Old abandoned racetracks.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

Inspired by the amusement parks thread...

Oval track in Spain, unused since the 1920's. Notice the insanity of the banking, which exceeds 60 degrees in some places.



More historic racetrack photos at http://www.racingcircuits.net/archives

[orpupilofnature57]

1. green mt race track,nestled in Berkshires,forgot ,overgrown,waste

[tsakshaug]

15. Ah green mt.

Just over the border in VT. Drove past it many times.
Got away from horses, went to dogs, then OTB came around and who went?
Anything happening with the land?
Should be worth something, right on Rt 7, with nice views

[skygazer]

20. Very sad

Still have a greyhound trainer's license from Green Mountain from '82 or '83. Ran a dog in a stakes race there.

[Norbert]

2. No walls and look at the personwith their legs dangling on the track

in the picture to your left. Unbelieveable.

There is a race track between Bloomington and Terra Haute, Indiana called Jungle Park. It hasn't been raced on since the early 1960s but the remnents of the race track still remains today. They even have a vintage race meet there in September.

Thanks for the link.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. Actually this disregard to self-preservation went on until the late 60s.

Especially in long tracks like Spa, Clermont-Ferrand, and Nürburgring.

[AP]

6. Spectators are still dying in rally racing

[Guitarman]

13. Nurburgring

Racing at the old 14 mile circuit went on there until the mid 70's when Niki Lauda had his near fatal crash. He was given last rites, came back to race later in the season and then won the championship the next year!

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

14. Niki Lauda is GOD

If I ever meet the guy I'm gonna go Wayne's World on him:

(Yes, I'm a politheist. Clark, Senna, Fangio -- even Schumacher, in an "evil god" sort of way)

[Guitarman]

18. Too Cool!

Each and every one of them, racing's elite.

[madrchsod]

4. two words-board tracks

from the early 1900`s till about the late 20`s tracks made out of plywood were built in america. the last one running races was in altoona, pa. i have pictures of these tracks in my fathers collection of early racing magazines, father also collected racing posters that were nailed to telephone poles annoucing local race dates. the prize of his collection is several first issue of car magazines and 1950-1958 autocar and ten years of speed age. i grew up reading about all the great drivers and the cars they drove...

[AP]

5. Those thin tires and high center of gravity -- only way to take the turns

fast, and keep it exciting for spectators, was to have banking like that.

[Wickerman]

7. Looks like Monza

That track killed so many they closed it down -figured out the banking on most of the early F-1 tracks was a tad extreme.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

8. The "so many" you mention were actually all at once

During the 1961 Italian GP. Wolfgang von Trips, in a Ferrari, banged wheels with Jim Clark while on the banking. He was on the outside, and went like a rock from a slingshot and into the packed grandstands. :scared:

The banked portion of the track was never used again, but it's still there, rotting: http://www.racingcircuits.net/archives/Monza/mm04.html

[Wickerman]

16. Didn't Ferrari also retire from racing

after that bit - for a few decades?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

17. Not at all.

Although they sucked for a year or two afterwards. Shellshocked, maybe.

[Wickerman]

19. Right you are, they just skipped Watkins Glen (the next race)

I shouldn't rely on this shakey memory... :eyes:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

21. Uhhh, doesn't seem so

http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/archive/f1/1961/f161.html

[Wickerman]

22. yes, I am agreeing with you

[Kellanved]

9. the Avus in Berlin

Closed down 1998; it is special, as most of the track was part of the Autobahn - it still is today.






Today: the old curve is still visible (The trucks on the left are parked inside it), the straight part is used as Autobahn.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

10. Are those Mercedes and Auto Union pre-war? (nt)

[Kellanved]

11. I think so

But I'm not 100% sure either.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

12. Would you like to join my auto racing group?

It's on a news server, so you'd need either Outlook or Mozilla/Thunderbird to access it. If you're interested, ping me and I'll have the admin there create a login/password for you. I'm posting your pics of Avus there, by the way.