Guess the old F1 track, difficulty level hard (I think)

[G321]

Whilst visiting a city on holiday today, I made a slight detour to climb through the fence at this former F1 track.
Virtual pint to anyone that guesses correctly.
I will give clues if anyone wants?

[mmm-five]

Are you in Sicily?

I'm only guessing that as I read something quite recently about a similar looking circuit...

Edited by mmm-five on Sunday 23 August 19:05

[Super Sonic]

Isn't that the old French track, Magny Cours?

Edited by Super Sonic on Sunday 23 August 19:04

[G321]

mmm-five said:

Are you in Sicily?

I'm only guessing that as I read something quite recently about a similar looking circuit...

Edited by mmm-five on Sunday 23 August 19:05

Correct I am in Sicily

[G321]

Anyway, it's the Autodromo di Syracuse. Last raced in F1 around 67. It was removed due to being too dangerous, quite an achievement considering the era back then. Former winners included, Surtees, Clark and Fangio. I couldn't believe how intact the place was, magnificent piece of history (can't say the rest of my family understood my excitement though)

[richhead]

Super Sonic said:

Isn't that the old French track, Magny Cours?

Edited by Super Sonic on Sunday 23 August 19:04

Its still open, i was there end of last year

[Pachydermus]

richhead said:

Super Sonic said:

Isn't that the old French track, Magny Cours?

Edited by Super Sonic on Sunday 23 August 19:04

Its still open, i was there end of last year

He's probably thinking of Reims.

[aterribleusername]

That's a new circuit on me and I love checking out old circuits! It looks almost complete on satellite views and Google says it's temporarily closed. Pictures seem to show it has tyre stacks around it to stop you doing a lap in a car but should be possible to walk or cycle it.

[paulguitar]

Super Sonic said:

Isn't that the old French track, Magny Cours?

Edited by Super Sonic on Sunday 23 August 19:04

Magny-Cours is in regular use.

[moffspeed]

Syracuse GP 1955.

The mighty Maseratis are odds on favourites. Meanwhile in the U.K. , Connaught - building their GP cars on a shoestring budget in a Surrey shed take up 2 entries.

The drivers - Les Leston has some experience but dental student Tony Brooks has never sat in a GP car before and spends the journey down to Sicily cramming for his finals.

The old AEC Greenline buses carrying the cars down through Europe find the Alps a challenge, taking several bites at each hairpin. They arrive in Sicily late on Friday so Practice 1 is missed. Brooks & Leston hire Vespas and learn the circuit on 2 wheels.

Come the weekend Brooks qualifies 3rd & goes on to win the race. The first Grand Prix win for a British car in over 30 years - the floodgates were about to open.

It would make a great film and a 4 wheel cinematic companion to “The Worlds Fastest Indian”.

[wolfracesonic]

^ I read that in the style of a Pathe news announcer.

[996Targa]

Thanks for the photos. The original circuit on which Tony Brooks won used the main straight and first corner followed by public roads.

There is an overlay of both circuits on Wikipedia.

[cirian75]

G321 said:

Anyway, it's the Autodromo di Syracuse. Last raced in F1 around 67. It was removed due to being too dangerous, quite an achievement considering the era back then. Former winners included, Surtees, Clark and Fangio. I couldn't believe how intact the place was, magnificent piece of history (can't say the rest of my family understood my excitement though)

Looks good.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/autodromo+di+Sir...

[G321]

moffspeed said:

Syracuse GP 1955.

The mighty Maseratis are odds on favourites. Meanwhile in the U.K. , Connaught - building their GP cars on a shoestring budget in a Surrey shed take up 2 entries.

The drivers - Les Leston has some experience but dental student Tony Brooks has never sat in a GP car before and spends the journey down to Sicily cramming for his finals.

The old AEC Greenline buses carrying the cars down through Europe find the Alps a challenge, taking several bites at each hairpin. They arrive in Sicily late on Friday so Practice 1 is missed. Brooks & Leston hire Vespas and learn the circuit on 2 wheels.

Come the weekend Brooks qualifies 3rd & goes on to win the race. The first Grand Prix win for a British car in over 30 years - the floodgates were about to open.

It would make a great film and a 4 wheel cinematic companion to The Worlds Fastest Indian .

Another write up from the 57 race by Denis Jenkinson
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article...

Would loved to have witnessed that era, especially the Targa Florio a bit further north on the island

[hondajack85]

G321 said:

moffspeed said:

Syracuse GP 1955.

The mighty Maseratis are odds on favourites. Meanwhile in the U.K. , Connaught - building their GP cars on a shoestring budget in a Surrey shed take up 2 entries.

The drivers - Les Leston has some experience but dental student Tony Brooks has never sat in a GP car before and spends the journey down to Sicily cramming for his finals.

The old AEC Greenline buses carrying the cars down through Europe find the Alps a challenge, taking several bites at each hairpin. They arrive in Sicily late on Friday so Practice 1 is missed. Brooks & Leston hire Vespas and learn the circuit on 2 wheels.

Come the weekend Brooks qualifies 3rd & goes on to win the race. The first Grand Prix win for a British car in over 30 years - the floodgates were about to open.

It would make a great film and a 4 wheel cinematic companion to The Worlds Fastest Indian .

Another write up from the 57 race by Denis Jenkinson
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article...

Would loved to have witnessed that era, especially the Targa Florio a bit further north on the island

The old school jouro's ,paid by the word had a way of making the mundane seem important and interesting .