Interesting-looking track: Le Mas Du Clos (Saint-Avit-de-Tardes, France)

Anyone ever been? Looks like a lot of fun. Love the elevation changes in particular— always a big plus in our book.

Perhaps not worth the trip as a track destination, but if one is in the area…

Le Mas du Clos is a small French race track, located at the edge of the Pyrenees mountains, France. Originally opening in the early 1960′s, the track started life as a much shorter, 400M strip. Over the years it has been expanded, and today sits at just over 3KM. Racing does not take place as the track, the main use for the track is trackdays, for both four wheels and two…

Looking at the layout, it has a mixture of everything, some tight hairpins at the bottom end of the track, a fast downhill with several small corners in, some long sweeping corners, and even a banked corner. Because of the location it also means there is a substantial altitude difference between the top and bottom of the track, 55M…

Circuit Statistics
Length: 3.1KM (1.93 mi)
Corners: 11
Direction: Clockwise

(source)

We understand that there was some threat of closure as of a couple of years ago but are unsure what the current situation is.

~ by velofinds on May 2, 2013.

Posted in Circuits, Moving images, Still images
Tags: ,

8 Responses to “Interesting-looking track: Le Mas Du Clos (Saint-Avit-de-Tardes, France)”

  1. I’ve seen a few vids in the past and looks really interesting. Check out also for a similar kinda rhythm the updated (used to be a “French Nordschleife” in the 70s with its own Formula 1 race and everything) Charade racetrack, very close to Michelin’s HQ.

    Jorge Azcoitia said this on May 2, 2013 at 5:05 am

  2. Another very interesting track in the French Pyrénées is Pau-Arnos. Super twisty and far from flat, a real blast in my former MX-5!

    Guillaume said this on May 2, 2013 at 7:51 am

  3. This track is fantastic, probably our favorite in France after Charade !
    We rent it for a day to have fun with various cars, and it was insane, particularly when you know this is where there’s one of the world best Ferrari collection of Pierre Bardinon (http://www.autonewsinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/MAS-DU-CLOS-Les-FERRARI-de-Pierre-BARDINON-600×413.jpg).

    Here are our photos at the track: http://www.asphaltheritage.com/asphalt_heritage/events/album/le_mas_du_clos?p=1&s=UA-22372527-1

    This racetrack has also been used in the racing-car-related movie Michel Vaillant. The feeling out there is really special, it’s like a little Spa-Francorchamps, in the middle of nowhere, between two hills !

    Asphalt Heritage Club said this on May 2, 2013 at 1:44 pm

  4. A superb track! It’s a few miles away from a friend house.
    First, it’s not near the Pyrenees but in the “massif central” . Halfway between Clermont-Ferrand (home town of Michelin and the Charade Circuit) and Limoges (home a the famous porcelaine plates).
    The most surprising thing is that this place was built in the sixties as a private racetrack by and for a wealthy car collectionneur Pierre Bardinon. He want’s to drive on it some of his awesome racing ferrari’s stash.
    Then it was later opened to clubs, racing teams and car manufacturers.
    Few years ago it lost it’s security agreement, until the owner update the track infrastructure. After some legal fight and as it was too costly for the familly of the late Pierre Bardinon to start an almost rebuilt of the whole track, they must close it to “the pubic”. For now…

    jujube said this on May 2, 2013 at 5:45 pm

  5. Pierre Bardinon died recently, and this was his “private” track. He had the greatest collection of Ferrari’s ever. As I recall the neighbors would get quite angry by all the noise and that doesn’t help the track’s ability to host track days.

    Mario Carneiro Neto said this on May 4, 2013 at 6:45 pm

  6. Where to begin…I was a lucky man to have been able to set foot on his track and most of all his Super Rare Private Collection of Ferrari’s.
    I remember the gates well to his Chateaux. Amazing! He even had two horse galloping in the side pasture.
    Once we parked I notice the cobble stone roads that lead to two places the race track which by the way some drivers on it. You can hear the noise of a Porsche as it ripped by. As that caught my attention I noticed a paddock area which was a large house with garage attached. Hannity said that is where the mechanics stay. Cool.
    Next thing was his gigantic building with stones one the outside. We went inside sat and got to look around everything was modern style and made of solid wood almost like a ski lodge. Yanni said Pierre did not feel well and to give us the Grand Tour. This was in 2005.
    As Yanni was showing us around we got to watch the drivers on the race track as they zipped by. The mechanics and racers he’d there own house and paddock area.

    -The Garage-
    WOW! BREATHLESS. am I really seing this, I told myself. You can catch a glimpse of it on Forza Motorsports game. During the wait time for the race on the game they used his Garage/Paddock for the cut. I played that game 1 year later and right off the back I recognized it. Okay back to the story so his garage area was so massive it sat like a large L the building had around 7 to 8 large garage ports integrated by stone and vintage wood with iron supports. Each port housed up to 6 or 8 cars.
    It was a thing of busty and of my dreams.
    -A Dream come true-
    So I have always loved Ferrari my aunt Kathy had a vintage 1953 375 America Viable that just happened to be previously owned by Steve McQueen. This was the only 1 of 1. And Sal Deal Torre was not the owner to get that straight. I tried making the corrections when you research it so. So my aunt use to pick me up in front of Jr. HIGH with her 1981 308Gtsi. She would honk the famous Ferrari horn when school was out just to pick me up and drive the kids crazy. Random memory. K dream come true when Yanni asked if we wanted to look at Pierre’s “Mas Duo Clos” collection. YES!! We all answered. This all took place with my aunt she is really good friends with Pierre. He wanted to buy the 375 McQueen Ferrari. So Yanni pulls this big old iron Skelton key on a big iron ring and puts it into the iron lock of this big dungeon looking door with massive iron hinges. I heard the sound of prancing horse when it opened. My eyes have never seeing anything like it. Ferrari tiling on the floor and Ferrari’s to drool over. I don’t remember what he had. To many but I recall many LeMans Ferrari’s. 250Gtb. Formula 1 Ferrari and In the main showroom all by itself the Enzo. Thing of buty. Now he had I would say 30 to 40 in his Museum because that is exactly what I can classify it as the day before we went to the leuvre.
    the main floor was long and wide snuff to house cars on both side at a 45 degree. Around 12 on each side. As you walk down towards the end of his floor it hangs a hard right and goes slightly down like a loading ramp. He had old perfect hoods of some LeMans and other parts of cars all on their own display. That are. Was roughly a 20×20 area. As you walk back up to the main floor you are hit with a very large glass room. The glass had to be 15 to 20 feet tall and just as wide with a opening on the left side. This was his collection of motors. Transmissions clutches. Rims you name it. The walls white with Ferrari memorabilia.
    back to the Enzo he had a. Working wood Enzo replica motor. Crazy.
    As you make your way upstairs the ceiling walls and any other open spot was covered with racing pictures signatures and on the table which was in a separate room was about 5 recall large leather bound Ferrari winners books. Now going up stairs was just as fun. The hall way which was large had a really long Ferrari hand painted mural. Towards the middle of it all was a desk and a large Ferrari prancing horse sculpture which had multiple horses on it. Stood about 6ft tall and maybe 8 ft wide it. Was next to a desk. Yanni said that is Enzo’s desk.
    as you get towards the end of the 2nd floor you come to a room within a room made of glass with glass doors. Here is the location for all 20000 miniature 1/18 some bigger some smaller but all on glass shelves with lighting. This was awesome to see and then at the end was some old vintage push carts and I think merry go round wooden horses or something like that.
    This was only what I can remember this being 9years ago.
    Like Emerson Lake Palmer say. He’s was a lucky man for sure.

    Thanks Pierre.
    VALENTINO

    Valentino said this on February 25, 2014 at 3:20 am

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