Full throttle on an iconic racetrack
Its beginnings date back to the end of the Second World War. Jean Auchatraire, President of the Automobile Club of Auvergne, and Louis Rosier, four-time world champion, wanted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the last Gordon Bennet Cup on the Auvergne race track in 1905. France had just won back the trophy with Théry’s victory behind the wheel of a Richard-Brasier.
The circuit in the town of Saint-Genès-Champanelle was inaugurated on 27 July 1958, and quickly earned an international reputation. For his 1966 film Grand Prix, American film director John Frankenheimer and Swedish driver Joachim Bonnier chose Charade from among the world’s best circuits. The first sessions were filmed during the Formula 1 Grand Prix de France in June 1965. Yves Montand played the role of Jean-Pierre Sarti, a French champion.
Today, the Circuit de Charade welcomes classic car conventions, truck races and various high-speed activities. There's nothing quite like sitting in the stands and hearing the sound of the sports cars, feeling the vibrations of the engines and seeing the legendary track.
Near the circuit
There are several activities near the Charade racetrack:
- ATVing with 82 hectares of natural area to learn to ride or hone your skills on a 4x4 or a quad.
- Asphalt driving school, NOMAD driving, AFMA all-terrain sport.
- The Charade Adventure treetop adventure park
- The Royat-Charade golf course
- Paintball at Auverpaint
