Jerez race track Cadiz, Spain tourist guide

Jerez race circuit

The Jerez Speed - way derived from a challenge and a passion that the whole population of Jerez had always felt towards motorcycling. The major, Pedro Pacheco, was the precursor of a project that he could make true.

Before the construction of these sport facilities, Jerez had already held speed races: At a national level since 1956 and at international level since 1963. At that year, The first intenational Championship Nuestra Señora de la Merced" took place.

On 8. December 1985, that dream became true: A track with 4.218 metres, 16 curves and a home straight with 600 metres. The opening ceremony took place with a race belonging to the Spanish championship of motoring.

On 29. March, the first international motorcycling race took place and the speed-way facilities were inaugurated (boxes, work building, hospital,...). Finally, on 13. May, it was held El Gran premio Tío Pepe de España, race counting towards the World Championship of Formula 1. Spain lost that race in 1981 but Jerez brilliantly recovered it.

Senna, Mansell, Prost, Piquet, Rosberg, Berger, Fabi, Alboreto, Patresse, Nannini... 26 single-seaters formed part of the starting grid of a race which would go down in Records History. Ayrton Senna defeated Nigel Mansell only for 14 milliseconds in one of the most exciting finishes - never seen in this sport -. Allain Prost completed the Podium of that competion from 1986.

In 1992 the Speed - way of Jerez undertook its first important improvement. It consisted on the omission of the chicane, so that a parabolic bend towards right was created in that area. That bend links with a straight line with the same length as the home straight so that the speed -way becomes more spectacular and so long as it is now (4.423 m).

Apart from the re-asphalt of the whole track, the services ways and the paddocks were also asphalted. The pit-lane wall became electric and the press room was enlarged, so that it has nowadays a capacity for 200 reporters. As far as security measures are concerned, 7000 m of a new revolutionary air - fence were installed. It consists on air -mattresses which absorb the hittings of the single-seaters. They stood for the straw plates in motorcycling races. Jerez is the first speed-way in the world which possess this modern system.