Exploring Abandoned Race Track Reims-Gueux (1/2) Pit buildings & Dungeon

Exploring Abandoned Race Track Reims-Gueux (1/2) Pit buildings & Dungeon

In this Circuits of the past video Herman will explore the old circuit buildings of the abandoned Reims-Gueux Circuit in Northern France, and at the end of the video he will also explore the dungeon underneath the pit building!

It may dissapoint you perhaps, but this was not not a place where old FIA chairmen played noughty games. At the end of this video I'll reveal what really it was.

About the abandoned race track of Reims-Gueux

The Reims-Gueux Circuit can be seen as F1’s ultimate abandoned race track and was operational from 1926 to 1972. It actually was a street circuit with permanent pit and grandstand facilities. Reims-Gueux hosted Formula 1 races and the 12 Hours of Gueux.

Originally the circuit ran through the village of Gueux. But in 1952 a new connection cut off that section and in 1953 the track was extended. For more information about the layouts of the circuit I recommend the video “Reims-Gueux Circuit All layouts”:    • Reims-Gueux Circuit All layouts onboa...  

When Formula 1 abandoned the circuit after the 1966 French Grand Prix the track became outdated and was only used for national races. After the last race in 1972 thety actually wanted to demolish the buiuldings.

But a new major stopped the demolition and the buildings were left for nature for the next decades.

There were already plans to restart the demolition and built houses on the site instead. But the foundation “Les Amis du Circuit de Gueux” managed to prevent that. They get permission to restore the buildings and the guarantee that nothing would be demolished again.

About the pit building

In the early years the pit building was used by the race control. Later, the race control and the timekeeping moved to the new building “Pavillon André Lambert”, which we will explore too. Since then this pit building was used as a restaurant for drivers and team members.

There was also a restaurant for the spectators in the grandstands. But we will show you that in another video where we go explore all the grandstands!

About “Pavillon André Lambert”.

Pavillon André Lambert is normally not a place which is open for public. But Herman got acces by Jean François Prevot from “Les Amis du Circuit de Gueux”, the foundation that restores the old circuit buildings.

Pavillon André Lambert was the new home of the race control and timekeeping. Now it is used as a workshop and meeting room by the foundation. And during events it is also used as an exhibition space.

About the VIP Building

We will also explore the old VIP building. Today it is used by the foundation as a workshop and souvenir shop where you can buy books, t-shirts and more about the old Reims-Gueux Circuit.

All VIP rooms had a room on the ground floor and upstairs.

About the constructions on the old paddock

First this petrol tower. When filming the restauration was still in progress.

Here the petrol for the cars was stored. With the help of gravity, the petrol was transported to the pit boxes via underground pipes.

Another tower is the huge score board where specatars could see the positions of the drivers in the race. But not on an electric board like today. Inside the tower were people changing the plates with the car numbers all the time.

A mechanism turned the tower back and forth so that everyone in the stands could see the stand in the race.

About the dungeon

The so called dungeon is actually a basement underneath the pit building.

A certain person who is apparently very inspired by Herman’s work gave this the name Reims-Gueux Dungeon. After he took off with a topic that Herman has been putting on the map since 2005, he also went to visit abandoned racing circuits, like Reims-Gueux.

Probably he have a dirty mind and thought this is a dungeon.

This “dungeon” is a narrow tunnel to a basement underneath the Start/Finish Straight, which is officially closed for public. But because Herman was a guest of the foundation “Les Amis du Circuit de Gueux” they gave him entrance.

The video reveals the true function of this dungeon. But for that you have to watch the video;)

More about the abandoned race track of Reims-Gueux on the website:
https://www.circuitsofthepast.com/cir... (English)
https://www.circuitsofthepast.nl/circ... (Nederlands)

Special thanks to “Les Amis du Circuit de Gueux” for being their guest. Visit their website at: https://amis-du-circuit-de-gueux.fr/

Also thanks to Simon Smith for the voiceover. Visit also his channel:    / higherplaingames  

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