Longford Circuit
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 Longford , Tasmania
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| Route type: | temporary racetrack | ||
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| Opening: | 1953 | ||
| Decommissioned: | 1968 | ||
| Track layout | |||
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| Route data | |||
| Route length: | 7.242 km (4.5 mi ) | ||
| Curves: | 9 | ||
| Records | |||
| Track record: | 2: 12.6 min. ( Chris Amon , Ferrari 330P4 , March 2, 1968) |
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Coordinates: 41 ° 34 ′ 26.4 ″ S , 147 ° 7 ′ 15 ″ E
The Longford Circuit was a temporary motor racing circuit on public roads in Longford , Australia . The route was on the northern edge of the city.
history
The first race took place on Labor Day weekend in 1953, with the main races taking place on March 2nd (a Monday). Maurice Quincey won the motorcycle race , doing laps at an average speed of around 140 km / h. The Australian Grand Prix was held at the Longford Circuit in 1959 and 1965. In addition, one round of the Tasman Series took place from 1964 to 1968. In 1959, 1964 and 1966 the Australian Tourist Trophy drove here. The 1962 Australian Touring Car Championship was also held in Longford. The Australian Drivers' Championship staged here from 1958 to 1965.
The expansion of the line was financed by the state and in the early 1960s the line was widened, which led to even higher speeds. While Doug Whiteford was still driving a maximum speed of 150 km / h in his Maserati 300S in 1958 , Chris Amon reached a top speed of 292 km / h ten years later. The high speeds made the cars lighter over the hilltops and tended to break away. In 1964 the American Tim Mayer had a fatal accident when he lost control of his car and collided with a tree. Lex Davison had had a similar accident just a year earlier, but the accident turned out to be less severe. In 1965 there were further fatal accidents. The Australian motorcycle racer Dennis Wing had an accident on his 350 Norton during training. During the race, Rocky Tresise rolled over and killed him and a photographer in an accident. Robin Pare also overturned his Lotus Cortina and was seriously injured, but survived the accident.
“It was an extraordinarily quick circuit. It was basically a rectangle, and by the time you were halfway down the straight you were absolutely flat out. It was a wonderful circuit in the dry, but in the wet it had the potential to be bloody dangerous. "
“It was an exceptionally fast course. It was basically a rectangle and by the time you had completed half of a straight you were already at full throttle. It was a wonderful course in the dry, but in the wet it had the potential to be dangerous. "
Even considering the safety standards at the time, the route was extremely challenging. Among other things, the route ran beneath a viaduct . The drivers crossed the South Esk River twice. First over the wooden "Kings Bridge", then over the "Long Bridge", also made of wood. In between, the route led over a level crossing.
“It was over railway lines, onto a bridge with a curve in it, with well-spaced wooden railings which you could force a car through. You were coming on to a slippery piece of oily board over a river. That was the safety procedure! It made the Nürburgring look quite safe. "
“It went over railway tracks, onto a bridge with a curve, with wooden crash barriers that were so far apart that you could have pushed a car through. You came across a slippery and oily board that led across a river. Those were the security measures! It made the Nürburgring look pretty safe. "
Bruce McLaren became the first driver to win one of the great races on the circuit twice in 1965. After the Tasman Series race in 1968, racing was stopped for financial reasons.
Lap record
The fastest lap time of 2: 12.6 min was achieved on March 2, 1968 by Chris Amon in a Ferrari 330P4 . The average speed was 196.6 km / h (122.2 mph). This lap remained the fastest lap in Australia until the Calder Park Thunderdome opened in Melbourne in 1987 . However, this is a 1.8 kilometer long oval course . the Longford Circuit remained the fastest Australian street circuit until 1996, when Formula 1 held the first race in Albert Park in Melbourne.
driver
The list of drivers who competed in Longford reads like a “ Who's Who ” of the Grand Prix scene of the 1960s. In addition to numerous other well-known names, Formula 1 world champions Jack Brabham , Jim Clark , Graham Hill , Phil Hill , Denis Hulme and Jackie Stewart drove on the course.
nowadays
The original course is no longer available in this form. The two bridges were destroyed and a motorway now runs over the route. In 2011, however, the Longford Revival Festival was held for the first time, which takes place on Pateena Road (The Flying Mile).
Individual evidence
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20090821161735/http://www.tasman-series.com/tracks/longford/longford.asp
- ↑ https://peterwindsor.com/2015/01/28/jim-clarks-epic-1965-season/
- ↑ a b c http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/october-2005/44/track-visit-longford
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20090821161735/http://www.tasman-series.com/tracks/longford/longford.asp
- ^ Longford Revival . longfordrevival.com.au via Archive.org. Archived from the original on May 16, 2013. Retrieved May 16, 2013.