Spa Francorchamps

[Peter Mallett]

[Lee Purnell]

Are you getting us back for our constant Castle combe ramblings?
Explain

[Peter Mallett]

Yep.

[Lee Purnell]

Fair enough

[Peter Mallett]

Actually, people should really make an effort and visit this circuit before Bernie E decides to change it. You never know, it could happen.

There are not many places in the world where club racers can race on exactly the same circuit as F1/International championships. If you get a group together it can be quite economical to travel there, and when there, the hotels are quite reasonable.

If you like minis or historics or the Power Tour or even "my" lot (CSCC), you can see them racing in these glorious surroundings.

Not an advert you understand, more some friendly advice.

[Dan Friel]

Why is it that loads of good motor racing goes on in September? Hence why i always miss out on Spa!! It shall be done next year though... Just looks too good to miss!!!

[Mackmot]

Im really hoping I can get time of school to go to the Ford Eurocup in september

[Graham]

To any racers (or perhaps those of us that aspire), are there any circuits from the past that you'd like to have raced on that are either no longer open or, indeed, completely demolished?

Myself :

- Rouen
- Clermont-Ferrand
- Klausen (not a circuit)
- The pre-******ed Silverstone

Oh, and pre-Mulsanne chicane Le Mans (in a 917)

[Marshal]

Just an official, but I'd have loved to have seen;

Original Spa
Targa Florio
Crystal Palace
Original Brno

[Dan Friel]

Graham,

I dare say that if you were let loose in a 917 at the old Le Mans - it would get very very messy!!! However, i can relate to your dream...


Clemont Ferrand is still there.. I hope to do a tour of french / begian circuits sometime - perfect excuse to do a country wide pub crawl...

[SNH]

Being from Staffordshire, I'd love to have raced on the Birmingham street circuit

[Graham]

Dan,

Messy indeed, but as I slammed into the barriers I'd have a grin on my face! However, if I survived I'm sure Porsche enthusiasts would be waiting to lynch me.

Have you seen the series with Andrew Frankel in Motorsport where he visits the old circuits?


Steve, Birmingham street circuit? Do tell...

Marshal, I was under the impression that Brno hadn't changed for quite some time. What changed and when?
Crystal Palace is still there, isn't it? There's a yearly sprint that's well-attended (inc. lots of TVRs!).

[Dan Friel]

I have a sucription to 'Motorpsort', so I've seen those articles, excellent. Would be great to do the tour..

What about a lap of the old Brooklands?? Shall have to have a go on my dad's Grand Prix Legends game...

Or the big Nurburgring??

All of which you can do with a computer!!

Only parts of Crystal Palace are left, hence the sprints rather than laps...

[Marshal]

I believe Dan's right about 'Palace, but the reason for the interest is being able to go, in London, and see a motor race. Especially on hot summer days like today, as I believe that they used to run evening meetings. 4 prctice sessions, 4 races, sart at 5.30pm finish at 9pm. Sounds peachy.

Original Brno was the long (8 mile-ish?) road circuit, used up till the mid '80's. I'd love to have seen the works XJS's and BMW 635's round there.

[Graham]

Brooklands isn't in that game. It's the 1967 Grand Prix season. Love that Ferrari sound.

See my Brooklands post in the Historic Forum, BTW.

[Dan Friel]

Um, I meant the pre war game.. he has both... can't remember what it's called.. help someone!!

[Graham]

[something] of Speed? Speed [something]? Spirit maybe?

I've seen it in the shops - doesn't look very good.

[Gerard]

Spirit of Speed 1937.
Fantastic game!!!

[Graham]

Good is it? Comparisons with...?

[Gerard]

I don't think it can be compared with anything else.
Besides, I'm not a racing game expert.
I only bought the game because I thought it would be fun to drive a Bugatti, Auto Union or a Napier Railton on Brooklands, Avus and Tripoli.
And it is fun.
It really gives you a feeling of how it was in those days.
In another thread someone mentioned the bumpiness of the Brooklands track.
Because of the game I knew what he was talking about.
Grand Prix Legends is much too difficult to get into, you can only manage to drive the car without crashing after hours of practise.
In Spirit of Speed 1937 you just jump in a car and drive away.

[Graham]

Doesn't sound very realistic then. You certainly can't 'jump' into a Blower Bentley and floor it up the track in reality. I'm a sucker for realism coz it shows the developers did their homework. I also like making things difficult for myself - I've never played the arcade mode of any game I have... straight in at full realism and take the time to learn the car.

[Gerard]

Then this game is not for you, Graham.
It has indeed a more arcade way of playing.
I also like the more realistic games, like Grand Prix Legends.

[Graham]

We bought a Playstation and Gran Turismo specifically for the TVRs - handling seems basically right, but the sounds are awful. I think sound is much neglected in the development of the majority of games.

GT2 is supposed to be better. What say you?

[Dan Friel]

So we started with Spa, and got to GT2!!! Interesting..

Spirit of Speed.. that's the one. Thanks. Quite easy I thought, but still managed to crash lots. But worth having just to do laps of those circuits, Tripoli's great!!

At uni, I was the Gran Turismo master - because of plenty of time and the thought of doing work was too much!! Only played on GT2 a little, but seemend exactly the same..

[Peter Mallett]

I gave up on GP Legends. I have raced at Spa which in its current form is shorter but not that different (Blanchiment, La Source, Eau Rouge etc.) and I can tell you that if F1 cars were really that difficult to drive they would never have got anybody into them. (I have driven single seaters previously).

Sorry guys but if people really think they can drive a racing car, or get an impression of a track, based on a game they should never be let loose on a circuit. (I know JV was quoted as saying he learned Spa from GP2 but that was just the lines, not the speeds and gradient changes).

I wonder if this is part of F1ciamp's claim to ability?

Phew, back to the topic.