Autódromo Las Vizcachas

Autódromo Las Vizcachas at a glance

Location

Puente Alto, Santiago Metropolitan Region (Región Metropolitana de Santiago)

Type

dormant

Length

1.6 km (0.994 mi)

Turns

4

Surface

asphalt

Opened

1965

Address

Camino San José de Maipo 05669

Track map and layout

Autódromo Las Vizcachas opened in 1965 near Puente Alto on the outskirts of Santiago, with the Andes mountains forming a dramatic backdrop to its original 3.000 km, 8-turn full circuit. Urban expansion in the early 1990s forced the sale of the circuit's eastern half for housing, truncating the layout roughly halfway along the main straight and creating the shorter Standard (1.600 km) and Extended (2.200 km) configurations still in use today, alongside short and oval layouts. The venue's history includes two fatal accidents, in 1975 and 1987, the second of which killed Formula 3 driver Sergio Santander after his car struck a protective wall built following the earlier crash.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

In its earlier decades the circuit hosted Chilean national championships and Codasur Formula 2 events, and briefly featured Formula 3 Sudamericana in 1989. Regular racing wound down after 2006 when the organising club stopped running its usual calendar, and a planned 2012 Formula 3 comeback fell through over noise restrictions and damage from an earlier event held on site. No confirmed recurring championship currently uses the circuit.

Getting there and parking

The circuit is in Puente Alto, a large commune in metropolitan Santiago, reachable by car or public transport (bus/micro connections and nearby Metro Line 4A stations serve the Puente Alto area) rather than requiring travel outside the capital.

• Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) · about 45 min drive

As part of greater Santiago, Puente Alto is reachable by the city's Metro and bus network; check current local routes to Camino San José de Maipo before visiting.

Hotels and camping near Autódromo Las Vizcachas

Puente Alto is a large residential commune within metropolitan Santiago, so visitors typically stay in central Santiago, a short distance away, rather than seeking accommodation locally around the circuit itself.

Where to look

Central Santiago (main hotel choice, short drive/Metro ride away); Puente Alto itself has limited dedicated visitor accommodation.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

Regular competitive racing has been largely dormant since 2006, and a 2012 return attempt was cancelled, but the circuit still appears to host a limited number of club competitions and track days with heavily silenced vehicles due to noise restrictions from surrounding residential development. Some reporting describes the site's ongoing use for advanced and defensive driving training.

Spectator guide

There is no confirmed regular championship calendar to attend as a spectator; any activity today is limited club racing, track days or driving-course use rather than a promoted spectator event.

Weather

• Dec-Feb (summer): warm and dry Santiago summer, highs typically around 28-30°C
• Jun-Aug (winter): cool and occasionally rainy, highs typically around 14-15°C

History of Autódromo Las Vizcachas

Built with the Andes as a backdrop

Autódromo Las Vizcachas opened on 5 October 1965 in Puente Alto, then on the rural fringe of Santiago, with a 3.000 km, 8-turn layout that made striking use of the nearby Andes mountains as scenery. The circuit quickly became one of Chile's important national venues, hosting domestic championships, Codasur Formula 2 events and, in 1989, a round of Formula 3 Sudamericana.

Tragedy and a permanent wall

The circuit's history includes two serious accidents. In 1975, seven spectators and officials were killed when two cars crashed into an unprotected pit area, prompting the construction of a protective wall. On 26 September 1987, that same wall was the site of a second fatality when Formula 3 driver Sergio Santander died after his car struck it following a collision with a competitor, a sobering reminder of the dangers facing drivers and trackside personnel at circuits of that era.

Urban growth and a shrinking track

As Santiago's urban area expanded through the late 1980s and early 1990s, Las Vizcachas found itself increasingly surrounded by development. The circuit's owners eventually sold the eastern half of the site for housing, truncating the layout roughly halfway along the main straight in 1992 and requiring a noise barrier against the new neighbours. Racing continued on the shortened Standard and Extended configurations, but only sporadically, and the organising club ceased regular events altogether in 2006. A planned Formula 3 comeback in 2012 was called off over noise restrictions and damage from an earlier machinery festival held at the site, and the circuit has remained largely dormant for competitive motorsport since, with reports of limited club track days and advanced-driving course use continuing on the shortened layout.

Frequently asked questions

Other tracks nearby

• Autódromo Internacional de Codegua · 49 km · road course
• Autódromo Jorge Ángel Pena (San Martín, Mendoza) · 198 km · road course
• Circuito San Juan Villicum · 306 km · road course
• Autódromo Rosendo Hernández (San Luis) · 384 km · road course
• Circuito Internacional Potrero de los Funes · 400 km · historic circuit (defunct)
• Circuito Parque La Pedrera (Autódromo José Carlos Bassi) · 465 km · street circuit