There is something eerie, haunting and sad, yet utterly fascinating about abandoned circuits. I've been meaning to read this thread for some time now. Great stuff! I have only read accounts of the he Reims circuit until this thread; looked simple and fast. Only time across the pond for me, I hung around the Gypsy Hill area, and surely would have passed by the old Crystal Palace park and circuit several times, unbeknownst to me. I did, however, know about Brands and found myself hanging out there for a Saturday of historics
Here's one that I never had the chance to get to (wasn't around at the time) and it appears it was just far too ahead of its time. It had a 1/2 asphalt shorttrack, drag strip, cart track and a daunting, high banked 3 mile road course, plus a planned, but unfinished 2 mile speedway!
Augusta International Raceway
In this case, a local nonprofit has come together to try and preserve what is left:
http://www.augustainternationalraceway.org/
Track Map / Arial Photo
Article on track history w/ photos
Video of modern day look at the circuit
Driving a King Cobra, Dave McDonald beat Jim Hall and Bob Holbert in a USSRC race merely weeks before he lost his life at Indy. This is was the only "big" sportscar race held at the circuit:
http://www.racingsportscars.com/phot...964-03-01.html
Great article with photos and clippings from that USSRC race:
http://www.davemacdonald.net/gallery...raaugusta1.htm
Fireball Roberts won his last NASCAR race there on the 3 mile road course. Richard Petty, Joe Weatherly, David Pearson, Bobby Issac and Dick Hutcherson are among winners on the 1/2 mile oval. In 1964 Wendell Scott finished 18th at Augusta the week before he won his only race at Jacksonville Speedway.