2024 - A Visit to France for Dijon and Mas Du Clos Circuits for Track Days - Part 2 of 3

Part 1 of the article is here

Part 2 of the article continues on below.

Mas Du Clos Park Circuit

This circuit was originally created in the 1960s by Pierre Bardinon who wanted to have a private track to drive his Ferrari collection.  How significant was this collection?   Well Enzo Ferrari was once asked why Ferrari did not have a museum for its cars.  Enzo replied he did, it was in France at Mas Du Clos. 

Pierre Bardinon purchased his collection in the 1960s and 1970s when the cars were cheap.   At one point he had 300 Ferraris and another 200 non-Ferraris.  His most famous cars?  A 335S The 1958 Le Mans winner), four 250 GTOs, a 330 P4, 290MM, a 375 Plus and so on. 

Pierre died in 2012 and unfortunately to pay the French government taxes, the collection was sold by the family.  Reputedly only 20 cars are left in the care of his son, Patrick Bardinon.  The collection resides in the family chateau on the Mas Du Clos property.

The Mas Du Clos circuit adjoins the chateau.  You can drive out of the garage onto the circuit - chateau is the cluster of buildings at bottom right. 

The circuit was closed in 2010 as upgrade in FIA track safety regulations deemed it unsafe.  Mind you, the original layout did have a corner where you aimed at a building (The Restaurant) that was hard up against the Armco.  So it was no surprise that some upgrades were needed.  Unfortunately, the Bardinon family were not willing to pay at the time.

However, those upgrades were completed by 2022 and the circuit reopened under the operation of Alexandre Bardinon – grandson of the original founder. 

The circuit is laid out in a valley below the chateau.  You will not find a prettier circuit setting in the world.  There is huge elevation change on this circuit – characteristic of all the great circuits of the world.

The photo below shows turn 1 around the rocky outcrop, with the terrain dropping off steeply on the outside of the corner. 

This is a rare photo as it shows the new layout changes made for safety.  The newer dark track surface is the new chicane layout that keeps the track well away from the chateau outbuildings.  The lighter worn track surface is the original track layout that went hard up against the buildings (bottom left of photo). 

Like most track maps there is zero appreciation of the elevation changes. 

Here is the main straight leading into turn 1 – a steep uphill approach.

However, then you come out around the other side of the rocky hill only to be faced with what looks like a ski jump.

In real life it does not feel that wild but it is a rollercoaster 2 mile track.  This is looking back along the main straight towards the chateau.

The pits are period correct – cramped and sloping.  There are no food facilities here.  Closest food is back in Aubusson, fifteen minute drive away.

Fortunately, Phill of TFL Racing had scored prime position in the top pit paddock with epic views over the circuit and the valley below.

Some video of cars from the pits

Some on track photos courtesy of a track photographer present.  The track is so tightly laid out into its setting that there is no way to walk around the outside of the circuit.  The track would throw a full course yellow flag (slow down – no passing).  The photographer would then get in their SUV with hazards flashing and drive around the circuit until the next photo point.  Then the on-track action would resume. 

Part 3 of the article continues here