Circuit des Ducs (Essay) - Informations

Created in 1975 on the initiative of two residents of the village of Essay, a small town of fewer than 400 inhabitants, the Essay circuit was originally a pond belonging to the family of Claude Roger, a garage owner in Essay. He created the circuit together with Marcel Gaillard, another rallycross enthusiast who had discovered the discipline with Claude Roger at Lohéac. Once the pond had been drained, the first version of the rallycross track (100% dirt) quickly took shape: a circuit of less than 900 metres with a straight surrounded by earth banks along a small stream. In this "rustic" setting, the first rallycross was held in 1976, with a few foreign drivers staying with local families. After the Lohéac and Lunéville circuits, Essay grew over the years, and the Écurie des Ducs (now ASA des Ducs) quickly made it known beyond France's borders. The site soon became a fixture of the European and French calendars: the French Championship has visited it regularly since 1976, without interruption, under the leadership of President Dominique Lunel, who still heads the organising committee today. Over the years, with a solid team of volunteers, the "rustic" circuit became a real circuit, with new buildings, part of the track surfaced with asphalt and safety fencing (FIA standards) installed to bring the complex up to European standards. To date, the Essay circuit has hosted the largest number of French rounds of the European Championship, as well as two European Nations Cups, with a whole panel of champions: on the French side Jabouille, Ragnotti, Beltoise, Mamers, Jaussaud and many others, and on the European side the very best, with the Norwegian elite and its undisputed champion Martin Schanche, but also Finnish, Swedish, British, Belgian and other drivers.

Type

asphalte

Length

937 m

Circuit des Ducs (Essay) - 0.94 km - Layout: © OpenStreetMap contributors

Width

12 à 16 m

Straight line

152 m

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