Circuit des Planques
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 Albi , Tarn department
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| Route type: | temporary racetrack | ||
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| Opening: | 1933 | ||
| Decommissioned: | 1955 | ||
| Time zone: | UTC + 1 ( CET ) | ||
| Circuit des Planques (1933) | |||
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| Route data | |||
| Important events: |
French Grand Prix , Grand Prix de l'Albigeois | ||
| Route length: | 9.226 km (5.73 mi ) | ||
| Audience capacity: | approx. 50,000 | ||
Coordinates: 43 ° 55 ′ 54 ″ N , 2 ° 10 ′ 16.1 ″ E
The Circuit des Planques was a motorsport racetrack near Albi in the Tarn department in southwestern France , which was used from 1933 to 1955.
history
In 1933 a group of motorsport enthusiasts from the Moto-Camping-Club-Albigeois created the Circuit des Planques. In particular, the Voiturette races for the Grand Prix de l'Albigeois held there quickly became an important race for the best drivers in this category.
After the Second World War , races of the highest category were held on the Circuit des Planques again in 1946. In 1951 the French Grand Prix , which was part of the motorcycle world championship for the first time , was held on the road circuit . The 250cc world champion of the previous season , the Italian Dario Ambrosini , was killed in an accident in training in the 250 cm³ class . In the same year the track was renamed Circuit Raymond Sommer . The exceptional French racing driver had a fatal accident in the Formula 2 race for the Grand Prix de Cadours the year before .
After the serious accident at the 24-hour race at Le Mans in 1955 , which killed 84 people, the track was closed because the road circuit had become too dangerous for the increasingly faster vehicles. From 1959 races are held on the newly built Circuit d'Albi to the west of the city .
route
The original route had a triangular shape from 1933 and a length of 9.226 km. It was driven clockwise and consisted of narrow and bumpy public roads that were closed to the races. Start and finish were on the southern side of the triangle in the village of Les Planques on today's D 999 (Route de Milleau) . From there, the route turned right onto today's D 100 and led northeast via Saint-Antoine to Saint-Juéry . After another right turn, the track then led back south on today's D 69 (Avenue de Montplaisir) to the D 999 and from there west back to the start and finish.
The first changes were made in 1934. To remove the tight hairpin bend from Les Planques , a 225 m long crossing was built, to which the start and finish were relocated. A control tower was also built there, so that international races could also be held on the track. The route thus had a length of 8.911 km. After the Second World War , the length of the route after minor renovations was 8.901 km.
In 1951, the Circuit des Planques was shortened to 2.991 km so that Saint-Juéry was no longer driven.
Winner of the motorcycle world championship races
| year | 250 cc | 350 cc | 500 cc | Teams |
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| 1951 |
 Bruno Ruffo ( Moto Guzzi )
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 Geoff Duke ( Norton )
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Alfredo Milani ( Gilera )
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Eric Oliver / Lorenzo Dobelli ( Norton )
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Web links
- Leif Snellman: LES PLANQUES - Albi (F). www.kolumbus.fi, March 2, 2018, accessed March 3, 2018 (French).
- Vincent Glon: Circuit des Planques. racingmemo.free.fr, accessed on March 3, 2018 (French).
- Vincent Glon: ALBI. racingmemo.free.fr, accessed on March 3, 2018 (French).
