Pescara Circuit
Encyclopedia
The Pescara Circuit was a 16.032 miles (25.8 km) road race course near Pescara
, Italy
.
The track boasted two long straights between villages, as well as demanding corners in the seaside town. The roads were both narrow and bumpy, and the staggering 16 miles (25.7 km) length was the longest of any open-wheel championship event. Like many long circuits (such as the original Nürburgring
and Spa-Francorchamps
circuits) Pescara was extremely dangerous. Many racing historians consider Pescara to be the most dangerous racing circuit ever devised.
The first race took place in 1924 and non-Championship Formula One
races followed in the early 1950s, before the circuit was eventually included in the official Formula One World Championship in . The Pescara Grand Prix drew in excess of 200,000 spectators, and remains the longest circuit in terms of lap distance ever to stage a Formula One Grand Prix.
It was the first F1 circuit with an artificial chicane; the chicane before the start-finish straight was built in 1934 to reduce speed in the pits.
The track's last race was a four hour World Sportscar Championship
race in 1961, won by Lorenzo Bandini
and Giorgio Scarlatti
. After that race the circuit was permanently retired as a racing venue as it was impossible for the organizers to guarantee the safety of drivers and spectators.
Pescara
Pescara is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. As of January 1, 2007 it was the most populated city within Abruzzo at 123,059 residents, 400,000 with the surrounding metropolitan area...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
The track boasted two long straights between villages, as well as demanding corners in the seaside town. The roads were both narrow and bumpy, and the staggering 16 miles (25.7 km) length was the longest of any open-wheel championship event. Like many long circuits (such as the original Nürburgring
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
and Spa-Francorchamps
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its...
circuits) Pescara was extremely dangerous. Many racing historians consider Pescara to be the most dangerous racing circuit ever devised.
The first race took place in 1924 and non-Championship Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
races followed in the early 1950s, before the circuit was eventually included in the official Formula One World Championship in . The Pescara Grand Prix drew in excess of 200,000 spectators, and remains the longest circuit in terms of lap distance ever to stage a Formula One Grand Prix.
It was the first F1 circuit with an artificial chicane; the chicane before the start-finish straight was built in 1934 to reduce speed in the pits.
The track's last race was a four hour World Sportscar Championship
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
race in 1961, won by Lorenzo Bandini
Lorenzo Bandini
Lorenzo Bandini was an Italian motor racing driver who raced in Formula One for the Scuderia Centro Sud and Ferrari teams.-Career:...
and Giorgio Scarlatti
Giorgio Scarlatti
Giorgio Scarlatti was a racing driver from Italy. He participated in 15 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on May 13, 1956. He scored one championship point....
. After that race the circuit was permanently retired as a racing venue as it was impossible for the organizers to guarantee the safety of drivers and spectators.