Circuit de Chimay, Racing CircuitStreet Circuit

The Circuit de Chimay is a fast road circuit laid out on public roads on the northern outskirts of Chimay in the Belgian province of Hainaut, close to the French border. Racing began here in 1926, when local enthusiast Jules Buisseret created the Grand Prix des Frontieres on a 10.87 km loop running from Chimay towards Salles and back through a series of sweeping bends. Combining cars and motorcycles, the event quickly became a fixture of the Belgian calendar, drawing professionals such as Maurice Trintignant before the war and later top Formula 3 and touring-car fields. It earned a reputation as one of the fastest courses anywhere, but its high speeds and limited spectator protection led to a string of horrific accidents over the decades. The original road course was progressively shortened, and in 1995 a much shorter, chicane-strewn layout was inaugurated, cutting out two-thirds of the old circuit and turning it into a slower run around the houses. Today the circuit hosts both the Open Trophy for modern machinery, part of the International Road Racing Championship, and a Classic Bikes meeting, with motorcycle road races remaining its signature. It also stages the European Bug-In, one of the world's biggest gatherings for Volkswagen enthusiasts. Even in its modern guise the course retains real danger, underlined by a triple fatality during the 2014 meeting.

Operated by: Circuit de Chimay ASBL