Circuit Jules Tacheny Mettet

The Circuit Jules Tacheny Mettet is a 1.43mile (2.3 km) motor racing circuit in Mettet, Wallonia (Belgium), 20 km southeast of Charleroi.[1] The circuit was finalized in 2010 near the old street circuit.

Circuit Jules Tacheny Mettet
LocationMettet, Belgium
Time zoneGMT +1 (DST: GMT +2)
OperatorRoyal Union Motor Entre Sambre et Meuse
Opened12 March 2010
Major eventsWorld RX of Belgium (EuroRX and World RX)
Length2.3 km (1.43 mi)
Turns10

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 was used for an endurance motorcycle race. French driver Jean-Claude Chemarin was the most successful driver of the Mettet 1000km race, he won the race four times. The street circuit was last used in 2006.

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 kilometer 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.[2] 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.[3]

Development of the new circuit

The new 2.280 meter 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.

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

[4]

Formula 2 results
YearHeat 1Heat 2Final
1950 Alberto Ascari Stirling Moss Robert Manzon
1951not contestednot contested Robert Manzon

FIA World Rallycross Championship
Season Date Driver Car Report
2014 12–13 July Toomas HeikkinenVolkswagen Poloreport
2015 16–17 May Toomas HeikkinenVolkswagen Poloreport
2016 14–15 May Mattias EkströmAudi S1report
2017 13–14 May Johan KristofferssonVolkswagen Polo GTIreport
2018 11–13 May Sébastien LoebPeugeot 208report

Since 2019 the World RX of Belgium was renamed Spa World RX of Benelux and takes place at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.[5]

gollark: Imagining...
gollark: No, they're buying lots of cores and getting a bulk discount.
gollark: Also a cult?
gollark: It's a group buy for some kind of ferrite transformer core.
gollark: Hmm, looks like I still retain image posting powers, muahahahaha.

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. "Le Grand Prix / Circuit / Trophy de l'Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse". Moto Mettet. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  5. https://www.motorsport.com/world-rx/news/spa-to-join-world-rallycross-calendar-from-2019/3193832/

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