Revisiting Porsche's First and Last Win at Forgotten Circuit

Forgotten Circuit

The city of Rouen, located between the Circuit de la Sarthe and the rest of northern France, is an old city with tons of history. But it was also once home to one of Europe’s finest racing circuits: Rouen-les-Essarts, a 3.2-mile masterpiece that originally opened in 1950.

Photos: Porsche 

Unforgiving Beauty

Rouen-les-Essarts was located just southwest of the city in a wooded area and was once home to iconic events such as the Tour de France Automobile and the French Grand Prix. And like many other famous circuits, it also had a reputation for being rather unforgiving. 

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Intimidation Factor

Rouen-les-Essarts was an old school race track with a fast, flowing, and fearsome layout. Its elevation profile was enough to intimidate even the most seasoned drivers. And there were no artificial run-off areas, gravel traps, or catch fencing to save them, either. 

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Rough Circuit

Even legendary Porsche driver Dan Gurney found himself a little intimidated by the track when he raced it for the first time in 1962. "Rouen-Les-Essarts is very rough on suspension, gear-train, and steering," Gurney said in a pre-race interview. "It's a much rougher circuit than it looks like it is." 

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Tough and Reliable

Regardless, those rough conditions actually benefited Gurney and his tough and reliable Porsche 804. Over 54 laps, he kept chugging along as Jim Clark, Graham Hill, and Jack Brabham all retired with mechanical issues. 

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First and Last

Gurney went on to win by a large margin, securing Porsche its first, and (so far) last Grand Prix victory in a World Championship round. The team also went on to secure the Formula One world championship at the end of the year. 

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Short But Sweet

That victory proved to be short and sweet, however. In 1968, the death of prominent French driver Jo Schlesser in the French Grand Prix put an end to premier class racing at the circuit. Rouen did manage to soldier on for a few years with some various safety upgrades, but it eventually closed for good in 1993. 

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Legend Lives On

Today, all that's left of this once great circuit is a bus sign a couple of hundred yards away from the pits labeled "Circuit Auto." However, some of the track's notable corners still remain in the form of paved roads. And even though it's largely gone forever, the legend of Rouen-les-Essarts lives on. 

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