Vake-Saburtalo is located in the heart of Tbilisi, Georgia's capital. This hidden gem from the 1960s is overflowing with character, and it is free to download and race within Assetto Corsa.
The first round of the 1967 USSR Formula 3 Championship was scheduled to be held on the Vake-Saburtalo street circuit. It was expected to be the opening round of the entire racing season in the Soviet Union. It was important politically at the time as it showed that the USSR was competing with Great Britain. However, a tragedy in the support race marred the big show before it could get underway.
An extremely rare cut piece of footage of the 1966 Tbilisi Grand Prix for production cars.
During the 1967 support race for production cars or touring cars, as they are now known, Krasnodar-based racer Baizet Bedzhashev crashed his GAZ-21 Volga before entering one of the flat-out kinks before the big straight and fatally crashed into the crowd. On that day, six spectators lost their lives, and a further five more were injured. This tragedy eventually led to an unofficial boycott of circuit racing across the entire Soviet Union from drivers and the public.
The races involving the Volga and Moskvich production cars were cancelled and all but forgotten until October of that year, when the USSR championship finally got back underway. The Rustavi International Motorpark replaced the circuit in 1978 and remains the country's only permanent racing venue.
1960s F1 cars are right at home on the streets of Tbilisi.
The circuit texture and surroundings are of a good standard and are undoubtedly good enough not to ruin the immersion if you are playing in VR especially. Like many other Assetto Corsa track mods, the crowd texture is rather pitiful. This is often the first aspect to be sacrificed to keep the circuit performance at a reasonable level.
Big rear tyres and basic aero are perfect for a fast circuit like Vake-Saburtalo.
With a circuit shrouded in tragedy, it is essential to remember why tracks like this do not exist anymore. But that should not stop you from enjoying it for what it is in sim racing. With its sharp corners and heavy braking zones, the track is deceptively hard to master and will catch you and the AI out.
The cars used in the screenshots are the Honda RA301 and Matra MS11, both V12 Formula One cars from the 1960s. If you want to learn more about the cars and their history, click the link above and enjoy tearing these beasts around the streets of Vake-Saburtalo.
The main straight heading back towards Tbilisi.
Had you heard about the Vake-Saburtalo street circuit before? Which cars are you going to race with first? Let us know in the comments down below.
The scattered history of the Vake-Saburtalo street circuit.
Very little is known and recorded about this circuit, which operated only between 1963 and 1967. During those years, in what was then the USSR, few records were kept, and even fewer photos were taken. But this is what makes sim racing so unique: an all-but-forgotten circuit is brought back to life and put back into the spotlight for thousands to enjoy again.The first round of the 1967 USSR Formula 3 Championship was scheduled to be held on the Vake-Saburtalo street circuit. It was expected to be the opening round of the entire racing season in the Soviet Union. It was important politically at the time as it showed that the USSR was competing with Great Britain. However, a tragedy in the support race marred the big show before it could get underway.
An extremely rare cut piece of footage of the 1966 Tbilisi Grand Prix for production cars.
During the 1967 support race for production cars or touring cars, as they are now known, Krasnodar-based racer Baizet Bedzhashev crashed his GAZ-21 Volga before entering one of the flat-out kinks before the big straight and fatally crashed into the crowd. On that day, six spectators lost their lives, and a further five more were injured. This tragedy eventually led to an unofficial boycott of circuit racing across the entire Soviet Union from drivers and the public.
The races involving the Volga and Moskvich production cars were cancelled and all but forgotten until October of that year, when the USSR championship finally got back underway. The Rustavi International Motorpark replaced the circuit in 1978 and remains the country's only permanent racing venue.
1960s F1 cars are right at home on the streets of Tbilisi.
Vake-Saburtalo in Assetto Corsa
This mod is another fantastic addition for anyone who loves this era of motorsport. Despite its deceptively simple layout, it is full of character and challenge. The high kerbs and off-camber corners make handling anything with good power a real problem, especially if the aero is not advanced.The circuit texture and surroundings are of a good standard and are undoubtedly good enough not to ruin the immersion if you are playing in VR especially. Like many other Assetto Corsa track mods, the crowd texture is rather pitiful. This is often the first aspect to be sacrificed to keep the circuit performance at a reasonable level.
Big rear tyres and basic aero are perfect for a fast circuit like Vake-Saburtalo.
With a circuit shrouded in tragedy, it is essential to remember why tracks like this do not exist anymore. But that should not stop you from enjoying it for what it is in sim racing. With its sharp corners and heavy braking zones, the track is deceptively hard to master and will catch you and the AI out.
The cars used in the screenshots are the Honda RA301 and Matra MS11, both V12 Formula One cars from the 1960s. If you want to learn more about the cars and their history, click the link above and enjoy tearing these beasts around the streets of Vake-Saburtalo.
The main straight heading back towards Tbilisi.
Had you heard about the Vake-Saburtalo street circuit before? Which cars are you going to race with first? Let us know in the comments down below.
