Charade – the Full Monte
HOME » Magazine » July 2023 » Bits and Pieces » Charade – the Full Monte
On May 21 an exceptional event took place when one of the most beautiful circuits in the world was resurrected for a day. On that date, the old 8-kilometre Charade track, inaugurated in 1958, that runs through the volcanic hills near Clermont, played host to a score of drivers, riders, cars and bikes from its past, along with over 12,000 spectators. Under threat of closure only a few short years ago, the new circuit directors have turned the situation around by providing more sustainable, less noisy events and as a result they have gained the approval of the residents and the city to the point where permits were granted to close the roads to allow the Charade Super Show to take place for the second year running.
“It’s crazy to imagine F1 cars on this track, because this road is unlike anything we know today. It is closer to a WRC stage” was the comment of a surprised Sébastien Loeb, who did some laps in a 1992 Lancia Delta Group A. Patron of the event and third in the F1 Grand Prix de France held here in 1969, Jacky Ickx was happy to drive a GT40 on the full circuit. “I hadn’t been to Charade for 50 years and I don’t know how to thank the organisers for giving me such an opportunity,” said the 78-year-old Belgian driver. I had forgotten how beautiful the environment of this circuit is, with the Puy-de-Dôme in the background, and how harmoniously drawn its curves are. It’s a pure treat behind the wheel.”
These stories are all from the pages of Historic Motor Racing News. Some have been abbreviated for this web site. If you'd like to receive the full version, please visit our subscription page where you will find postal subscriptions available. A full subscription also entitles you to access the current issue online (available soon), so you can take it with you and read it anywhere, and we are working on providing full access to our archives of back issues exclusively for our subscribers.