Recently, we put forward our 10 favourite racing circuits in the world, and while it was a good list, it was all a bit predictable – either circuits currently visited by F1, or ones that even the most casual motorsport fan will be familiar with for their countless appearances in media or generally historic status.
The thing is, there are hundreds and hundreds of race tracks there, and for every one that becomes iconic, there are dozens that slip into semi-obscurity, known only by drivers, hardcore motorsport fans or the people that move nearby and then complain about the noise all the time. With that in mind, we thought it was about time to shed some light on some of the tracks that might have escaped your attention, unless, of course, you’re a massive nerd.
Knockhill
The Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Knockhill in 2015
This one will be familiar to anyone who follows national British championships like the BTCC. Set in the Scottish countryside north of Edinburgh, it’s not a particularly technical layout, nor is it very long at just 1.27 miles. What it lacks in size, though, it makes up for in drama and challenge.
It’s narrow, bumpy, and packs serious elevation change into its nine turns. The result is a circuit that requires serious commitment to master, as we see every year when the touring cars launch off kerbs into some truly ridiculous two-wheeled angles.
Dijon-Prenois
The DTM championship at Dijon-Prenois in 2009
A high-speed romp through woodland in central France, Dijon-Prenois opened in 1972, was extended to its current 2.4-mile length in 1976, and has stayed exactly the same ever since.
It hosted the F1 French Grand Prix five times between 1974 and 1984 (as well as the Swiss Grand Prix in 1982 – long story) and was the scene of an incredible final lap tussle for second between Ferrari’s Gilles Villeneuve and Renault’s René Arnoux in 1979. Since then, it’s been a firm favourite for plenty of national championships and the odd European series thanks to its resoundingly old-school layout.
Highlands Motorsport Park
Despite – or perhaps because of – the fact that it’s a reasonably small, geographically remote country, New Zealand has a remarkable amount of challenging, old-school circuits. Our favourite, though, is actually one of the newest.
Highlands Motorsport Park opened in 2013 in the shadow of the country’s Southern Alps, but don’t mistake it for a soulless, ultra-modern circuit with miles of runoff. It’s properly tight and challenging, with a big variety of bends in its 2.5-mile full layout. It even has a Suzuka-style crossover, which automatically makes it a bit cooler in our book.
Ozarks International Raceway
The US has no shortage of beautiful natural terrain circuits spread across its vast expanses, many of which date from the middle of the 20th century. This one, though, is barely two years old – not that you’d know it from its nearly four-mile, 19-turn layout.
Located in the state of Missouri, it’s got banking, blind crests, massive elevation change and a frighteningly high average speed – it’s very much not a track for the faint of heart. While it’s mainly used for club-level racing and track days, it has attracted a few big series in its short lifespan so far.
Potrero de los Funes
The FIA GT Championship at Potrero de los Funes in 2008
If you told us that Argentina’s Potrero de los Funes was a fictional circuit from Gran Turismo or Forza, we’d probably believe you. A hybrid of existing roads and purpose-built sections, its winding 3.9-mile layout encircled a reservoir sitting in the hills above the city of San Luis.
Its biggest claim to fame came in the form of visits from the FIA GT Championship in 2008, 2010 and 2011, after which it settled into a groove of hosting national touring car series. You might have noticed, though, that this whole bit’s written in the past tense – Potrero de los Funes sadly hosted its final race in 2018 and has steadily returned to being a full-time public road since.
Thunderhill
Another lesser-known American track, Thunderhill Raceway Park lies between lush farmland and mountains in northern California. Designed pretty explicitly for club-level racing, that relative freedom from bigger series’ regulations allowed for a rapid, flowing circuit that’s been steadily growing since it opened in 1993.
That expansion hit a new level in 2014 with a whole new section of track winding its way between scrubby hills and named the ‘Thunderschliefe’ in a nod to a certain German circuit. That took the longest possible layout to 4.6 miles. It also hosts an annual 25-hour-long endurance race – so take that, Le Mans.
The Bend Motorsport Park
This one’s another reasonably new track that belies its modernity by virtue of its sheer length. Sitting in South Australia not too far (by Australian terms, anyway) outside Adelaide, the longest of The Bend’s layouts clocks in at an impressive 4.8 miles, making it one of the longest FIA-certified tracks there is.
It crams a lot of variety into that 4.8 miles, too, with technical sections as well as plenty of high-speed bends. Since it opened in 2018, its shorter layouts have become mainstays on the calendar of Australia’s awesome Supercars touring car series, while the Asian Le Mans Series has visited its full GT layout.
Dubai Autodrome
The European Touring Car Championship at Dubai Autodrome in 2004
Can you believe there’s a 3.35-mile, state-of-the-art circuit sitting in the desert of the UAE that’s been fully certified for F1 racing for its entire life, and yet has never been visited by the world’s premier motorsport?
That’s exactly what Dubai Autodrome is, although, unlike most other super-modern FIA Grade 1 tracks, it’s not a clunky affair littered with awkward complexes. It’s fast, flowing, and packed with elevation change – the best bits of the classic tracks we love mixed in with modern facilities and safety features. If F1 ever wants to add yet another Middle East round, this is unquestionably where it should be.
Mont-Tremblant
We once again head back to North America, this time to Canada and Mont-Tremblant, an unforgiving circuit that winds its way through woods outside the Quebec ski resort of the same name. It’s another track with a layout that’s barely changed since the ’60s, and with a beautiful flow to it, that’s absolutely a good thing.
It held the Canadian Grand Prix twice in 1968 and 1970 and has more recently been visited by IndyCar progenitor Champ Car. Oh, and for a long time, it was also owned by a Canadian businessman named Lawrence Stroll – wonder what he’s been up to lately?
Oliver’s Mount
Okay, there’s some personal bias at play here, because I grew up within earshot of Oliver’s Mount, but it’s still a very special place. Made up of public roads draped up and down a hill overlooking the seaside town of Scarborough, it’s an unforgiving place featuring steep climbs, hairy descents through woodland, tight hairpins and an actual jump.
It’s only wide enough for motorbike racing, which is what it’s mainly used for, although parts of it have also been used for hillclimbs and rally special stages, and early Formula 3 cars raced around it in the ’50s. The only circuit of its kind in England, it’s an unrelentingly old-fashioned blast with a future that now looks a lot more secure after an uncertain couple of years.
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