Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba, DefunctRacing Circuit

The Autodromo Internacional de Curitiba was located in the municipality of Pinhais, just east of Curitiba in Brazil's Parana state, and was long regarded as one of the country's premier motorsport venues, with facilities that some considered superior to those at Interlagos. Its origins trace to a 1959 sporting-complex project led by businessman Flavio Chagas Lima, with the circuit itself designed by local architect Ayrton 'Lolo' Cornelsen and completed in 1966; it first ran as the Autodromo Paulo Pimentel. A power struggle within the Automobile Club of Parana led Chagas Lima to close the track for competition in 1971, beginning a 17-year dormancy during which cattle grazed the infield, earning it the local nickname 'vacodromo'. It was revived and rebuilt in 1988, reopening under the Autodromo Internacional de Curitiba name and dedicated to local world sportscar champion Raul Boesel, with the lap direction reversed and new corners added. The circuit hosted a wide range of major series including Stock Car Brasil, Formula Truck, TC2000 and the South American Formula 3 championship, and reached the international stage with the BPR GT Series in 1996 and rounds of the FIA World Touring Car Championship from 2006 to 2012. Persistent real-estate pressure dogged the venue through the 2010s, with several threatened sales, before a final agreement saw it close permanently on 31 December 2021. Demolition began soon after and the site is being redeveloped for residential, commercial and parkland use. The full circuit ran for roughly 3.7 kilometres, with a shorter outer course also available.

Operated by: Grupo Inepar