Sachsenring
 | |
| Location | Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Germany |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 50°47′30″N 12°41′20″E / 50.79167°N 12.68889°E |
| Major events | FIM MotoGP ADAC GT Masters, German motorcycle Grand Prix, FIA GT1 World Championship |
| Website | http://www.sachsenring-circuit.com |
| Circuit A Grand Prix Circuit | |
| Length | 3.700 km (2.299 miles) |
| Circuit B OMEGA-circuit | |
| Length | 2.100 km (1.304 miles) |
| Circuit C | |
| Length | 1.700 km (1.056 miles) |
 | |
The Sachsenring (German pronunciation: [ˈzaksənʁɪŋ]) motorsport racing circuit is located in Hohenstein-Ernstthal near Chemnitz in Saxony, Germany. Among other events, it features the annual German motorcycle Grand Prix of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship.
History
The first race was held on 26 May 1927 on an 8.7 km layout on public roads, running also through the village of Hohenstein-Ernstthal itself. It was dubbed "Sachsenring" in 1937.
The East German motorcycle Grand Prix was held there from 1962 to 1971. The local two stroke MZ bikes of Zschopau were competitive during this time. The quickest lap was achieved by 15 time World Champion Giacomo Agostini on a MV Agusta with a 180 km/h average. After West German Dieter Braun won in 1971 and the East German fans sang the West German National Anthem in celebration (as is the case in sport, the winner's National Anthem is played after the event), the event was limited to East European entrants for political reasons.
In 1990, with faster Western machinery now available, racing through the village became too dangerous with some fatalities (this can be compared with the Isle of Man TT).
To accelerate redevelopment of eastern Germany in the new unified Germany, a 2.9 km (1.8 mi) short track berg corner was built in the 1990s to bring international motorsport to the newly freed eastern part of Germany. In 1996, IDM motorcycle racing and the ADAC Super Tourenwagen Cup resumed racing here. The DTM raced here in 2000, with Klaus Ludwig winning at age 51, but the DTM did not return after 2002, preferring international venues.
Since 1998, the German motorcycle Grand Prix moved to the Sachsenring from Nürburgring. In recent years, the track has been made faster and longer again, with the length now being 3670m. Since 2007, the Sachsenring is part of the regular schedule of ADAC GT Masters. In 2011 the FIA GT1 World Championship held one of its race weekends at the Sachsenring.
Spectators at the MotoGP since 1998
| Year | Spectators | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 142,000 | |
| 1999 | 151,000 | + 6.34% |
| 2000 | 161.000 | + 6.62% |
| 2001 | 177,000 | + 9.94% |
| 2002 | 184,500 | + 4.24% |
| 2003 | 204,000 | + 10.57% |
| 2004 | 207,745 | + 1.84% |
| 2005 | 216,457 | + 4.19% |
| 2006 | 219,848 | + 1.57% |
| 2007 | 226,944 | + 3.23% |
| 2008 | 221,492 | - 2.40% |
| 2009 | 214,711 | - 3,06% |
| 2010 | 224,668 | + 4.64% |
| 2011 | 230,133 | + 2.4% |
| 2012 | 195,695 | - 15% |
| 2013 | 204,491 | + 4.5% |
| 2014 | 209,408 | + 2.4% |
| 2015 | 211,588 | + 1% |
Bibliography
- Wolfgang Hallmann: Das war der Sachsenring – Geschichte und Gegenwart einer legendären Rennstrecke; Chemnitzer Verlag, Chemnitz; 1996; ISBN 3-928678-32-9
External links
- Traffic safety center Sachsenring site (German page)
- Official English page for the racing circuit (German page)
- Map and history of Sachsenring at RacingCircuits.info
- Satellite View of Sachsenring from Google Maps