Motor-racing track of Linas-Montlhéry

The motor-racing track of Linas-Montlhéry is a circuit Automobile, created in 1924, located in the French Département of the the Essonne, with horse on the communes of Linas, Montlhéry and Saint-Germain-the-Arpajon.

History

Birth of the circuit

This circuit was born in 1924 pennies the impulse from the industrialist Alexandre Lamblin, manufacturer of Radiateur S for Automobile S and Avion S, also impassioned sports and having a sporting magazine, the Aéro-sport .

In this beginning of the Years 1920, auto industry is in effervescence, seeking to beat speed records, launching foolish challenges (race conveys against plane…). The Great Britain has since 1907 the track of Brooklands, the New-World has the circuit of Indianapolis builds in 1911, the Italy that of elaborate Monza in 1922.

Alexandre Lamblin acquires, in 1923, of a ground located on the plate of Saint-Eutrope, in Linas, not far from Montlhéry. Two studies are proposed and cheapest is retained. It will consist of a race track of 2,5 kilometers which will be supplemented thereafter road circuit. The circuit will be drawn by engineer Raymond Jamin.

The track will be oval, will offer two straight lines of 180 meters. Large characteristic of the circuit, the turns will be concave, of the cubic parabolic shape with vertical axis, the connection being traced according to a spiral logarithmic curve. The drawing must make it possible vehicles of a ton to reach a speed of 220 km/h at the top of the turns. The circuit, measured on its median axis, develops 2548,24 meters.

Thousand tons of steel and eight thousand cubic meters of concrete will be necessary to two thousand workmen to carry out the work, work will last six months. The use of ready-made units will make a building site of avant-garde of it.

The golden age

Many pioneers of the records equipped with their exceptional machines invest the circuit, coming particularly from Great Britain where the sound restrictions imposed by the authorities attach their ardor. Two months hardly after its inauguration, a hundred records are established even beaten on the motor-racing track. The first exploit is to be put on the account of the mark Roland Pilain, then the record of the solo circuit will be for a long time the prerogative of Gwenda Stewart on Derby Miller with an average of 234,681 km/h.

Many races will be organized on the circuit. The road circuit, of 12,5 kilometers, built quickly in 1925, will make it possible to accommodate during the summer the Grand Prix of the Car Club of France. Among the many spectators come to attend this race, the president of the Republic is. At the time of the races, the vehicles turn in the direction of the needles of a watch, the records are established in the other direction. This first race will be endeuillée by the death of Antonio Ascari which, at the wheel of sound Alfa Romeo P2, will not be able to avoid an accident on the new portion of the circuit, the July 26th 1925. The victory will be finally gained by the Delage 12 cylinders controlled by Robert Benoist. This Grand Prix will again be organized on the motor-racing track in 1931, then of 1933 with 1937, in various forms, the public will be always with go, impassioned by the duels between Alfa Romeo and Bugatti and the entry on the lists of the Car-Union, the Mercedes and the Delage.

Post-war period

In front of the high operating costs and the state of the concrete coating being degraded and not allowing more to make turn the single-seaters at raised speed, the administrators of the motor-racing track must resign themselves to its sale in 1939. The 750 hectares of the field will be acquired by the national Field which will place them at the disposal of the ministry for the War. The Second world war will have dramatic consequences for the circuit: it will be very strongly damaged.

Against payment of a yearly rental to the Fields, the technical Union of the car, motor bicycle and cycle (UTAC) will obtain ministry for the War, in December 1946, a lease of long life to manage with the civilian the tracks and installations of the motor-racing track, under condition of its repairing, of the maintenance and the organization of competitions. The rehabilitation of the circuits will last two years and will see the development of a tower of control, of a platform of thousand places, installation of a fuel station, tracks on special surface as well as the creation of laboratories.

This work will make it possible the circuit to increase its activity, in particular in the technical fields and experimental while organizing competitions. Thus, the cuts of the Motor-show are held in October to with it then, as of 1956 but in an anecdotic way, are held the Thousand Kilometers of Paris there.

Unfortunately, the layout of the circuit is not adapted any more at the increasingly raised speeds, for proof, the accident which, in 1964, will carry Peter Linder, Franco Patria and three police chiefs of track.

The Thousand Kilometers of Paris will begin again only in 1966 to see their last solo circuits in 1994. The last two events to be occurred on the motor-racing track will be the cuts of the Living room and the Grand Prix of the Golden age. This last will remain, in 1996, the third demonstration automobile of France after the 24 hours of Mans and the Grand Prix of Formula 1. The Cuts of the living room could not be organized any more, for lack of sufficient competitors.

Song of the swan

The evolution of the security instructions confronted the circuit with several homologations such that of April 1997 then that of 2001 by the National Commission of the circuits speed. The last in date was delivered the May 9th 2001 for one four years duration ( Journal officiel de la R3epublique fran1caise n° 114 of the May 17th 2001). This homologation is essential for any organization of competition. Work of refitting had to be carried out in order to be able to continue to receive the cuts of the Living room or the Grand Prix of the Golden age, the such netting installation of of protection of the spectators in the straight line leading to the platforms until the turn known as of the two bridges, or in top of the ring, in front of being able to resist shocks to 300 km/h.

The homologation was not renewed in 2004. In order to give the circuit to the standards, it would be necessary to spend more than 15 million euros. This is why the June 20th 2004 was held on the motor-racing track fortieth and last Grand Prix of the Golden age. From now on, the circuit is devoted more only to the tests of manufacturers by the UTAC. The probable future of the circuit is likely to be its dismantling, this is why Association for the safeguard of the motor-racing track of Linas-Montlhéry (ASALM) was setting-up under the sponsorship of Hubert Auriol, Henri Pescarolo, Patrick Tambay, Patrick Delage, Jean-Claude Andruet, Jean-François Balde and Jean-Pierre Beltoise.

Nevertheless, of the training courses of piloting are organized each weekend by the Renault-Mygale company on a portion of circuit of 1,4 kilometer, on single-seat vehicles Formule Renault Campus 2000 (engine 1400 cm, 113 ch, 450 kilograms, 210 km/h, 5 commutator speeds).

The motor cycle

Records

In 1929, Herbert Vackl exceeds 200 km/h on a lathe with the handlebar of a Brough Superior.
on October 5th, 1934, Marcel and Robert Pahin beat several records and in particular that of the 2 000 km with 120,3 km/h, the 24:00 with 2849,23 km to 118 km/h with the handlebar of Peugeot 515.
on May 8th, 1938, Henri Nougier beat four records of which that of the 50 km to 115,32 km/h
November 8th and 9th 1953, the 350 and 500 Norton fish sign 141 records…
on April 7th, 1957, a named special Vespa Vespa Monthléry establishes 17 world records, led by seven pilots. Among the established records, figure that of the time average: 134 km/h
the Velocette establish the speed records with 100 MpH of average over 12 midnight.

Competitions

The Bol of gold was held there of 1937 to 1939, of 1949 to 1950, 1952 to 1960 and 1969 to 1970 (victory of Michel Rougerie and Daniel Urdich over Honda CB 750 Furnace for the rebirth of the test).

Demonstrations

The Cuts Motor bike Legends, meeting international of old motor bikes, combining confrontation on the circuit, contest of restoration and secondhand trade were born here and were held there of 1993 to 2003.

External sources and bonds

Motor-racing track of Linas-Montlhéry (the article is largely inspired by it)
Association for the safeguard of the motor-racing track of Linas-Montlhéry
Vue air of the motor-racing track on Wikimapia
the motor-racing track of Linas-Montlhéry on Mémoire of the Stands

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