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It is unknown to many, including car lovers. The circuit of Terramar is the third oldest in Europe after Brooklands and Monza, ahead even of the legendary Le Mans, and the first in Spain.
The Roaring Twenties were the last time the Terramar race track heard the roar of engines. It opened on the 28th of October 1923, but a failure to pay the construction workers for an unforeseen overrun in construction costs, led to them seizing the money that was taken at the gate, and left the organizers with no money to pay the drivers.
This disastrous inauguration, led to an immediate ban on the track hosting international events and while a few local automobile clubs held a few races here, they were unsuccessful, and the track was closed by 1925.
The track has changed hands a few more times over the years, and despite a short-lived revival in the 1950s, it has long served as a chicken farm and a place to graze sheep.
The Autodrome has seen no structural intervention in the last 90 years but has held up incredibly well, a testament to the quality of its original construction. In fact, despite its degradation, Red Bull sponsored the circuit as a showpiece in 2012.
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Today, the track can be viewed from the road, surrounding hills and footpaths. It’s overgrown, banking corners reminiscent of dams that have long since cracked and displaced their water. It is rumoured that the current owner is seeking funding to repair and reinstate the Autodrome, but only time will tell….
In this unique environment that still keeps the greatness, it once had, two of the best riders of the moment, Carlos Sainz and Miguel Molina, tested their skills as drivers. The challenge: to overcome the rigours of the old track at the wheel of one of the fastest cars of the time (Audi R8 LSM).