Detour Pit Stop #62: Ascari Race Resort, Spain
Photo Benjafield Racing Club
Designed by industrialist, racer and Ascari cars owner Klass Zwart as his personal playground, this circuit in southern Spain is the original race resort.
Zwart wanted to create the ultimate racing mixtape, choosing his favourite corners such as the Nürburgring’s Karrousel, Eau Rouge from Spa Francorchamps, Paddock Hill Bend at Brands Hatch and even Daytona-like banking to form just a few of the 25 corners on this 5.4-km FIA standard track.
Having built Ascari Race Resort, Zwart felt that it was too good to keep to himself and founded an exclusive club where members pay handsomely to keep their cars on site and drive them when they wish, while a select few track day operators also have Ascari on their books. For off-track entertainment there’s also a clubhouse with a fancy restaurant and pool designed in a traditional Spanish villa style.
Photo Benjafield Racing Club
The setting for this petrolhead paradise is the green hills of Ronda where the local roads are almost as good to drive as the circuit itself and the coast at Malaga is just an hour away.
Detour has been to the circuit just once, and it really was heaven as we hooned around in a selection of hot hatches and sports cars. The track is incredibly technical but when you do begin to clip each apex accurately it’s immensely satisfying.
Ending a day of hot laps with an ice cold beer by the pool just makes it even better.