La Baneza The Spanish Gem

The La Baneza Road Races held each August in Leon, Spain, is regarded by many as the nation’s most famous pure road race meeting.

First held in 1954, the meeting has seen many a legendary racing name from Spain, taste victory around the rural tight and twisty roads circuit.

Photo by Stephen Davison

This includes Ramon Torras, Angel Nieto and Benjamin Grau, who this year at 71 years of age is planning to compete for the first time around the Mountain Course, in the Superbike Classic TT.

1.75 kilometres long, the La Baneza circuit at present sees racing across three different classes, consisting of competition on 125/Moto 3 machines, plus a wide variety of classic racing steads.

The current lap record holder is Daniel Saez, who in 2014 on his way to 125/Moto 3 race victory, lapped at 1 minute 10.391 seconds.

Race winners in 2015 at La Baneza where Antonio Jesus Castillejo, Sergio Fuertes and Pedro Mugica. At the same meeting former Irish road race 125 champion Sam Dunlop, made a high profile debut, going onto clinch a very respectable top 15 finish.

Photo by Diarios De Una Bultaco

Celebrating this year it’s 63rd birthday, the iconic event in 2014 attracted in excess of 60,000 fans.

More known for it’s Moto GP stars, it’s worth pointing out again Spain’s rich pure road racing heritage.

La Baneza, like in Krizevci in Croatia, showcases that real road racing has a strong and growing following in countries, where you from the outside looking in, you wouldn’t imagine would hold such a historic and famous roads event.

Words by Stevie Rial