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Legend and translations
ITA - ITALY
BALOCCO
Description Former private Alfa Romeo proving ground, now is owned by Agnelli family and still in use for testing group Fiat cars; moreover it hosts (both on «Misto Alfa» and «Pista Langhe» tracks) club and racing organization events. According to some rumors, a small section should be opened soon for public test days, but this rumors have been sharply denied (I’m writing on April 8th 2005). As you can see on the photos, big oval (built probably in late 1980s opr early 1990s - see paragraph "1987 proposal", here below) is like a highway, while other sections are quite narrowm approx 7 m. Among possible tracks, there are one for test on wet track, one mixed, one goes uphill and downhill, one for high speed tests and high speed oval. First two maps is taken from an aerial photo; 1:25000 IGM topo map shows nearly the same layout. There are junctions and bridges between long oval (in blue) and other tracks, but I don’t know where they are.
The last map show the original layout, before High Speed circuit was built.
Location Balocco
VC - Vercelli - Piemonte
Location  
Latitude - Longitude + 45°28'41"     + 8°18'00"
45.478056     8.3
UTM Coordinates X = 445290.02  -  Y = 5036296.882  -  Zone 32T
Aerial photo / Map (*) Aerial photo / Map (*) OpenStreetMap  -   Aerial photo / Map (*) Google Maps  -   Aerial photo / Map (*) Bing Maps  -   Aerial photo / Map (*) Flash Earth  -   Aerial photo / Map (*) Wikimapia
Altitude AMSL 192 m - 630 ft
Inauguration 1964
Closing  
Designer Grandi
Giancarlo Grandi
Sources and links (Translation) (**)
(1) Italian mail, note Mail from Piero Vanzetti dated April 16th 2005
(2) Italian mail, note Mail from Gio dated April 7th 2005
(3) Italian ForumForum --> Europe --> Italy --> Balocco [ITA]
(4) Italian Autosprint 12/1968 (page 23)Track under sequestration after Leo Cella’s death
(5) Italian Rombo 31/1981 (page 14)Alfa Romeo 179 (Formula 1) Test
(6) Italian Autosprint 47/1981 (page 8)Description
(7) Italian Autosprint 40/1984 (page 39)
(8) Italian Autosprint 9/1987 (page 92)FIAT explain a proposal for an extension
(9) Italian Automobilismo d’Epoca 8/2006 (page 10)History of the track in brief
(10) Italian Autosprint 39/2007 (page 32)2007 news: two new chicanes
(11) Italian Quattroruote 132/1966 (page 180)Detailed article [Publishing date: December 1966]
(12) Italian Quattroruote 348/1984 (page 199)Description and map [Publishing date: October 1984]

(*) NOTE: a complete and detailed view of the circuit can be found (if available) on Street View by Google Maps and/or Bird's Eye and 3D views by Bing Maps for Enterprise (former Microsoft Virtual Earth): both can be reached using their own link in Aerial photo / Map cell.

(**) For on-line not-English speaking sources, click on each small flag and you open the corresponding Google Translator page with automatic translation.

Pista Prove Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo Test Track
Description  
Years 1964
Direction  
Progetto Proposal NO
No longer operational YES
Car Circuit YES
Motorbike circuit  
Type Proving ground
Inauguration 1964
Closing  
Last update of this page September 27th 2006
Info last update  
Designer  
Distinctive points  
length 5673  m 18612  ft 3.525  mi Original circuit (9)
Total area 191  hectares 1910000  m² 471.966  acres to be verified  

Pista Prove Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo Test Track
SORRY, SOME DATA ARE NOT TRANSLATED YET
Description A
Years  
Direction  
Progetto Proposal NO
No longer operational  
Car Circuit YES
Motorbike circuit  
Type Proving ground
Inauguration  
Closing  
Last update of this page April 4th 2006
Info last update  
Designer  
Distinctive points Fino Mornasco - Zandvoort
length (approx) 2800  m 9186  ft 1.74  mi    

Balocco

Alfa Romeo Test Track
Description At beginning of 1987 Fiat proposed to expand the proving ground approx 350 hectares, in the area close to motorway exit (I don’t know what is it. In this proposal there are three straights, each 1000 m long, and a large linking bend. After these changes, some test previously done at Nardò could have been moved to Balocco. Probably construction of the big oval was included in this proposal.
Years 1987
Direction  
Progetto Proposal Proposal  YES
Proposal not developed YES
Car Circuit YES
Motorbike circuit  
Type Proving ground
Inauguration  
Closing  
Last update of this page September 30th 2007
Info last update  
Designer  
Distinctive points  

Circuito «Misto Alfa»

Alfa Romeo Test Track
Description Original layout was modified when High Speed Trackl was built. Corners are copied from some famous corners: Monza’s Curva Grande (now Curva Biassono) and first Lesmo Corner, Zandvoort hairpin after Tarzan. I think that «Fino Mornasco» bends are copied from some corners in that village. The track is completely flat, the asphalt is old, but still in good condition.
Years ...÷2007
Direction  
Progetto Proposal NO
No longer operational YES
Car Circuit YES
Motorbike circuit  
Type Proving ground
Inauguration  
Closing 2007
Last update of this page September 30th 2007
Info last update  
Designer  
Distinctive points Curva Grande - Prima Curva di Lesmo
length (approx) 5500  m 18045  ft 3.418  mi   (10)
Width 7  m 23  ft       

Anello ad alta velocità

Alfa Romeo Test Track
Description It’s a banked circuit without any junction, with only one entry. It runs over other tracks: as a mater of fact «Misto Alfa» Track was modified in 2 different section, at Curva Monza and at the opposite side. Outside this track there is another flat oval used for truck tests (not shown on my map, but you can see it on aerial photos)
Years  
Direction  
Progetto Proposal NO
No longer operational  
Car Circuit  
Motorbike circuit  
Type Proving ground
Inauguration  
Closing  
Last update of this page September 30th 2007
Info last update  
Designer  
Distinctive points  

Pista «Langhe»

Alfa Romeo Test Track
Description t’s copied from ups and downs typical of Langhe (region surrounding Alba, in Cuneo province); asphalt is in bad condition for testing stability and suspension in critical conditions.
Years  
Direction  
Progetto Proposal NO
No longer operational  
Car Circuit YES
Motorbike circuit  
Type Proving ground
Inauguration  
Closing  
Last update of this page September 30th 2007
Info last update  
Designer  
Distinctive points  

Circuito «Misto Alfa»

Alfa Romeo Test Track
Description In summer 2007 the track was modified by adding two new chicanes (not shown on the map). Then the circuit has been approved for F.1 tests (in 2008?)
Years 2007÷...
Direction  
Progetto Proposal NO
No longer operational  
Car Circuit YES
Motorbike circuit  
Type Proving ground
Inauguration September 2007
Closing  
Last update of this page January 29th 2009
Info last update  
Designer  
Distinctive points Curva Grande - Prima Curva di Lesmo
length 5780  m 18963  ft 3.592  mi   (10)
Width 8  m 26  ft      (10)

Balocco 198x÷2007

Balocco 198x÷2007

Balocco 198x÷2007

Original layout.
Numbers on the map are gears used by Euroracing 184T (F.1 1984)

Original layout.<br> Numbers on the map are gears used by Euroracing 184T (F.1 1984)


PHOTOS

Sent me by Gio, that fount them on the web

Photos by ? (web) -  
Click on thumbnail to open original large photo

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Updates
Date Track layout Years Description by Map by Thanks to Note
June 11th 2012 Pista Prove Alfa Romeo 1964 Guido de Carli     Update Description
April 4th 2011     Guido de Carli     Update Description
January 29th 2009 Circuito «Misto Alfa» 2007÷... Guido de Carli   Piero Vanzetti Update Description
September 30th 2007     Guido de Carli     Update Description without map
August 18th 2005     Guido de Carli     Update Description
August 6th 2005     Guido de Carli     Update Description
April 27th 2005     Guido de Carli Guido de Carli Piero Vanzetti Update Description with map
April 21st 2005     Guido de Carli Guido de Carli Piero Vanzetti Update Description with map
April 8th 2005     Guido de Carli   Gio New Photos (on this site)
May 11th 2004     Guido de Carli Guido de Carli   Update Description with map
Not all eventual updates issued in last years are already visible in this list
 
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