Nogaro Circuit
Circuit Paul Armagnac-Nogaro
RACE TRACK FRANCE
Circuit Paul Armagnac-Nogaro
Nogaro Circuit
Technical Information
Length 3.636 km (2.259 mi)
Turns 15
Circuit Paul Armagnac-Nogaro CW is 3.6 km, 15 turns, clockwise.
The 3.63-km (2.26-mile) clockwise-oriented road course has 15 turns, six on the northern side of the circuit and nine on the southern side.
These sides connect through two parallel straightaways: the Claude Fior Straight and the Aerodrome Straight, where racers reach top speeds of 240 km/h (150 mph) that go down abruptly when entering turn seven, Espingle de L'Ecole.
The Circuit Paul Armagnac-Nogaro maintains a leveled elevation in its trajectory with tight angles in the corners, creating hard braking zones and stretches where drivers need to spin the wheel heavily from side to side. The average speed in the circuit is 122 km/h (76 mph), with an average lap time of 1:46.5.
The track is relatively flat, with 6 m (20 ft) difference in elevation between its highest and lowest points. It is raced clockwise and consists of two long straights, the 0.950 km (0.590 mi) long start-finish straight named after Nogaro-born motorcycle constructor Claude Fior and the almost parallel aerodrome straight, linked by sections of several slow corners. The aerodrome straight passes alongside the neighbouring Nogaro Aerodrome.
Contact
Paul Armagnac Circuit
275 Avenue André Diviès
CS 30050
32110 Nogaro/France
Tel 05 62 09 02 49
Circuit Paul Armagnac-Nogaro History
Circuit Paul Armagnac, also known as Circuit de Nogaro, is a motorsport race track located in the commune of Nogaro in the Gers department in southwestern France. The track is named in honor of Nogaro-born racing driver Paul Armagnac, who died in an accident during practice for the 1962 1000 km de Paris at the Montlhéry circuit.
Motorsports racing events in Nogaro were first organized when racing driver Paul Armagnac and Robert Castagnon created the Association Sportive Automobile de l'Armagnac. In 1953, the Rallye de l'Armagnac was held on a street circuit using public roads around Nogaro.
Plans were made to create a permanent race circuit and construction began in 1959 at a site near the Nogaro airport.
The race circuit opened on 3 October 1960 as the first purpose-built race circuit in France. The first race held at the new circuit was the Nogaro Grand Prix for Formula Junior cars, won by Bruno Basini. Initially 1.752 km (1.089 mi) long, it was expanded in 1973 and 1989 to its current 3.636 km (2.259 mi) length. In 2007 the circuit was modernized including a new control tower, a new pitlane and widening the track to 12 m (39 ft).
The circuit regularly hosts motorsports racing series such as the MotoGP, FIA Sportscar Championship, GT1, among others. Several racing clubs and driving schools operate in the facility, offering open track days for the general public to enjoy test rides.