Pista di Alta Velocità banking, Autodromo Nazionale Monza
In spite of being a rather crude digital snapshot circa 2002, this is nevertheless a haunting and evocative photo of the decommissioned Pista di Alta Velocità banking at Monza. Naturally, we want to share it here.
Grand Prix returned to this high speed track in 1955, 1956, 1960, and 1961. This last race in 1961 had another fatal accident, with Wolfgang von Trips and fourteen spectators dying near the Parabolica.
Despite the fact that the bankings were not involved in that accident, the F1 never raced on the oval again (except in the film Grand Prix made in 1966). New safety walls, rails and fences were quickly added, and the refuelling area was moved further from the track. Run-off areas were added to the curves in 1965 after a fatality in the 1000km Monza race, the track layout was not changed until Grand Prix returned in 1966, with new chicanes at the banked curves, and the track length extended by 100 metres (328 ft). The 1000 km Monza staged the last event on the banking in 1969.
While the banking at the AVUS circuit in Berlin was already destroyed in 1967, the Pista di Alta Velocità is still there, but in a very bad state of repair. A petition can be signed to keep it from decay or even destruction (source).
Image via tcl
Motoring Con Brio 
This is an exceptional shot. Love the perspective and the lighting.
photographyfree4all said this on August 20, 2010 at 12:52 pm
This photo has magnificent atmosphere! Che Bellezza!
Automobiliac said this on August 20, 2010 at 9:33 pm