A lap at the abandoned Nivelles Circuit

A photo tour around the abandoned Nivelles circuit in Belgium. Made in 1998 by Herman Liesemeijer.

We start our lap on the Start/Finish straight of the abandoned Nivelles circuit. Behind the hill on the background was Turn One. Under the two lumps of sand on the left was an additional chicane. On the right you see the exit of the pits and the entry to the shortcut of the Club Circuit.

Into the first corner.

The start of the best part of the Nivelles circuit, downhill over the 1000 Feet (300 m) straight to the Big Loop…

The first one of the Big Loop, a long and fast uphill bend.

Look at the bad condition of the surface!

Turn Three of the Nivelles circuit was even longer than the previous corner. This corner was descending first, but went uphill at two thirds of the corner! When the surface would be in good condition you would take this corner at about 160 km/h (100 Mph) with a normal road car. But because of the many bumps I almost bounced off the track here with 75 Mph (120 km/h).

See also my article “Grand Prix Revival Nivelles-Baulers 2014“.

Between Turn Three and Four was a short straight, just long enough to change the side of the track to enter the next corner. Then you had to brake hard for Turn Four.

Exit of Turn Four. On our right hand the exit of the shortcut for the Club Circuit. The kart track was on our left hand.

Turn Five was the first corner of a chicane.

Turn Six lead to the back straight. I parked my VW Scirocco with two wheels on the kerbstones for fun. However, the kerbstones of the Nivelles circuit were so hight that you wouldn’t ride over it in real life.

At the end of the back straight was a quick right left combination downhill!

Here we’re reaching the lowest point of the Nivelles circuit.

At this point the track should actually turn left to the second loop which was never built. The hairpin in front was only supposed as a shortcut for club races and testing.

Turn Nine was a hairpin that looked similar to the Tarzan Corner at Zandvoort. This was not so strange because the Nivelles circuit was designed by John Hugenholtz, who was also the circuit director of Zandvoort from 1949 to 1974.

Then accelerating on the 0.7 Mile (1.1 Km) long main straight…

And over the hill back to Start/Finish as once Emerson Fittipaldi did.

© Text & photos: Herman Liesemeijer