Dunlop Bridge Explained
The Dunlop Bridge is a landmark advertising footbridge sponsored by Dunlop Tyres, located at several racing circuits around the world. The oldest surviving example of this bridge is at the Circuit de la Sarthe, the home of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The bridge is regarded as one of the most recognisable features at a motorsport venue, particularly the Circuit de la Sarthe[1] and Donington Park,[2] although the latter was removed during renovations for the failed attempt to stage the 2010 British F1 Grand Prix, and due to new racing safety regulations, cannot be restored.
Radio and television personality Chris Evans bought the Donington Park bridge while visiting a racing memorabilia auction in September 2012.[3]
List of race circuits featuring a Dunlop Bridge
Italics indicate that the bridge is no longer within the circuit.
| Photo | Venue | Section | Locale | Installed | Dismantled | Source | Notes |
|---|
| Circuit de la Sarthe | Dunlop Curve | Le Mans, Sarthe, France | 1932 | | | [4] [5] |
| Suzuka Circuit | Turn 7 | Suzuka, Mie, Japan | 1960s | 1987 | | |
| Surfers Paradise Raceway | Turn 1 | Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia | 1966 | 1987 | | |
| Donington Park | Starkey's Straight | Leicestershire, United Kingdom | 1977 | 2009 | | [6] [7] |
| Mount Panorama Circuit | Exit of The Chase | Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia | 1982 | | | [8] [9] [10] |
| Sandown Raceway | Turn 9 | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | 1989 | | | [11] |
| Tsukuba Circuit | Midfield | Shimotsuma, Ibaraki Japan | | | | |
| WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca | Turn 3 | Monterey, California, United States | | | | [12] |
| Mantorp Park | | Mantorp, Östergötland, Sweden | | | | |
| Circuit Paul Armagnac | Turn 11 | Nogaro, Midi-Pyrénées, France | | | | |
| Sportsland SUGO | Home straight | Murata, Miyagi, Japan | | | | |
| Circuit d'Albi | | Le Séquestre, Midi-Pyrénées, France | | |
| Circuit Carole | Home straight | Tremblay-en-France, Île-de-France, France | | | | |
| Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry | Home straight | Linas, Île-de-France, France | | | | | |
A Dunlop Bridge also exists in the Apricot Hill Raceway, a fictional racetrack in the Gran Turismo series, although the branding was removed in Gran Turismo 6.
See also
- Red Bull, who also have a distinctive footbridge at race events.
Notes and References
- Web site: Brian Laban . The greatest race . Telegraph . 2007-06-16 . 2010-09-14.
- Web site: Iconic Dunlop Bridge dismantled at Donington | Planet F1 | Formula One News . Planet F1 . 2009-02-13 . 2010-09-14 . dead. https://archive.today/20120911094816/http://www.planet-f1.com/news/3213/4918359 . 2012-09-11 .
- News: Chris Evans bought Donington Park's Dunlop bridge 'by accident'. BBC News. 18 September 2012. 12 September 2012.
- Relocated to its present location at the between 1986 and 1987 to allow for the insertion of a chicane.
- Web site: Le Mans (not just) for Dummies - The Club Arnage Guide to the 24 hours of Le Mans 2009. Club Arnage.
- Originally dismantled to allow a proposed 200mph straight to be created, since work fell through due to financial reasons, the bridge is currently in a dismantled state after it was not restorable due to racing regulations.
- Web site: Dunlop Bridge goes at Donington Park | This is Nottingham . https://archive.today/20120912010836/http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/Dunlop-Bridge-removed-Donington-Park/article-734384-detail/article.html . 12 September 2012 . dead.
- Web site: A close look at the Australian Bathurst racing circuit. 8 October 2010. 8 October 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101008125708/http://nzmustang.com/Bathurst/bathurst.htm. dead.
- Originally known as the JPS Bridge, then the Bridgestone Bridge and the GMAC Bridge, has since been renamed the Armor All Bridge.
- Web site: Central West riding :: IMG_1926sm.jpg picture by yogi2795 - Photobucket. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110715082005/http://s205.photobucket.com/albums/bb3/yogi2795/Central%20West%20%20riding/?action=view¤t=IMG_1926sm.jpg. 2011-07-15.
- Sandown Raceway originally had a Dunlop Bridge from 1964-1984 located at the Turn 9 causeway. The base of the old bridge was not protected by barriers and was the site of many high speed crashes and was removed on safety grounds during circuit re-configuration in mid-1984. Sandown's current bridge was originally the Dunlop Bridge which stood at the Surfers Paradise Raceway from 1966 until the circuit closed in 1987. This bridge has been since been modified and renamed the Jim Beam Bridge.
- Various other tire brands also advertised on Laguna Seca's Dunlop Bridge.
