Salzburgring

The Salzburgring is a 4.241 km motorsport race track located in Plainfeld, east of Salzburg.

Key facts
Track Length                     4.241 km

Bends                                15

Straights                            4 (the longest being at start/finish which is 750m)

Incline                                maximum 3,8%

Decline                              maximum 1,8%

Altitude difference             ca 25 m

Altitude                              648.3 m to 670.6 m

Boxes                                31

History
1968              Groundbreaking ceremony

1969              Opening with a combined car and motorbike race

1970              First Grand Prix of Austria for Motorbikes

1971              First FIM Motorbike World Championship race

2012–2014       Touring Car World Championships

2013              First Electric Love Festival which, in 2018, brought 180,000 attendees to the track

2019              50thanniversary

The race track was first opened in 1969. Lying in a narrow, alpine valley, it has a rather simple layout, with two long straights plus the sweeping and fast "Fahrerlagerkurve" ("paddock turn") at the bottom, and the narrow "Nockstein-Kehre" on the top. In spite of its simple layout, it garnered a fearsome reputation for the high speeds reached on the straights and the "Fahrerlagerkurve". Michael Doohan describes the section between 7 and 10 as his all time favorite piece of racetrack, likening it to "threading a motorcycle through the eye of a needle at 180 mph whilst banging fairings with your competitors with armco barriers on each side". He continues "Sure it was fast and dangerous, but also enormous fun. To me it's what motorcycle racing is all about".

The Salzburgring track hosts touring car races like the German ADAC Procar Series, Deutsche Produktionswagen Meisterschaft, Deutsche Tourenwagen Challenge, Super Tourenwagen Cup and the European Touring Car Championship. It was also the home of the Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix from 1971 to 1994, except for the 1980 and 1992 seasons. Giacomo Agostini and Angel Nieto are the all-time leaders in motorcycle Grand Prix victories at the circuit, with six wins apiece. Sidecar motorcycle races were also held at the venue. The track has also hosted the Oldtimer Grand Prix as well as during the last years a "Rupert Hollaus Memorial" organized by Ex-Grand Prix motorcycle and sidecar racer, Wolfgang Stropek. In 2008, the circuit played host to the then one-off European Touring Car Cup, with the event being won by Michel Nykjaer.

Events

 * Current
 * June: TCR Europe Touring Car Series, Porsche Sprint Challenge Central Europe
 * September: Formula 4 CEZ Championship Salzburg Race Weekend, TCR Eastern Europe Trophy, Histo-Cup Austria


 * Former
 * ADAC TCR Germany Touring Car Championship (2022)
 * Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft (1979–1982)
 * Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (1987)
 * European Formula 5000 Championship (1970)
 * European Formula Two Championship (1972–1976)
 * European Superbike Championship (1990–1991, 1995)
 * European Touring Car Championship (1970–1981, 1983–1985)
 * European Touring Car Cup (2008, 2010–2014)
 * Formula 750 (1977)
 * Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup (2006)
 * Formula Renault 2000 Germany (1997, 1999, 2001–2004)
 * Formula Volkswagen Germany (2001–2003)
 * German Formula Three Championship (1972, 1974, 1981–1982, 1984–1986, 1988, 1997–1999, 2006)
 * Grand Prix motorcycle racing
 * Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix (1971–1979, 1981–1991, 1993–1994)
 * Porsche Carrera Cup Germany (1987–1989, 1993, 1999)
 * SEAT León Eurocup (2014)
 * Sidecar World Championship (1971–1979, 1981–1991, 2005–2007)
 * Super Tourenwagen Cup (1994–1999)
 * Superbike World Championship (1995)
 * TCR International Series (2015–2017)
 * V8Star Series (2001–2002)
 * World Sportscar Championship (1976–1977)
 * World Touring Car Championship
 * FIA WTCC Race of Austria (2012–2014)

Lap Records
As of June 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Salzburgring are listed as:

Motorcycle Grand Prix

 * 1971 500cc: Giacomo Agostini - MV Agusta
 * 1975 500cc: Hideo Kanaya - Yamaha
 * 1978 500cc: Kenny Roberts - Yamaha
 * 1983 500cc: Kenny Roberts - Yamaha
 * 1987 500cc: Wayne Gardner - Honda
 * 1990 500cc: Kevin Schwantz - Suzuki
 * 1994 500cc: Michael Doohan - Honda