Smolensk Ring

Smolensk Ring
Location Russia Smolensk
Coordinates 54°59′19.5″N 33°22′5.4″E / 54.988750°N 33.368167°E / 54.988750; 33.368167Coordinates: 54°59′19.5″N 33°22′5.4″E / 54.988750°N 33.368167°E / 54.988750; 33.368167
Architect Hermann Tilke
Major events FIA European Truck Racing Championship
FIA GT3 European Championship
Length 3.362 km (2.089 mi)
Turns 13

The Smolensk Ring is a circuit in western Russia near the town of Safonovo in the settlement of Verkhnedneprovsky. It is located 90 kilometers (56 mi) east of its namesake city of Smolensk and about 250 kilometers (160 mi) west of Moscow.

The construction of the 3.4-kilometer (2.1 mi) circuit started in 2007, and the inaugural international event was a round of the FIA European Truck Racing Championship in August 2010.

The Smolensk Ring was initially supposed to host rounds of the FIA GT3 European Championship in 2011,[1][2] however this was later postponed to 2012 because the track didn't complete in time modifications required to garner the necessary FIA track license.[3][4]

History

The track was designed by Hermann Tilke and his design bureau using the features of the pre-existing landscape of the designated area, resulting in a 3362 meter long, 12–15 meter wide track containing fast corners, straights and twisty sections.[5][6]

The race track, with the prerequisite modifications in place, will fulfil the International Automobile Federation (FIA) requirements for a Grade 2 race track, and the first category according to the classification of the Russian Automobile Federation (RAF). With the FIA Grade 2 license, the Smolensk Ring will be able to host motor racing for all classes except Formula One.[7]

Russian Touring Car Championship driver Yuri Semenchev was killed in an accident at the circuit in August 2012.[8]

Action sports

August 2010 — 5 stage FIA European Truck Racing Championship (Truck Battle Russia 2010)
22 May 2011 — 1 stage RTCC (Russian Touring Car Championship)
30–31 July 2011 — 6 stageFIA European Truck Racing Championship (Truck Battle Russia 2011)
9 October 2011 — 7 stage RTCC (Russian Touring Car Championship)

References

  1. ↑ "Races". Superleague Formula. 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
  2. ↑ "SF : Superleague Formula announces World Cup 2011 races across 4 continents". F1sa.com. 2011-05-02. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
  3. ↑ "SF : Smolensk round postponed". autosport.com. 2011-06-22. Retrieved 2011-06-23.
  4. ↑ "Russian GT3 Race Postponed for 2011". FIA GT3 European Championship Website. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  5. ↑ "2011 Superleague Formula of Russia at Smolensk Ring - 9–11 September 2011". Superleague.gptickets.com. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
  6. ↑ "Автодром "Смоленское кольцо" - российская гоночная трасса". Smolenskring.ru. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
  7. ↑ "Google Translate". Translate.google.com. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
  8. ↑ Golyshev, Gregory (2012-08-20). "Yuri Semenchev killed in Russian touring car crash". touringcartimes.com. TouringCarTimes. Retrieved 2012-08-23.
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