Circuito Vasco Sameiro, Racing Circuit

The Circuito de Velocidade Vasco Sameiro sits at Palmeira, a few kilometres north of Braga in northern Portugal, and is the country's third permanent motor racing facility. It is home to the Clube Automóvel do Minho, one of Portugal's most active clubs, long known for organising the popular Falperra hill climb. The circuit grew out of plans in the early 1990s for an international-standard karting facility, which expanded to include a full racing track winding around the perimeter of Braga's municipal aerodrome. Construction was completed and the track named in honour of the great Portuguese driver Vasco Sameiro, with racing soon becoming a fixture on the national championship calendar. The 3.021 km layout runs anticlockwise and was revised over the years, with the Turn 1 section tightened into a chicane and run-off improved around the back of the circuit. Changes in 2008 added further run-off and allowed an original chicane to be reinstated for motorcycle use, leaving slightly different car and motorcycle configurations. The upgrades earned FIA Grade 3 homologation, paving the way for the circuit to host the FIA European Touring Car Cup in 2009 and 2010. Since then it has reverted to staging Portuguese national and club racing, with its international homologation having lapsed. An adjacent karting track completes the complex.

Operated by: Clube Automóvel do Minho (CAM)