Circuito Parque La Pedrera (Autódromo José Carlos Bassi)

Circuito Parque La Pedrera (Autódromo José Carlos Bassi) at a glance

Location

Villa Mercedes, San Luis

Type

street circuit

Length

4.368 km (2.714 mi)

Turns

18

Direction

clockwise

Surface

asphalt

Opened

2017

Owner

Municipality of Villa Mercedes

Address

Parque La Pedrera

Track map and layout

Officially named Autódromo José Carlos Bassi but almost always called Parque La Pedrera after the public park it sits within, this semi-permanent street circuit in Villa Mercedes, San Luis province, runs 4.368 km (2.714 mi) over a tight, technical 18 turns, including six flowing curves and two chicanes off a 720-metre main straight. The main straight is a wide 30 metres across, tapering to a still-generous 20 metres for the rest of the layout, giving competitors more room than a typical street track even though the circuit uses park roads rather than a purpose-built racing surface. When no race meeting is on, the paddock area doubles as parking for the adjacent Estadio Único de Villa Mercedes football stadium.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

The circuit opened with a round of Turismo Carretera in May 2017 and hosted the series again in 2018, alongside TC Pista and Turismo Nacional through 2020 and 2022. Its biggest moment came in 2023, when it hosted a round of both TCR South America and the international TCR World Tour, bringing global touring car competition to San Luis province for the first time and lending the venue a level of international recognition unusual for a semi-permanent Argentine street circuit.

Getting there and parking

Villa Mercedes sits in San Luis province, roughly 1 hour 20 minutes' drive from San Luis city's Brigadier Mayor César Raúl Ojeda Airport, the nearest airport with scheduled flights; Córdoba's larger international airport is a further option, around 5 hours to the north by road. Long-distance buses connect Villa Mercedes to Buenos Aires, San Luis and Córdoba.

• Brigadier Mayor César Raúl Ojeda Airport (San Luis) (LUQ) · about 80 min drive
• Ingeniero Aeronáutico Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport (Córdoba) (COR) · about 300 min drive

Fly into San Luis city rather than Córdoba if possible; the drive is considerably shorter.

Hotels and camping near Circuito Parque La Pedrera (Autódromo José Carlos Bassi)

Villa Mercedes has a modest range of hotels suited to a race weekend, while some visitors base themselves in San Luis city, about 80 minutes away, for a wider choice of accommodation. Rooms in the area can fill up around major events such as the 2023 TCR World Tour round, so booking ahead for big race weekends is worthwhile.

Where to look

Central Villa Mercedes for proximity to the circuit; San Luis city for more hotel choice, about 80 minutes away.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

There is no commercial track-day operator running public sessions on this circuit; as a semi-permanent street course laid out on public park roads, it is closed to general traffic and opened only for organised race meetings, not for public driving or riding outside those events.

Lap records

Spectator guide

The facility has three permanent grandstands seating roughly 1,000 spectators each, along with a timing and control tower, media centre, medical centre and fire station, a relatively complete set-up for a semi-permanent park circuit; LED lighting around the whole course also allows for night sessions. General admission areas around the park add further capacity beyond the grandstands.

Seating

Three permanent grandstands of roughly 1,000 seats each, plus general-admission park areas around the rest of the lap.

Best places to watch

The grandstands near the main straight and its two chicanes give the clearest view of overtaking attempts.

Weather

• Dec-Feb (summer): hot and dry, highs around 30-33°C
• Jun-Aug (winter): cool and dry, highs around 15-17°C, cold nights

History of Circuito Parque La Pedrera (Autódromo José Carlos Bassi)

A modern street circuit inside a public park

The Autódromo José Carlos Bassi, universally known as Parque La Pedrera after the public park in Villa Mercedes, San Luis province, that hosts it, opened on 12 May 2017 with a round of Turismo Carretera, Argentina's flagship touring car category. Built as a semi-permanent street circuit rather than a dedicated racing facility, its 4.368 km, 18-turn layout weaves through the park on a wide, 30-metre main straight tapering to a still-generous 20 metres elsewhere, and the circuit is named after José Carlos Bassi, credited with designing nearby racing facilities in the region.

Building a national and international reputation

Turismo Carretera returned in 2018, and TC Pista and Turismo Nacional became regular visitors through 2020 and again in 2022, establishing Parque La Pedrera as a reliable stop on Argentina's national calendar. Away from race weekends, the circuit's paddock area serves a dual purpose as parking for the adjacent Estadio Único de Villa Mercedes football stadium, reflecting its integration into the wider park and civic infrastructure rather than standing as a stand-alone racing venue.

The TCR World Tour arrives

The circuit's profile rose sharply in 2023, when it hosted a round of both TCR South America and the international TCR World Tour, bringing global touring car drivers and manufacturer teams to San Luis province for the first time and putting the venue on the international motorsport map. Yann Ehrlacher set the TCR World Tour lap record that weekend in a Lynk & Co 03 FL TCR, a marker that stood alongside Agustín Canapino's original 2017 Turismo Carretera benchmark. The venue's three 1,000-seat grandstands, timing tower, medical centre and full LED course lighting give it a more complete infrastructure than many comparable Argentine street circuits, and it remains an active stop for national and occasional international touring car competition.

Frequently asked questions

Other tracks nearby

• Circuito Internacional Potrero de los Funes · 86 km · historic circuit (defunct)
• Autódromo Rosendo Hernández (San Luis) · 92 km · road course
• Autódromo Jorge Ángel Pena (San Martín, Mendoza) · 287 km · road course
• Circuito San Juan Villicum · 385 km · road course
• Autódromo Eusebio Marcilla · 426 km · road course
• Autódromo Las Vizcachas · 465 km · dormant