Sachsenring
Encyclopedia
The Sachsenring 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.
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 at the westernmost Queckenberg 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, 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.
In 2011 the FIA GT1 World Championship
will hold one of its race weekends at the Sachsenring.
Hohenstein-Ernstthal
Hohenstein-Ernstthal is a town in the Zwickau rural district, Free State of Saxony, Germany. The towns of Hohenstein and Ernstthal were united in 1898, and the town is either known by its hyphenated form, or simply called Hohenstein....
near Chemnitz
Chemnitz
Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
in Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Among other events, it features the annual German motorcycle Grand Prix
German motorcycle Grand Prix
The German motorcycle Grand Prix, first held in 1925, is since 1952 part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Championship.- History :The first two Großer Preis von Deutschland races were held at Berlin's AVUS before moving to the new the purpose-built Nürburgring which was used in its full...
of the FIM
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme is the governing body of motorcycle racing. It represents 103 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six regional continental unions....
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
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-ErnstthalHohenstein-Ernstthal
Hohenstein-Ernstthal is a town in the Zwickau rural district, Free State of Saxony, Germany. The towns of Hohenstein and Ernstthal were united in 1898, and the town is either known by its hyphenated form, or simply called Hohenstein....
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
Zschopau
Zschopau , a town in the German state Saxony, is located on both banks of the river Zschopau, south-east from Chemnitz. It is part of the Erzgebirgskreis district. Its population is 11,584...
were competitive during this time. The quickest lap was achieved by 15 time World Champion Giacomo Agostini
Giacomo Agostini
-Non-riding career:Like John Surtees and Mike Hailwood before him, Agostini raced in Formula One cars. He competed in non-championship Formula One races in 1978. He competed in the European Formula 2 series in a Chevron B42-BMW and British Aurora Formula 1 with his own team and a Williams FW06...
on a MV Agusta
MV Agusta
MV Agusta is a motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1945 near Milan in Cascina Costa, Italy. The company began as an offshoot of the Agusta aviation company formed by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923. The Count died in 1927, leaving the company in the hands of his wife and sons, Domenico, Vincenzo,...
with a 180 km/h average. After West German Dieter Braun
Dieter Braun
Dieter Braun is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Germany. He won the 1970 FIM 125cc World Championship for Suzuki. In 1973, he rode a Yamaha TZ250 to the 250cc FIM world championship....
won in 1971 and the East German fans sang the West German National Anthem
Das Lied der Deutschen
The "'" , has been used wholly or partially as the national anthem of Germany since 1922. The music was written by Joseph Haydn in 1797 as an anthem for the birthday of the Austrian Emperor Francis II of the Holy Roman Empire...
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
Isle of Man TT
The International Isle of Man TT Race is a motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man and was for many years the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world...
).
To accelerate redevelopment of eastern Germany in the new unified Germany, a 2.9 km (1.8 mi) short track at the westernmost Queckenberg 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
ADAC
The ADAC is Germany's and Europe's largest automobile club, with more than 17 million members in June 2010. It was founded on May 24, 1903 as "Deutsche Motorradfahrer-Vereinigung" and was renamed in 1911...
Super Tourenwagen Cup
Super Tourenwagen Cup
The Super Tourenwagen Cup, or German Supertouring Championship, was a touring car racing series held between 1994 and 1999 in Germany.The championship was established when BMW and Audi both left the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft in 1992, after the series had adopted the more expensive Class 1...
resumed racing here. The DTM
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters is a touring car racing series based in Germany, but also with rounds elsewhere in Europe....
raced here in 2000, with Klaus Ludwig
Klaus Ludwig
Klaus Ludwig is a German race driver.- Biography :Unlike Hans-Joachim Stuck, Rolf Stommelen, Harald Ertl, Hans Heyer and Jochen Mass, he has never raced in single seaters...
winning at age 51, but the DTM did not return, preferring international venues.
Since 1998, the German motorcycle Grand Prix
German motorcycle Grand Prix
The German motorcycle Grand Prix, first held in 1925, is since 1952 part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Championship.- History :The first two Großer Preis von Deutschland races were held at Berlin's AVUS before moving to the new the purpose-built Nürburgring which was used in its full...
moved to the Sachsenring from Nürburgring
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
. In recent years, the track has been made faster and longer again, with the length now being 3670m.
In 2011 the FIA GT1 World Championship
FIA GT1 World Championship
The FIA GT1 World Championship is a world championship sports car racing series developed by the SRO Group and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It features multiple grand tourer race cars based on production road cars and conforming with the GT1 regulations competing in...
will hold one of its race weekends at the Sachsenring.
Spectators at the MotoGP since 1998
| 1998 | 142,000 | |
| 1999 | 151,000 | plus 6.34 % |
| 2000 | 161.000 | plus 6.62 % |
| 2001 | 177,000 | plus 9.94 % |
| 2002 | 184,500 | plus 4.24 % |
| 2003 | 204,000 | plus 10.57 % |
| 2004 | 207,745 | plus 1.84 % |
| 2005 | 216,457 | plus 4.19 % |
| 2006 | 219,848 | plus 1.57 % |
| 2007 | 226,944 | plus 3.23 % |
| 2008 | 221,492 | minus 2.40 % |
| 2009 | 214,711 | minus 3,06 % |
| 2010 | 224,668 | plus 4.64 % |