A long history of tracks demolished/ruined, often for stupid reasons

It would be pretty amazing to see those track facilities on the side of a highway, to be honest. Really reminds you of why we call it road racing. I imagine it must be quite atmospheric! đź‘Ť Thanks for sharing those photos.

Such a simple layout (both of them), but so bad-ass looking at the same time :lol:

reims.jpg
 
Grand Prix
It would be pretty amazing to see those track facilities on the side of a highway, to be honest. Really reminds you of why we call it road racing. I imagine it must be quite atmospheric! đź‘Ť Thanks for sharing those photos.
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Atmospheric isn't the word! Was totally surreal to drive down that straight and see pit buildings and grandstands half a mile away down the road. Wish I'd taken a photo from much further back. As you can see in the first of the two photos, it's essentially just empty countryside on either side.
 
F1 fan
The problem with the A1 ring/rb ring is that the lap times were getting dangerously close to the one minute mark.
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Agreed, was a bit short. Still a good circuit for overtaking on though, the drivers seemed to like it and it was pretty scenic. Compared to most of Tilke's tracks that have appeared since, you can see its appeal.

Nice avatar by the way.
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Cheers :D
 
Well, Detroit Belle Isle is back up and running after being shut down in 2001. (minus a couple races done in 2007/2008) Indy is racing there in 2012 and so is Grand Am and a few other series. There has apparently been $6 million worth of renovations done to the facility. And the temporary circuit is ready to accept the six series beginning in June. So just because something is closed, doesn't mean it can't open back up again.
 
This is what Cars 2 should've been about: the senseless destruction of perfectly good race tracks. Heck, they could've partnered with Save the Ring. But instead, it was about the evils of green technology...or something.
 
Did a little thinking and researching about Portland International Raceway and the open-but-still-being-built Pacific Northwest Raceway Park (PNRP), and, end the end the new track and facilities, I believe, will be better for Portland and better for the Northwest racing community. And there are several clues to suggest that PNRP is being built as a replacement for PIR.

1. Oregon/Washington are looking to replace the I-5 bridge with a wider bridge and add a new light-rail line across the Columbia. This will require them to build the bridge(s) next to the existing I-5 bridge and, because they also want to widen the freeway down to the Rose Quarter, that construction runs right smack into PIR.

2. PNRP is in a MUCH better place than in the far corner of Portland like PIR is. The new, larger facility will very close to I-84, and thus get much more traffic, and potentially more ticket buyers than PIR. PIR has had a couple series drop the circuit due to low ticket sales, a track on the Interstate, might help with that.

3. PIR is about 3 minutes or so away from the Airport. Good for visitors and drivers flying in, but no so good for everyone else. Moving the racing events further away from the airport should end up being a big help. Even Sebring I believes shuts down the airport next door during races. The new track is only a couple hours away, so, it's still close, just not right next door. There is an airport where they want to build...not sure if it's still open, but I wouldn't be surprised if they moved the little strip over and used it to fly in racers.

If the facility is built as planned it really will be a much, much better facility than PIR. karting, drag, road racing, golf, a nice marina....the works. Plus...PIR is a short track, PNRP has a few of those, plus a 6 mile road course. Plus, PNRP will feature a club, which, I don't believe is something PIR has.
 
I used to go to Manzanita the legendary sprintcar track when I was little, torn down for a crane yard! Riverside, torn down for houses. Ontario Motor speedway was torn down for houses also. Heck, my local kart track that has been around since the 1970s almost got closed because the idiots living by there were complaining about the noise when the track has been there longer than there house has!
 
nitrorocks
Heck, my local kart track that has been around since the 1970s almost got closed because the idiots living by there were complaining about the noise when the track has been there longer than there house has!
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Try telling that to people who live near Spa or Croft. :banghead:
 
MazdaPrice
Same story with Thruxton (A superb racetrack) and Snetterton (The former 24hr touring car race was excellent!).
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đź’ˇ Maybe I should complain about the football stadium I live near. The noise is terrible, however, the worst part is the small minority of fans who make the area dangerous whenever a game is on. They also make it impossible to park, and sometimes make it near impossible to drive due to shoddy parking taking up half the road.

It's really more of an inconvenience than a race track isn't it?:sly:
 
Pembrey fell into disarray. I always kinda liked it.

Also, Oulton Park pre-Knickerbrook chicane. I know Paul Warwick died there and it's unfortunate, but speed didn't cause his accident.
 
F1 fan
đź’ˇ Maybe I should complain about the football stadium I live near. The noise is terrible, however, the worst part is the small minority of fans who make the area dangerous whenever a game is on. They also make it impossible to park, and sometimes make it near impossible to drive due to shoddy parking taking up half the road.

It's really more of an inconvenience than a race track isn't it?:sly:
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Yeah! Screw football
 
Sadly, another addition to this list is the Jacarepaguá Circuit (Autódromo Nelson Piquet), here in Rio de Janeiro.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutĂłdromo_Internacional_Nelson_Piquet

It was home to the Brazilian F1 GP from 1978 to 1989 and also hosted 5 CART races from 96 to 2000 in a oval layout.

It is sadly and slowly being abandoned, part of its track was already destroyed to make way for buildings used for the PanAmerican Games and it will be completely destroyed before 2016 to make way for the Rio Olympics.

With many old abandoned areas in Rio needing the investment that will be made in the games, the choice the destroy this classic circuit in a new growing neighbourhood is purely to respond to the demands of real estate investors... such a shame.
 
An interesting picture; Silverstone as used in the 1948 British Grand Prix. As in, still actually using the runways.

Silverstone1948.png
 
This is probably my favourite Silverstone layout. Still have Abbey as a sweeping left hander, which makes Bridge much more exciting. And of course, double-right handed Luffield. If only the link between Stowe and Club was in this configuration too...

Silverstone_1991.jpg
 
MazdaPrice
This is probably my favourite Silverstone layout. Still have Abbey as a sweeping left hander, which makes Bridge much more exciting. And of course, double-right handed Luffield. If only the link between Stowe and Club was in this configuration too...

Silverstone_1991.jpg
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I still cant master Copse in that layout. Hate that turn.
 
prisonermonkeys
Copse has been unchanged since 1991 - and it was only slightly different from 1949 to 1990.
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Then either they physics on F1 2010/11 and F1CE are different (More than likely) Or my entry speed is changed due to the change of the track before it.
 
Being a nationalistic Arizonan, we've lost a few historic and possibly historic layouts and venues.

Firstly, Phoenix International Raceway's road course was cut dramatically. It used to extend far outside of the oval but was dismissed when NASCAR became it's primary partner. The oval has since undergone a renovation as well.

A more notable loss to the world of Sprint Car and National dirt track racing was Manzanita Speedway which was 50+ years old but was scuttled when the owner had a pile of money fall into his lap. The track had a lot of character but it WAS showing it's age.

Then there was the former Formula 1 Circuit in downtown Phoenix. But it was handled poorly, Phoenix didn't make any money and so they abandoned it shortly after. The streets are still well paved and laid out and if they hadn't recently added the lightrail in that area I'd say it would've easily still been race-able.
 

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