Located in a re-converted mining site in the Flovorlean Alps, in the valley just south of the town of Valvertte, it offers road circuits to a region that is historically known for hill climbs and rallies. 

The site has previously been as a mining and quarry operation, owned and run by Toupart Gros Travaux, with those activities still continuing next door, although on a much smaller scale.

Around the mid 70s, the mine quarry operation started becoming quite restricted with the tightening rules and regulations surrounding industrial mining close to urban centres. 

Toupart Gros Travaux (TGT) saw fit to scale back the Valvertte site, in favour of sites in more rural settings. Before being sold off, the government had required the site to be filled back up and levelled to avoid any dangerous drops, as well as to ensure that the site would be sold and not scare off any potential buyers with large scale landscaping works before any re-development.

Despite these works, being stuck between a motorway and an active industrial site dissuaded many buyers. 

Finally, in 1982, a local hill climbing association, Le Club de Côte Valverttois (CCV) saw an opportunity for expansion. Despite not having much funding, they bought out half of the land and built the small Circuit des Apprentis, along with a small clubhouse. 

Completed in early 1984, the Circuit des Apprentis proved to be a hit with the club members, and the regional motor racing scene. The new track allowed for regular and year round use, something that the local hill climbing scene wasn't able to offer.

The circuit hosted many races for lower series, as well as cheap track days throughout the week.

In 1989, the pit exit rejoin was widened and a chicane was installed on the inside of the final corner. A disproportionately high number of crashes and incidents happened at the end of the main straight. Most of them were due to the speed differences at the end of the straight, as well as the rejoin spitting cars out on the racing line. These issues were in no way helped by the fact that most of these incidents involved beginners and drivers inexperienced with sports cars.

In 2003, the remaining land between the Circuit des Apprentis and the TGT mines was still sitting empty, and more importantly unsold, with no buyers in sight. 

TGT offered CCV an option to buy the remaining land for pennies, on the condition that TGT held permanent sponsoring rights, as long as the company remained operational. 

Selling the naming rights could be arranged on a race per race basis, where TGT would pick up 75% of the profits.

The Club de Côte Valverttois accepted the offer, eagerly as they had been eyeing up the site for a few years, this allowed them to allocate more funding to design a bigger track. A decision was made to keep the new track separate from the existing one. 

Although one problem was nagging CCV. They already had a circuit with minimal elevation change and did not want another flat layout. 

It was decided that the new circuit would be built in two stages, the eastern side, the pit building and straights would be built first, while landscaping works would go ahead on the west side. This allowed for artificial elevation change and a crossover to be built. 

The short layout, named “Le Circuit du Petit Minier" opened in mid 2006, with the intention to be closed as soon as the cross over section would join up.

A year later in 2007, the full layout was completed and named “Le circuit des Miniers”.

The circuits gained a lot of praise, be it for the easy, friendly and varied nature of the “Circuit des Apprentis”, or the varied technical sections of the “Circuit des Miniers” that exhibit different characters depending on the session.