In conjunction with Rachel Bailey of Masters and Gillian Carr and Martin Grant-Peterkin of HGPCA, Duncan made a trip to Brno on 17/18th March to investigate the track, the history, the City and the hotels.

Brno track dates back to 1985, as a permanent circuit, 5.4 kms long, and 15 metres wide throughout – it really does feel wide!!  Until 1984 the circuit used was a pure road circuit on public roads, that had hosted the Czech ‘Masaryk’ Grand Prix from the late 1920’s through till the communist take over in 1948 – local races continued in a modified/ shortened version, including Formula Junior races in 1962 and 1963 won by Kurt Ahrens, Jnr (‘62) and Kurt Bardi-Barry followed home in 2nd place by Jochen Rindt (‘63); all driving Coopers.

We flew into Vienna by BA and hired a car from Sixt which worked very efficiently. It is also possible to fly into Prague, but, while there is an airport at Brno, there do not appear to be any suitable mid week flights.  Time to Brno was about 2 hours, although only about 1 ¾ on the day light return journey – half is motorway, the rest surprisingly single file through pleasant old Austrian towns until the somewhat salacious border town – unmistakeable in the evening, although unremarkable and deserted on the return trip.

Our hotel, the Holiday Inn, was a pleasant, if unremarkable destination  – it comes ‘as it says on the tin’! A pleasant bar and seating area, a pleasant dining room, and good breakfast and perfectly adequate bedrooms, and car parking space.  It is however 25/30 mins walk from the old Brno town, with its cathedral; capital of the old province of Moravia.

In the evening Duncan met up with old motor racing history friend, Dr Jan Tulis and his son, lawyers in Brno and true enthusiasts.

Tuesday morning, 8.45am, we were met by Michal Velebny, owner of the Skoda F3 1000 racer and one of the two D46 Cisitalia single seaters that raced in Czechoslovakia, the other being Richard Pilkington’s car which had continued to race as a Formula Junior “FIAT” up until 1962/3.  We were accompanied by Jiri Mewald who is the publisher of the Czech Oldtimer Magazine “MotorJournal”.  and by Karel Kupka, the third member of the Brno Grand Prix Revival organising committee, an artist, who was to be our driver.

First visit into Brno City itself was to the magazine HQ which also doubles up as the Brno Grand Prix Revival Organisers Office, this being the first major evening, reviving the Historic Festivals of 1996 /8, although this team has already run three smaller  historic meetings at the track over the last 2 years.

Administration and organisational details sorted, we headed for the track to meet our Clerk of the Course (who is also the permanent Clerk of the Course for the FIA World TCC), Miroslav Battos And FIA race coordinator Jana Bozkova ; more discussion, and then a lap of the Brno track – easy to remember the quite steep and cornered hill as the track rises up to the pit straight. Quite a climb for the little FJ’s!! A most interesting and flowing track – a maximum of 58 cars may start, and 69 practice, so none should be turned away! And plenty of room for the less experienced to sample the fun of Lurani.

We inspected the wide paddock and adequate pits – the circuit restaurant will be open on Friday as well as race days – tickets will be collected at signing on, but the car must be scrutineered before (timed) free practice.

After a drive along the first part of the old Masaryk circuit – just amazingly narrow and wooded for 1930’s GP cars!! - we visited an old (restored 15 years ago), 14th and 15th Century Coaching Inn, Hotel u Crliku in the village of Tetcice [www.crlik.cz], near where there also used to be the smaller Rosice road circuit, where FJ’s also raced in 1962/3. Crliku reminded one of Hotel Hullen at Barweiler in the Eifel, where many of the FJ contingent stay for the Oldtimer GP.  An excellent local lunch followed and Duncan made a visit to the hotel bedrooms at the equivalent of €42 for a double [more like twins together, as is the Continental fashion] en suite with breakfast.  We heartily recommend this for those who do not want to stay in the City and prefer to be nearer the track, where the Saturday night party with food and drink will take place.

After lunch we followed the route of the old track, the memorial to where Farina and Peter Whitehead crashed in 1948, and into town, past the old pits and pit garages which still survive with a suitable plaque, following the 17km route that the cars will take on Friday night for the escorted trip and back into the City – with an hour stop in the centre.

It is clear that the event is causing enormous interest in Brno and the whole Czech Republic – we can expect a very special weekend.

DCPR