Karlskoga Motorstadion
| Location | Karlskoga, Sweden |
|---|---|
| Major events | Swedish Touring Car Championship, Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia, Camaro Cup |
| Website | http://www.karlskogamotorstadion.com |
| Length | 2.400 km (1.491 miles) |
| Turns | 11 |
Karlskoga Motorstadion, also known as Gelleråsen is the oldest permanent motorsport race track in Sweden. The circuit is located 6 km north of Karlskoga. The layout is such that the whole track can be seen from all spectator areas.[1]
It is currently authorised for European Championship rounds of road racing and Swedish Touring Car Championship events.[1]
History
Built in 1949 as a 1.55 km dirt track, the inaugural race was the first Kanonloppet on 4 June 1950. For the second Kanonloppet in 1952, the surface had been paved with asphalt and the length was now 1.6 km. It was extended to 2.0 km in 1953 with the addition of the Björkdungskurvan section (later renamed to Tröskurvan). In 1958 it was additionally extended to 3.172 km with the Velodromkurvan section (Velodrome bend).[2]
In 1961, 1962 and 1963 non-championship Formula One events were hosted here, which saw the likes of Stirling Moss, Jim Clark and Jack Brabham battle it out on-track. 1967 a race called Swedish Grand Prix was held there, won by Jackie Stewart. In 1979, the circuit hosted the Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix won by Barry Sheene.
The circuit was forced to close for two years after a crash on 8 August 1970 during a touring car event. Two cars, a Ford Escort and a BMW 2002, locked together at the flat out right hander before the straight leading up to the Velodromkurvan, and went off the track at high speed, bounced over the banking and into the crowd, killing five spectators.[2]
After a period of decay, the track went through major renovation work during the 1990s and 2000s. The pit area was moved and the facilities were improved. There was also several safety improvements, including a redesign of the Tröskurvan and the complete removal of the velodrome section. This shortened the track to its current length of 2.400 km.[3]