round the loop a few times on my motorbike. Not another car in sight.

There is motorbike racing on the circuit in September, so I might see where you're going with that after that weekend also.

BTW go fast along the straights and try to do the chicanes. They're emm tight turns