The Potrero de los Funes Circuit (Circuito de Potrero de los Funes) was an Argentine

motorsports Motorsport or motor sport are sporting events, competitions and related activities that primarily involve the use of automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats and powered aircraft An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the po ...

race track A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also us ...

. It is located from San Luis, capital city of the

San Luis Province San Luis () is a Provinces of Argentina, province of Argentina located near the geographical center of the country (on the 32° South parallel). Neighboring provinces are, from the north clockwise, La Rioja Province (Argentina), La Rioja, Córdo ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

History

The circuit was originally constructed in 1978 as a semi-permanent venue, with a length of . It was created by modifying the ring road that encircles Lake Potrero de los Funes at the course's center, and featured substantial elevation changes along with a variety of different types of corners. After hosteing a round of

Turismo Carretera Turismo Carretera ( Road racing, lit., ''Road Touring'') is a popular stock car racing series in Argentina, and the 2nd oldest auto racing series still active in the world. The series is organized by Asociación Corredores de Turismo Carretera. ...

on 15 August 1987, but two separate crashes which resulted in the deaths of two spectators and an injured driver led to the track being abandoned. Circuito Potrero de los Funes San Luis - panoramio

Circuito Potrero de los Funes San Luis - panoramio

The track was re-opened in 2008 as a venue for the

FIA GT Championship The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout ...

. The circuit was modified, with two chicanes added due to a lack of run-off area as well as the tightening of the final corner to create a safer pit entry – extending the circuits' length to . Belgians Bert Longin and

Anthony Kumpen Anthony Kumpen (born 3 November 1978) is a Belgian professional racing driver and team manager. Kumpen currently works as driver and team manager for PK Carsport in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. He previously competed full-time in the series, win ...

won the first San Luis 2 Hours in their

Saleen S7R The Saleen S7 is an American hand-built, high-performance sports car designed and built by American automobile manufacturer Saleen Automotive Inc. Developed jointly by Steve Saleen for the initial concept, direction and engine, Hidden Creek Indu ...

. The circuit went on to host two rounds of the

FIA GT1 World Championship The FIA GT1 World Championship was a world championship sports car racing series, developed by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation, SRO Group and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), that was held from 2010 to 2012. I ...

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

and

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

, along with local series such as

TC2000 The TC2000 (''Turismo Competición 2000'', formerly ''Súper TC2000'') is a touring car racing series held in Argentina since 1979. Rules Prior to 2012, engines of up to were allowed, with only limited modifications from standard engines ...

and

Turismo Nacional Turismo Nacional (National tourism, lit., national touring) popularly known by its acronym TN, is a touring car racing series based in Argentina that has been active since 1961. It is organized by the Asociación de Pilotos de Automóviles de Tur ...

. The final round held at the circuit was in 2018 for TC2000. Following years of disuse, the circuit was dismantled in 2024.

Major events

Lap records

The fastest official race lap records at the Potrero de los Funes Circuit are listed as:

References

External links

* http://www.fiagt.com/eventdetail.php?season=2008&event=10 * https://web.archive.org/web/20081103035517/http://www.fiagtsanluis.com/circuito.html
Potrero de los Funes Photographic Tour

Información turística sobre Potrero de los Funes, San Luís, Argentina.

Portal de cabañas de Potrero de los Funes
Defunct motorsport venues Motorsport venues in San Luis Province Sport in San Luis Province Buildings and structures in San Luis Province {{Argentina-sports-venue-stub