Prince George Circuit
{{Short description|Motorsport track in East London, South Africa}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Use South African English|date=April 2012}}
{{Infobox motorsport venue
|Name = Prince George Circuit
|Location = East London, South Africa
|Coordinates = {{coord|33|02|55|S|27|52|25|E|region:ZA_type:landmark_source:frwiki|display=inline,title}}
|Image = File:Prince George Circuit.svg
|Events = Grand Prix / Formula Libre / Formula One
South African Grand Prix (1934, 1936–1939, 1960–1963, 1965–1966)
|Operator = Border Motorsport Club
|layout1 = Grand Prix Circuit (1959–present)
|surface =
|length_km = 3.920
|length_mi = 2.436
|turns = 9
|banking =
|record_time = 1:24.300
|record_driver = {{flagicon|Rhodesia|1964}} John Love
|record_car = Lotus 49
|record_year = 1968
|record_class = SA F1
|layout2 = Modified Circuit (1936–1939)
|surface2 =
|length2_mi = 11.570
|turns2 =
|banking2 =
|record_time2 =
|record_driver2 =
|record_car2 =
|record_year2 =
|record_class2 =
|layout3 = Original Circuit (1934)
|surface3 =
|length3_mi = 15.200
|turns3 =
|banking3 =
|record_time3 =
|record_driver3 =
|record_car3 =
|record_year3 =
|record_class3 =
}}
Prince George Circuit is a race circuit in East London in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. On this course the South African Grand Prix was hosted in 1934, and 1936 to 1939 when racing was halted due to World War II, and then in 1960–1966.
Course layout
The original circuit was {{convert|24.461|km|mi|abbr=on}} long and was run on streets through different populated areas. The start and finish straight ran along the sea shore. After three fast corners the course followed a road – which is now called Molteno Drive – that would later also be part of the shorter new circuit. Moving further east the course entered the West Bank Village on Strand Street before turning north onto Bank Street and then west on Military Road. There the track moved through the areas Fort Glamorgan and Gately. Military Road changed into Settlers Way at the height of Woodbrook and Greenfields. After driving through what is now the East London Airport (not built at the time), the course turned south at the far west point onto Prince George Street and led with a relatively long series of twisty turns and one hairpin at the end back to the main straight.
The circuit was shortened to {{convert|18.619|km|mi|abbr=on}} in 1936.{{cite web |last=Galpin |first=Darren |title=Prince George Circuit |url=http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/tracks/princege.html |work=GEL Motorsport Information Page |access-date=24 April 2013}} Instead of taking Molteno Drive east, the course followed Potters Pass north to get back onto the original circuit at the begin of Settlers Way.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}
Modified to meet Formula One regulations in 1959, the track was built into a seaside amphitheatre with a length of {{convert|3.920|km|mi|abbr=on}}. It hosted three rounds of the F1 South African Grand Prix in the 1960s. It was later deemed too small for Formula One cars, and the race was moved to Kyalami.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}
Layout history
File:Layout of all versions of the Prince George Circuit.png|Layout of all versions of the Prince George Circuit
Brown = 1934, Blue = 1936, Black = 1959
File:East London 1934.svg|Prince George Circuit (1934)
File:Prince George Circuit 1936-1939.svg|Prince George Circuit (1936–1939)
File:Prince George Circuit.svg|Prince George Circuit (1959–present)
Lap records
As of August 2022, the fastest official race lap records at the Prince George Circuit are listed as:
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/t9.htm#PRINCE_GEORGE www.kolumbus.fi – Prince George Circuit] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200218010002/http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/t9.htm#PRINCE_GEORGE |date=18 February 2020 }}
{{Formula One circuits}}
Category:South African Grand Prix
Category:Sports venues in the Eastern Cape