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BEL - BELGIUM
CHIMAY
SORRY, SOME DATA ARE NOT TRANSLATED YET
Description Chimay road circuit was first used in 1926 and it is still in use. Of course, it changed a lot for safety and traffic reason.<br />
As he is so close to border between Belgium and France, it hosted Grand Prix des Frontières (more or less "Border GP"). In his history, it was raced by several car categories and by motorbikes
Location Chimay / Chimai
Location At Chimay, a small village close to border between Belgium and France, not far from road between Charleville-Mézières and Charleroi.
Latitude - Longitude + 50°03'38"     + 4°17'03"
50.060556     4.284167
UTM Coordinates X = 591915.498  -  Y = 5546153.454  -  Zone 31U
Aerial photo / Map (*) Aerial photo / Map (*) OpenStreetMap  -   Aerial photo / Map (*) Google Maps  -   Aerial photo / Map (*) Bing Maps  -   Aerial photo / Map (*) Zoom Earth  -   Aerial photo / Map (*) Wikimapia
Altitude AMSL 250 m - 820 ft
Inauguration 1926
Closing  
Designer  
Sources and links (Translation) (**)
(1) English French www.circuit.be Official website
(2) English www.circuit.be/caracteristics.htm Official website
(3) English www.circuit.be/plan_du_circuit_grand_public%20anglais.htm Official website
(4) English mail, note All info on this page were e-mailed me by "Muzza" (one member of The Motorsport Memorial Team). Some phrases are copied from his e-mail.
(5) English forums.autosport.com (...) Autosport.com Bulletin Board --> The Nostalgia Forum --> Skarpnäck track, Sweden
(6) English Dutch www.circuitsofthepast.nl Circuit of the Past
(7) Italian Autosprint 21/1969 (page 19) Mappa e dati essenziali May 26th 1969
(8) Italian Autosprint 43/1972 (page 47) Tolta l'agibilità per il 1973 se non verranno fatti dei lavori October 23rd 1972
(9) Italian Autosprint 51/1975 (page 33) Circuito accorciato (con mappa) e profondamente rinnovato December 16th 1975
(10) French Le Grand Prix des Frontières à Chimay - Tome 1 - Courses Automobiles de 1926 à 1959 Author: André Biaumet - Published in: Morlanwelz, Belgio
Used by Muzza as source of his infos 		1986
(11) French Chimay - Les Grand Prix des Frontières, 1960-1973 Author: André Biaumet - Published by: Editions Labor - Published in: Bruxelles, Belgio
Used by Muzza as source of his infos 		1990

(*) NOTE: a complete and detailed view of the circuit can be found (if available) on Street View by Google Maps and/or Bird's Eye and 3D views by Bing Maps for Enterprise (former Microsoft Virtual Earth): both can be reached using their own link in Aerial photo / Map cell.

(**) For on-line not-English speaking sources, click on each small flag and you open the corresponding Google Translator page with automatic translation.

Chimay
Description Original circuit was used from 1926 to 1959. Virage Mairesse was named after Guy Mairesse's death in Monthléry, 1954.
Years 1926÷1959
Direction Clockwise   Clockwise
Progetto Proposal NO
No longer operational YES
Car Circuit YES
Motorbike circuit YES
Type Road course
Inauguration 1926
Closing 1959
Last update of this page December 18th 2007
Info last update  
Designer  
Distinctive points Parc du Chateau - La Bouchère - Ligne Droite De Salles - Virage Spikins - Chapelle de l'Arbrisseau - Virage Mairesse - Le Petit Pont - Virage Vidal
length 10870  m 35663  ft 6.754  mi   (4)

Chimay
Description In 1960 several improvement works were carried in the circuit: widening of the bridge over the Mons-Chimay (le Petit Pont) railway between Thiérissart and Beauchamps, until then a dangerous bottleneck and realignment of the track between the Virage Spikins and the end of the Salles straight (the latter, at the first leg of the double righthander os Salles). I have no more details. From 1973 (maybe up to 1984) circuit was used only by motorbikes.
Years 1960÷1984?
Direction Clockwise   Clockwise
Progetto Proposal NO
No longer operational YES
Car Circuit YES
Motorbike circuit YES
Type Road course
Inauguration 1960
Closing 1984
Last update of this page December 18th 2007
Info last update  
Designer  
Distinctive points Parc du Chateau - La Bouchère - Ligne Droite De Salles - Virage Spikins - Chapelle de l'Arbrisseau - Virage Mairesse - Le Petit Pont - Virage Vidal
length 10450  m 34285  ft 6.494  mi   (4)

Chimay
Description Biaumet mentions that the construction of a semi-permanent track at Chimay was envisioned around 1974, and the project was resumed in the 1980s by a certain Georges Annuzet. I have no more info
Years 1974÷1975
Direction Clockwise   Clockwise
Progetto Proposal Proposal  YES
Proposal not developed YES
Car Circuit YES
Motorbike circuit  
Type Road course
Inauguration  
Closing  
Last update of this page December 18th 2007
Info last update  
Designer  
Distinctive points  
length 7800  m 25591  ft 4.847  mi   (9)

Chimay
Description About this 1985 onwards rack, Biaumet explains: "The circuit itself was modified: all the segment within the La Bouchère neighborhood was chopped off by a by-pass between the end of the old start/finish line and the Salles straight, whilst chicanes with haybales were installed in several points of the track: after Virage Spikins (not shown on my map), after the bridge over the railway at Robechies and before the Virage Vidal."<br />
There are no more info about chicanes: according to "Muzza", the one after Virage Spikins could have been lefthander; Robechies one (sometimes calles Chicane Grauls) was before the bridge, so before position shown on my map. As regards chicane Vidal, it's unknown if it had the same layout and location of the 1996 circuit. Start/Finish line was moved on the new straight.
Years 1985÷1992?
Direction Clockwise   Clockwise
Progetto Proposal NO
No longer operational YES
Car Circuit YES
Motorbike circuit  
Type Road course
Inauguration 1985
Closing 1992
Last update of this page December 18th 2007
Info last update  
Designer  
Distinctive points Ligne Droite De Salles - Virage Spikins - Chicane - Chapelle de l'Arbrisseau - Virage Mairesse - Le Petit Pont - Virage Vidal
length (approx) 9700  m 31824  ft 6.027  mi   (4)

Chimay
Description This new layout was first used in 1996 and it was much shorter than previous ones. Position and layout of chicanes shown onmy map is approximated.
Years 1996÷...
Direction Clockwise   Clockwise
Progetto Proposal NO
No longer operational  
Car Circuit YES
Motorbike circuit  
Type Road course
Inauguration 1996
Closing  
Last update of this page December 18th 2007
Info last update  
Designer  
Distinctive points Virage Frère - Chicane Neve - Chicane Mairesse - Virage Grauls - Chicane Pilette - Virage De Beauchamp - Descente Vidal - Chicane Bourgoignie - Porte De Mons
length 4515  m 14813  ft 2.806  mi   (2)
length 4519.5  m 14828  ft 2.808  mi   (3)

Chimay 1926÷1959 (and very similar to 1960÷1984 layout)

Chimay 1926÷1959 (and very similar to 1960÷1984 layout)

Chimay 1985÷1992?

Chimay 1985÷1992?

Chimay 1996÷...

Chimay 1996÷..


Updates
Date Track layout Years Description by Map by Thanks to Note
March 8th 2006     Guido de Carli     Update Description
April 3rd 2004     Guido de Carli     New Description
April 3rd 2004   1926÷1959 Guido de Carli Guido de Carli   New Description with map
July 21st 2003     Guido de Carli     New Description
Not all eventual updates issued in last years are already visible in this list
 
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