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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Circuit Jules Tacheny Mettet

The Circuit Jules Tacheny Mettet is a 2.310 km (1.435 mi) motorsport racing circuit in Mettet, Wallonia (Belgium), 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Charleroi. The circuit was finalized in 2010 near the old street circuit.

History

Motorcycle racing

During the early 1920s motorcycle racers started to race around a circuit composed of local streets surrounding the Belgian city of Mettet. The first motorcycle Grand Prix Entre Sambre et Meuse was held in 1928. Belgian driver Albert Breslau won the first race on an AJS. The last edition of the original motorcycle Grand Prix of Mettet was run in 1937. After World War II Jules Tacheny was appointed president of the Royal Motor Union de l’Entre Sambre et Meuse (RMUESM). Tacheny won the Senior category of the first post-war version of the Grand Prix in 1946. The overall Grand Prix was won by Roger Laurent on a Norton.

In 1947 the FIM motorcycle racing governing body decided each country could only host one Grand Prix. Therefore, the title Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix was awarded to the race at Spa-Francorchamps. The race at Mettet was renamed Circuit de l'Entre Sambre et Meuse in 1947 and the race was again renamed to "Grand Trophy". Legendary motor and auto racing driver John Surtees won the race in 1958 in the 350cc and 500cc classes.

Between 1972 and 1979 the street circuit hosted the Mettet 1000 km motorcycle endurance race. Jean-Claude Chemarin was the most successful rider of the Mettet endurance race, winning the event four times. The circuit also hosted the Belgian round of the 1975 Formula 750 championship won by Patrick Pons. The street circuit was last used in 2006.

World RX layout of Circuit Jules Tacheny Mettet, used in 2014-2018

Formula 2

The RMUESM hosted non-championship Formula Two races twice, in 1950 and 1951. In 1950 the first edition Grandee Trophée Entre Sambre et Meuse was held at the 7.387 km (4.590 mi) street circuit. Of the 24 competitors only ten drivers made it to the finish. Robert Manzon won the final race in his factory entered Simca Gordini Type 15. Stirling Moss and Lance Macklin finished second and third in for HW Motors. The second edition of the Grandee Trophée was again won by Manzon. Gordini completed the podium with factory drivers André Simon and Maurice Trintignant finishing second and third.

Development of the new circuit

The new 2.310 km (1.435 mi) permanent circuit was opened on 12 March 2010. In the initial years Mettet was mostly used by motorcycle racers. The track was first used in the FIA European Rallycross Championship and FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2014.

Lap Records

Category Time Driver Vehicle Event
Modern Car Circuit: 2.310 km (2010–present)
TCR Touring Car 1:05.252 Norbert Michelisz Honda Civic Type R TCR (FK2) 2016 Mettet TCR Benelux round
Grand Prix Circuit: 8.368 km (1949–1961)
Formula Two 3:17.000 Alberto Ascari Ferrari 166 F2 1950 Grandee Trophee Entre Sambre Et Meuse

Motorcycle Grand Prix

Year Winner
500cc
1928 Belgium Albert Breslau
1929 Belgium Marcel Debay
1930 Belgium René De Keyser
1931 Belgium Pol Demeuter
1932 Belgium Robert Grégoire
1933 Belgium Pol Demeuter
1934 Belgium Pol Demeuter
1935 Belgium "Grizzly"
1936 Belgium René Milhoux
1937 Belgium "Grizzly"
1946 Belgium Roger Laurent
1947 United Kingdom Fergus Anderson
1948 United Kingdom David Whitworth
1949 Belgium Auguste Goffin
1950 Italy Enrico Lorenzetti
1951 United Kingdom Geoffrey Duke
1952 New Zealand Rod Coleman
1953 United Kingdom Leslie Graham
1954 United Kingdom Fergus Anderson
1955 United Kingdom Fergus Anderson
1956 United Kingdom John Surtees
1957 United Kingdom Dickie Dale
1958 United Kingdom John Surtees
1959 Australia Tom Phillis
1960 United Kingdom Dickie Dale
1961 edition canceled
1962 Italy Silvio Grassetti
1963 edition canceled
1964 Sweden Bror Erland Carlsson
1965 edition canceled
1966 United Kingdom Chris Conn
1967 United Kingdom John Blanchard
1968 edition canceled
1969 New Zealand Keith Turner
1970 France Gérard Debrock
1971 United Kingdom Dave Simmonds
+500cc
1972 Switzerland Gilbert Argo
1973 Belgium Oronzo Memola
1974 Australia John Dodds
1975 France Patrick Pons
1976 Italy Giacomo Agostini
1977 Italy Giacomo Agostini
1978 France Michel Rougerie
500cc
1979 South Africa Alan North
1980 Belgium Alain Nies
+500cc
1981 United States Mike Baldwin
1982 Belgium Patric Orban
1983 Belgium Dieter Heinen
Supercup
1984 Belgium Michel Siméon
1985 Belgium Leslie Simoens
1986 Belgium Patric Orban
Open
1987 Belgium Michel Siméon
1988 Belgium Paul Ramon
Superbike
1989 Belgium Stéphane Mertens
Open
1990 Belgium Michel Simul
1991 Belgium Michel Simul
1992 Belgium Stéphane Mertens
1993 Belgium Michel Simul
Superbike
1994 Belgium Alain Kempener
Stocksport
1995 Belgium Alain Kempener
Supersports
1996 Belgium Alain Kempener
1997 Belgium Louis Wuyts
1998 Belgium Michaël Paquay
1999 Belgium Louis Wuyts
2000 Belgium Wim van Achter
2001 Belgium Sébastien Le Grelle
2002 Belgium Yvan Batens
2003 Belgium Sébastien Le Grelle
2004 Belgium Tom Vanlandschoot
2005 Belgium Sébastien Le Grelle
Belgium Marc Fissette
Superbike
2006 Belgium Stéphane Mertens
Belgium Stéphane Mertens
2010 Belgium Grégory Fastry
Belgium Grégory Fastry

Formula 2 results

Year Heat 1 Heat 2 Final
1950 Italy Alberto Ascari United Kingdom Stirling Moss France Robert Manzon
1951 not contested not contested France Robert Manzon

FIA World Rallycross Championship

Season Date Driver Car Report
2014 12–13 July Finland Toomas Heikkinen Volkswagen Polo report
2015 16–17 May Finland Toomas Heikkinen Volkswagen Polo report
2016 14–15 May Sweden Mattias Ekström Audi S1 report
2017 13–14 May Sweden Johan Kristoffersson Volkswagen Polo GTI report
2018 11–13 May France Sébastien Loeb Peugeot 208 report

Since 2019 the World RX of Belgium was renamed Spa World RX of Benelux and takes place at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

References

  1. ^ "Mettet Circuit Track Days". trackdays.co.uk. 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-02.
  2. ^ "I Grandee Trophée Entre Sambre et Meuse 1950". F2 Register. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  3. ^ "II Grandee Trophée Entre Sambre et Meuse 1951". F2 Register. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  4. ^ "Mettet - Racing Circuits". Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Mettet - Fastlane". Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  6. ^ "TCR BE 2016 » Circuit Jules Tacheny Round 23 Results". Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  7. ^ "1950 Mettet F2". Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  8. ^ "Le Grand Prix / Circuit / Trophy de l'Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse". Moto Mettet. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  9. ^ "Spa to join World Rallycross calendar from 2019".