The Circuit Jules Tacheny Mettet is a motorsport racing circuit in Mettet, Wallonia (Belgium), southeast of Charleroi. The circuit was finalized in 2010 near the old street circuit.

History

Motorcycle racing During the early 1920s motorcycle racers started to race around a circuit composed of local streets surrounding the Belgian city of Mettet. The first motorcycle Grand Prix Entre Sambre et Meuse was held in 1928. Belgian driver Albert Breslau won the first race on an AJS. The last edition of the original motorcycle Grand Prix of Mettet was run in 1937. After World War II Jules Tacheny was appointed president of the Royal Motor Union de l’Entre Sambre et Meuse (RMUESM). Tacheny won the Senior category of the first post-war version of the Grand Prix in 1946. The overall Grand Prix was won by Roger Laurent on a Norton.

In 1947 the FIM motorcycle racing governing body decided each country could only host one Grand Prix. Therefore, the title Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix was awarded to the race at Spa-Francorchamps. The race at Mettet was renamed Circuit de l'Entre Sambre et Meuse in 1947 and the race was again renamed to "Grand Trophy". Legendary motor and auto racing driver John Surtees won the race in 1958 in the 350cc and 500cc classes.

Between 1972 and 1979 the street circuit hosted the Mettet 1000 km motorcycle endurance race. Jean-Claude Chemarin was the most successful rider of the Mettet endurance race, winning the event four times. The circuit also hosted the Belgian round of the 1975 Formula 750 championship won by Patrick Pons. The street circuit was last used in 2006.

Formula 2 The RMUESM hosted non-championship Formula Two races twice, in 1950 and 1951. In 1950 the first edition Grandee Trophée Entre Sambre et Meuse was held at the street circuit. Of the 24 competitors only ten drivers made it to the finish. Robert Manzon won the final race in his factory entered Simca Gordini Type 15. Stirling Moss and Lance Macklin finished second and third in for HW Motors. The second edition of the Grandee Trophée was again won by Manzon. Gordini completed the podium with factory drivers André Simon and Maurice Trintignant finishing second and third.

Development of the new circuit The new permanent circuit was opened on 12 March 2010. In the initial years Mettet was mostly used by motorcycle racers. The track was first used in the FIA European Rallycross Championship and FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2014.

Lap records

As of October 2016, the fastest official race lap records of the Circuit Jules Tacheny Mettet are listed as:

Category Time Driver Vehicle Event Modern Car Circuit (2010–present): TCR Touring Car 1:05.252 Norbert Michelisz Honda Civic Type R TCR (FK2) 2016 Mettet TCR Benelux round Grand Prix Circuit (1949–1961): Formula Two 3:17.000 Alberto Ascari Ferrari 166 F2 1950 Grandee Trophee Entre Sambre Et Meuse

Motorcycle Grand Prix

Year Winner500cc 1928 Albert Breslau 1929 Marcel Debay 1930 René De Keyser 1931 Pol Demeuter 1932 Robert Grégoire 1933 Pol Demeuter 1934 Pol Demeuter 1935 "Grizzly" 1936 René Milhoux 1937 "Grizzly" 1946 Roger Laurent 1947 Fergus Anderson 1948 David Whitworth 1949 Auguste Goffin 1950 Enrico Lorenzetti 1951 Geoffrey Duke 1952 Rod Coleman 1953 Leslie Graham 1954 Fergus Anderson 1955 Fergus Anderson 1956 John Surtees 1957 Dickie Dale 1958 John Surtees 1959 Tom Phillis 1960 Dickie Dale1961 edition canceled 1962 Silvio Grassetti1963 edition canceled 1964 Bror Erland Carlsson1965 edition canceled 1966 Chris Conn 1967 John Blanchard1968 edition canceled 1969 Keith Turner 1970 Gérard Debrock 1971 Dave Simmonds+500cc 1972 Gilbert Argo 1973 Oronzo Memola 1974 John Dodds 1975 Patrick Pons 1976 Giacomo Agostini 1977 Giacomo Agostini 1978 Michel Rougerie500cc 1979 Alan North 1980 Alain Nies+500cc 1981 Mike Baldwin 1982 Patric Orban 1983 Dieter HeinenSupercup 1984 Michel Siméon 1985 Leslie Simoens 1986 Patric OrbanOpen 1987 Michel Siméon 1988 Paul RamonSuperbike 1989 Stéphane MertensOpen 1990 Michel Simul 1991 Michel Simul 1992 Stéphane Mertens 1993 Michel SimulSuperbike 1994 Alain KempenerStocksport 1995 Alain KempenerSupersports 1996 Alain Kempener 1997 Louis Wuyts 1998 Michaël Paquay 1999 Louis Wuyts 2000 Wim van Achter 2001 Sébastien Le Grelle 2002 Yvan Batens 2003 Sébastien Le Grelle 2004 Tom Vanlandschoot2005 Sébastien Le Grelle Marc FissetteSuperbike2006 Stéphane Mertens Stéphane Mertens2010 Grégory Fastry Grégory Fastry

Formula 2 results

Year Heat 1 Heat 2 Final 1950 Alberto Ascari Stirling Moss Robert Manzon 1951 not contested not contested Robert Manzon

FIA World Rallycross Championship

Season Date Driver Car Report 2014 12–13 July Toomas Heikkinen Volkswagen Polo report 2015 16–17 May Toomas Heikkinen Volkswagen Polo report 2016 14–15 May Mattias Ekström Audi S1 report 2017 13–14 May Johan Kristoffersson Volkswagen Polo GTI report 2018 11–13 May Sébastien Loeb Peugeot 208 report

Since 2019 the World RX of Belgium was renamed Spa World RX of Benelux and takes place at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

References

External links

Circuit Jules Tacheny Mettet official site