Autódromo Ricardo Mejía

Autódromo Ricardo Mejía at a glance

Location

Bogotá, Cundinamarca

Type

historic circuit (defunct)

Length

3.925 km (2.439 mi)

Turns

12

Surface

concrete

Opened

1971

Owner

formerly Ricardo Mejía (private owner, 1971-1978/80); site later redeveloped

Address

Northern outskirts of Bogotá, near Avenida Carrera 45

Track map and layout

Also known during its lifetime as the Autódromo Internacional de Bogotá, the circuit was built on the northern outskirts of Bogotá near Avenida Carrera 45 with a 3.925 km, 12-turn full road course laid out in concrete, plus a shorter 2.300 km, four-turn oval configuration used for national short-track racing. Little detailed corner-by-corner description survives in available sources, but the venue was considered a serious, purpose-built facility for its era, hosting national championship racing and international single-seater competition on its full circuit.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

The circuit opened with the Gran Premio República de Colombia in February 1971, described as the first track motorsport competition held in the country, and went on to host national and international championship racing through the 1970s, including a round of the 1972 American Formula 2 season. It was reportedly considered at one point as a possible venue for a Formula One race in Colombia, though that plan never materialised. No events have been held at the site since its closure.

Getting there and parking

The former circuit site is within the built-up northern part of Bogotá; nothing remains to visit, with the land long since redeveloped into a golf course and commercial/business units.

• El Dorado International Airport (BOG) · about 30 min drive

There is no circuit infrastructure left to see; the former grounds are now part of Bogotá's urban fabric.

Hotels and camping near Autódromo Ricardo Mejía

As the former site sits inside Bogotá itself, visitors have the full range of the capital's accommodation nearby, though there is no remaining attraction on site to visit.

Where to look

Bogotá (any northern neighbourhood, given the site's central urban location).

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

The circuit has not existed since its closure around 1978-1980 and there is no track-day access of any kind; Colombian club and national racing moved to the purpose-built Autódromo de Tocancipá, opened in 1982 to replace it.

Lap records

Spectator guide

There is no event to attend and no spectator infrastructure remaining; the former circuit grounds are now occupied by a golf course and business/commercial units.

History of Autódromo Ricardo Mejía

Colombia's first purpose-built race track

Autódromo Ricardo Mejía, also referred to as the Autódromo Internacional de Bogotá, broke ground in 1970 on the northern outskirts of Bogotá near Avenida Carrera 45, financed and owned by businessman Ricardo Mejía. It opened on 7 February 1971 with the Gran Premio República de Colombia, described in Colombian motorsport histories as the country's first genuine track-racing competition, distinct from the road and street events that had previously stood in for organised motorsport in Colombia. The facility combined a 3.925 km, 12-turn concrete road course with a shorter 2.300 km oval, giving the country a single venue capable of hosting everything from national club racing to international-level competition.

International racing and a near miss with Formula One

Through the 1970s the circuit hosted national championships and drew international fields, including a round of the 1972 American Formula 2 season, where Switzerland's Jo Siffert set the track's fastest recorded lap in a Chevron B18. Colombian promoters reportedly explored the possibility of bringing a Formula One race to the circuit during this period, though the idea never progressed beyond discussion, and the country has still never hosted a round of the world championship.

Closure and legacy

Ricardo Mejía closed the track for good around 1978, following disagreements with Colombia's national motorsport authorities, and by 1980 the land was being repurposed; his sons reportedly disagreed over whether to revive racing or continue farming the site, and it was gradually sold off, with a golf course and commercial development eventually occupying the grounds. The loss of Bogotá's only permanent circuit left Colombian motorsport without a home and raised fears of a rise in illegal street racing, prompting the rapid construction of a replacement: the Autódromo de Tocancipá, which opened north of the city in February 1982 and remains Colombia's active national circuit today.

Frequently asked questions

Other tracks nearby

• Autódromo de Tocancipá · 23 km · road course
• Autódromo Internacional José Tobar Tobar · 664 km · road course