Seasoned readers of Motor Sport will remember that the circuit at Montjuich Park close to the centre of Barcelona was first used for racing as long ago as 1933. But as a result of the Civil War it was not until 1966 that the enthusiastic Real Automovil de Cataluna decided to revive motor racing at this testing 3.8-kilometre circuit.
Formula Two races were held that year and in 1967, while in 1968 an additional 6-hour sports-car race was added to the programme. But the ambition of the club was very much to run the Spanish GP, and with the unpopularity of the Jarama track at Madrid, the Barcelona people lost no time in staking their claim for 1969.
So the Spanish GP came North for this year and the circuit had been considerably updated to bring it up to GPDA standards. The road had been re-surfaced in many places, while the complete length of the track, both inside and out, had been lined with Armco barrier, which later was to prove well worth the expenditure.
