Category: Track Maps of the Past

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Historic Racing Photos Porsche Track Maps of the Past

1954 Carrera Panamerica in Color

You don’t often see color photography from the Carrera. I’d love to know more about this shot of Hans Hermann’s car for the 1954 Carrera Panamericana. Usually the car is seen with its iconic aluminum tonneau cover occupying the passenger seat. Was this part of a scouting run? A press event? I haven’t been able to find information on it—let me know if you do.

The Porsche 550 of Herbert Linge at the 1954 Carrera Panamericana

This remarkable set of shots below highlights the sheer variety of machines that competed in ’54 (and every year). It’s one of the things I most love about the Carrera.. Jaguars and Lincolns mixing it up? Sure. Ford and Ferrari going head-to-head a decade before that meant something? Why not.

1954 Carrera Panamericana
1954 Carrera Panamericana
1954 Carrera Panamericana
1954 Carrera Panamericana

This set is collected from a series shot by Ina Mae Overman and Stanley Dean Miller. See more of Ina Mae and Stanley’s photos at The Gentleman Racer.

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Classic Cycle Track Maps of the Past

Track Map of the Past: Isle of Man

Probably not so much “of the past” because this looks to be laser etched on a wood panel, but I love this map of the Isle of Man TT course—particularly the wavy pattern on the surrounding bodies of water. It brings to mind old-style draftsman’s designs.

via Habermann and Sons.

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Track Maps of the Past Video

Driving the Remainders of the Sudschleife

I guess it just never occurred to me that a good deal of the NĂ¼rburgring’s Sudschleife survived after it fell into disuse in the early 70s and was (largely) demolished to make way for the GP circuit. How about a pleasantly leisurely drive around what remains?

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Racing Ephemera Track Maps of the Past

Track Map of the Past: Tillamook Naval Air Station Races

I’ve been trying to figure out why it is that contemporary track maps aren’t imbued with the personality and joy that illustrated track maps like this on of the 1967 Tillamook Naval Air Station Auto Races. On the face of it, there’s no reason why this year’s Grand Prix calendar couldn’t adopt the whimsy of these illustrations. After all, this track map—cartoonish as it is—communicates quite a bit about the track itself.
I’d argue it tells us as much or more about the race track than most contemporary maps: The direction of racing, the speeds and labels of the turns, the start-finish line. They’re all there. Even the subtler features that I thought might preclude this kind of thing like the location of restrooms and food stands are also visible here. If you found a way to incorporate the spectator stands and endless rows of merchandise trucks—this kind of thing could come back.
Fingers are crossed.

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Track Maps of the Past

Nùˆrburgring 1936

Nurburgringmap 1936

A bit more standard a map than I usually showcase on our Track Maps of the Past series, but how can you not love the SĂ¼dschleife?

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Racing Ephemera Track Maps of the Past

Track Map of the Past: Portland International Raceway


Back when PIR was Auto Sports Park they had a touch more personality and fun in their program ephemera than they do today. Look at all of the little details in Rick Owen’s old hand-drawn and watercolored(?) map. Some are useful information for drivers and spectators alike: the suggested speeds for each of the seven turns; the near-track hazards being cartoonishly confronted by the drivers in the map; US 99 disappearing into the a Seattle filled horizon. Others are there just to make us smile: the sea monster near the front straight; the mechanics dozing under the car at tech inspection; the distracted driver oggling a sunbathing spectator going in to turn 4. Rick’s map reminds us all that motorsport is supposed to be fun. Today’s maps have completely forgotten the fun side of the sport.

Don’t believe me? Check out their current map. I’ve seen golf course maps, or even county platt schematics with more artistry. Come on, Portland! Find Rick Owen and have him do the smallish updates to this gorgeous painterly map he created decades ago.

Many thanks to racing historian Martin Rudow for sending this in. Check out his Weekends of Glory (The History of Northwest Sports Car Racing, Volume Two: 1962 through 1970) for more Pacific Northwest racing history.

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Automotive Art Track Maps of the Past

1952 Palm Springs Road Races Track Map

I think we can all generally agree that the rapid increase in technology—particularly the desktop computer—has made society better in almost every way. Sure, maybe we’re all too buried in our phone screens, but the societal benefits of all that increased computation have made our medicine, our education, our entertainment, our jobs.. on the whole: faster, easier, more enjoyable. I have yet to find, however, a single example of a contemporary track map that is better designed or more engaging than those created by draftsmen hunched over a table with a pencil and a bottle of ink.
This example of the track map for the Palm Springs road races of 1952 is an excellent example. Would a contemporary track map designer sketch in these gorgeous little illustrations of the cars lined up on the track? Would a contemporary designer playfully wrap the typography of the turns around the contours of the map? I doubt it. I’m glad that Stan Parker signed his name to this masterpiece so we can thank someone specific. Thanks, Stan.

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Racing Ephemera Track Maps of the Past

Track Maps of the Virtual Past

Intellivision Auto Racing track map
GPA_Course 1withCrossing2and4map_largeI don’t know about you, but Intellivision’s Auto Racing was my first experience with motorsport. On a given night, I might still occasionally reach for this before Forza or iRacing. Over on the Gameplay Archive, David has deconstructed the maps from Auto Racing to test the map’s accuracy and give us a complete view of the entire racing season’s (series?) venues. I love this kind of nerding out. It’s a great mashup of my love for vintage racing, classic gaming, and messing about with technology in ways the designers never intended. Here’s a video on David’s process, and head on over to the feature on Gameplay Archive for more. Fun!

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Lost Track Track Maps of the Past Video

Gran Premio di Napoli Footage

Small displacement. Tight courses. Community involvement. Participatory spectators. Pick any one two these and apply them to a contemporary racing series and I’ll be a fan. I’m envious of these residents of Napoli that they got to have all of them.

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Track Maps of the Past

Track Map of the Past: Pomona

You can still make out most of the course on Google Maps. Looks like the 3-4-5 sequence has been completely trashed. Though it looks like you can still faintly see the short straight bit at 7-8-9. I understand that this facility was in use as recently as 2012 for police training and the occasional Porsche Club event. In any event, it looks like it could still adequately facilitate a small bore race.