Sachsenring
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- Also see Sachsenring AG, named after this race track, for the former maker of the Trabant car.
The Sachsenring (German: Saxony ring) racing circuit is located in Hohenstein-Ernstthal near Chemnitz in Saxony, eastern Germany. Among other events, it features the annual German motorcycle Grand Prix of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing street motorbike world championship.
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[edit] History
The first race was held on 26 May 1927 on a 8.7km 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 WC 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 anthem in celebration, 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).
A 2.9 km short track at the westernmost Queckenberg corner was built in the 1990s. In 1995, IDM motorcycle racing and the ADAC Super Tourenwagen Cup resumed racing here. The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters 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.
[edit] Spectators at the MotoGP since 1998
| Year | Spectators | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 142,000 | |
| 1999 | 151,000 | plus 6.3 % |
| 2000 | 161.000 | plus 6.6 % |
| 2001 | 177,000 | plus 9.5 % |
| 2002 | 184,500 | plus 4.2 % |
| 2003 | 204,000 | plus 10.5 % |
| 2004 | 207,745 | plus 1.85 % |
| 2005 | 216,457 | plus 4.02 % |
[edit] Bibliography
- Wolfgang Hallmann: Das war der Sachsenring - Geschichte und Gegenwart einer legendären Rennstrecke; Chemnitzer Verlag, Chemnitz; 1996; ISBN 3-928678-32-9
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[edit] External links
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