Defunct French Circuits

[Project 644]

Between christmas and new year I will be in france, staying between Rouen, Le Mans and Paris. I have found the Rouen-les-Essarts circuit in google maps and it seems to be 3/4 still there. The northernmost section of the track seems to have been replaced by the Autoroute about a hundred metres north and the track looks like it is still there. Has anyone been there and can you drive around the whole circuit, or will I have to drive from the (now Bulldozed ) pits down to the Nouveau Monde hairpin, back north and then park the car and walk the rest of the circuit?

Next circuit... (the wife doesn't know about this one yet.

How accessable is Monthelery? I assume that the oval will be closed off, but can you drive around the road course still?


Obviously we will go to Le Mans.

Unfortunatly, Clermont Ferrand will be too far away.

Any help would be appreciated.

[dougc]

I did a write up of a Rouen visit this summer here

http://www.chew-the-fat.com/motoring/revisiting-ro...

[Project 644]

Yeah, Reims was on the list, but it is a bit out of the way. We are limited on time for this trip so it may have to be done on another holiday.

One day has to be going to the D-Day beaches and I have set myself a personal challenge of climbing one of the pontoons on Mulberry harbour.

[Project 644]

dougc said:

I did a write up of a Rouen visit this summer here

http://www.chew-the-fat.com/motoring/revisiting-ro...

That is absolutely perfect. Cheers Doug. So the twisty bit on the north side is just the 1970 onwards track. Is this walkable or driveable still? Can you jump the trench to where the pits were or is there nothing to see really?

Again thanks.

[dougc]

The twisty bit across the North side - the post 1970 bit - is shown in picture 14. You can't drive on it as there is an earth bank in the way. You can get to it on foot easily enough but there are signs up saying private property, not that the French tend to take note of that sort of thing.

The pits are fenced as well as trenched from the main road and appear to be used as some sort of wood yard. However, if you park on the pit entry (Photo 16) you can walk up the verge to the pit exit where there is a gate to a footpath going through the woods and with a bit of exploration, I'm sure you can get into the paddock/pits. I don't think there are any buildings left though.

If you park up down by the hairpin - there is a layby on the way into Orival you can scramble up the old banking where the grandstand used to be. The steps are still visible though the bank itself is now overgrown.

Also, if you aim to arrive at around 1230 - 1300 you'll find it deserted as everyone goes for lunch and the roads will suddenly become very quiet, apart from the odd bus or lorry.

For more pics of how it used to be try the 'Photo Archive' tab on http://theracingline.net/racingcircuits/racingcirc... which might also point our some others you can go to. There are many road circuits in France but most are not really obvious on the ground as they were simply closed off roads with no facilities.

[Project 644]

Thanks again Doug. Midday arrival it is then. Did you do alot of research before you went, or did you just stumble across it then find some history when you got back.

[dougc]

I've been there for the last 3 years. I usually get the Newhaven - Dieppe ferry when I go to France and its only a 45 minute drive from the port and not too much of a detour.

The first time I went I was aware of it through playing GP Legends on the PC and did a bit of research via the web before I went. It took a bit of finding the first time, and getting through Rouen can be a bit of a chore depending on which bit of it they are digging up at any given time.

Its a shame that I didn't get round to visiting a few years earlier as the photos on the website I linked to show a lot of the old buildings which have now gone, but not long ago.

Its strange really - at Reims, there is a society that looks after the buildings and promotes the circuit, holds visits, rallies, revivals and the like. At Rouen, its almost as if they are ashamed of it. All the buildings are gone and any trace of the track looks to have been covered up. Its only little things like the name of the bus stop - Circuit Auto - or the rumble strips at some of the corners that give the game away. As far as I can tell, there isn't even an information board or a sign simply saying 'There used to be a GP track here'

[dougc]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9dTC9HOMps

[Project 644]

dougc said:

I've been there for the last 3 years. I usually get the Newhaven - Dieppe ferry when I go to France and its only a 45 minute drive from the port and not too much of a detour.

The first time I went I was aware of it through playing GP Legends on the PC and did a bit of research via the web before I went. It took a bit of finding the first time, and getting through Rouen can be a bit of a chore depending on which bit of it they are digging up at any given time.

Its a shame that I didn't get round to visiting a few years earlier as the photos on the website I linked to show a lot of the old buildings which have now gone, but not long ago.

Its strange really - at Reims, there is a society that looks after the buildings and promotes the circuit, holds visits, rallies, revivals and the like. At Rouen, its almost as if they are ashamed of it. All the buildings are gone and any trace of the track looks to have been covered up. Its only little things like the name of the bus stop - Circuit Auto - or the rumble strips at some of the corners that give the game away. As far as I can tell, there isn't even an information board or a sign simply saying 'There used to be a GP track here'

Odd behaviour. But they were talking about pulling down the pits at Reims not so long ago. Monthelery has been awaiting the axe for a few years. I thought that the French "never knocked anything down, they just build around it". Seemingly Racing circuits and the associated history that accompanies them doesn't count.

[eastlmark]

dougc said:

I did a write up of a Rouen visit this summer here

http://www.chew-the-fat.com/motoring/revisiting-ro...

Nice work, I visited many times on My way to Le mans during the 80's Indeed most visitors to Le mans from the UK have driven right past this place without knowing it) and even saw a round of the French F3 championship there in the 90's. Sadly never got to see an F2 race there, it must have been awsome (the European F2 championship also raced on the old ring at the time and was the natural feeder for F1, at least the drivers had a decent education in those days). Back then the pits were still there (obviously as the circuit was still in use!) but on a weekday it still had the ghostly feel that Riems has now.
Yes, somehow the locals didnt want any existence of this track remaining and as mentioned in the write up, the only real evidence is the bus stop named 'Circuit Auto' Ironic you can still buy a bus ticket to the place and yet nothing remains. Last time I was there I am sure the 'new' section of track between new Gresil and Paradis had been dug up and looked to be in the process of being ploughed into the field out of sight for ever, a sad loss.

Edited by eastlmark on Monday 12th October 13:21

Edited by eastlmark on Monday 12th October 13:23

[rdjohn]

There have been a few trackdays on the oval at Monthelery this year; the next is 21st November with the French Subaru club.

This link shows you the current state and mapping, if you want to get there,
http://www.trackdays.fr/circuit-autodrome_de_linas...

[Project 644]

rdjohn said:

There have been a few trackdays on the oval at Monthelery this year; the next is 21st November with the French Subaru club.

This link shows you the current state and mapping, if you want to get there,
http://www.trackdays.fr/circuit-autodrome_de_linas...

cheers. I found the site on google maps, but the road course has no road numbers, it just said that it was "route circuit auto".

I was wondering whether that part of the circuit was still open or if it is closed to the public. (I don't fancy a 7 mile hike). If not I might go and have a look at the banking and leave it at that.

That site you linked to is quite a good source for french circuits. I suspect that some of them will be airfield circuits, but some are definitly dedicated race tracks.

[rdjohn]

Project 644 said:

rdjohn said:

There have been a few trackdays on the oval at Monthelery this year; the next is 21st November with the French Subaru club.

This link shows you the current state and mapping, if you want to get there,
http://www.trackdays.fr/circuit-autodrome_de_linas...

cheers. I found the site on google maps, but the road course has no road numbers, it just said that it was "route circuit auto".

I was wondering whether that part of the circuit was still open or if it is closed to the public. (I don't fancy a 7 mile hike). If not I might go and have a look at the banking and leave it at that.

That site you linked to is quite a good source for french circuits. I suspect that some of them will be airfield circuits, but some are definitly dedicated race tracks.

www.trackdays.fr is the site that I use for booking most of my trackdays here in France; I am fairly sure that anything showing both exists and is a live circuit, but its use may be severely restricted.

I know that historic circuits like La Chatre and Charade are now just small sections of the old long circuit, but I am certain that both of them can be re-traced by car/foot, if you were that keen to do it.

When I last went to La Chatre, I was told that 1 day each year the old circuit is used for demo runs. I was also told at Charade (Clermont-Ferrand) that these old historic circuits have some sort of protected historic status; but that does not stop recently arrived residents raising objections to noise.

C’est la vie

[Project 644]

Sounds similar to the nimbys here.

There should be clauses in housing contracts within a 5mile radius of the circuit imho. Saying that by buying the house, the owners are fully aware of the circuit nearby and that they are relinquishing the right to complain about the noise as the circuit has been there longer than they have.

[rdjohn]

Project 644 said:

Sounds similar to the nimbys here.

There should be clauses in housing contracts within a 5mile radius of the circuit imho. Saying that by buying the house, the owners are fully aware of the circuit nearby and that they are relinquishing the right to complain about the noise as the circuit has been there longer than they have.

I think that the notion of commonsense was abolished worldwide some time during the early 1990s

[dougc]

9th November 1998

Its my 'Uman Rights innit.

[DWP]

The main stand at Rheims looks as if it may fall down before it's demolished. But the other side of the old main straight is a different matter. When I was there a couple of years ago it was being repainted for the circuits anniversary.