Smolensk Ring
Smolensk Ring
LocationSafonovo, Safonovsky District, Smolensk Oblast
Time zoneMSK+00 (UTC+04)
Coordinates54°59′19.5″N 33°22′5.4″E / 54.988750°N 33.368167°E / 54.988750; 33.368167
Broke ground2007
OpenedJuly 3, 2010; 13 years ago (2010-07-03)
ArchitectHermann Tilke
Major eventsCurrent:
Russian Circuit Racing Series (2011–present)
Former:
TCR Europe (2016)
FIA European Truck Racing Championship (2010–2013)
Formula Russia (2012–2014)
Full Circuit (2010–present)
Length3.362 km (2.089 miles)
Turns13
Race lap record1:25.408 (Russia Konstantin Tereshchenko, Tatuus FA010, 2012, Formula Russia)
RTCC Ford Fiesta at Smolensk Ring

The Smolensk Ring is a circuit in western Russia near the town of Safonovo in the settlement of Verkhnedneprovsky. It is located 90 km (56 miles) east of its namesake city of Smolensk and about 250 km (160 miles) west of Moscow.[citation needed] The construction of the 3.362 km (2.089 mi) circuit started in 2007, and the inaugural international event was a round of the FIA European Truck Racing Championship in August 2010.[1]

The Smolensk Ring was initially supposed to host rounds of the FIA GT3 European Championship in 2011,[2][3] however this was later postponed to 2012 because the track didn't complete in time modifications required to garner the necessary FIA track license.[4][5]

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 3.362 km (2.089 mi), 12–15 m (39–49 ft) wide track containing fast corners, straights and twisty sections.[6][7]

The race track, with the prerequisite modifications in place, will fulfill 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 would be able to host motor racing for all classes except Formula One.[8] But it was lastly graded by Grade 4 until 24 May 2020.

Russian Touring Car Championship driver Yuri Semenchev was killed in an accident at the circuit in August 2012.[9]

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)[citation needed]

Lap records

As of May 2023, the fastest official race lap records at the Smolensk Ring are listed as:

Category Time Driver Vehicle Event
Full Circuit: 3.362 km (2010–present)
Formula Masters Russia 1:25.408[10] Konstantin Tereshchenko Tatuus FA010 2012 Smolensk Formula Russia round
Formula 4 1:27.257[11] Christian Lundgaard Tatuus F4-T014 2017 Smolensk SMP F4 round
TCR Touring Car 1:31.618[12] Dmitry Bragin CUPRA León Competición TCR 2023 Smolensk RCRS round
GT4 1:32.401[13] Marat Khairov BMW M4 GT4 2021 Smolensk RCRS round

References

  1. ^ "Smolensk Vorbericht". 3 August 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Races". Superleague Formula. 2011-06-05. Archived from the original on 2010-12-24. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
  3. ^ "SF : Superleague Formula announces World Cup 2011 races across 4 continents". F1sa.com. 2 May 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
  4. ^ "SF : Smolensk round postponed". autosport.com. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  5. ^ "Russian GT3 Race Postponed for 2011". FIA GT3 European Championship Website. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  6. ^ "2011 Superleague Formula of Russia at Smolensk Ring - 9–11 September 2011". Superleague.gptickets.com. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
  7. ^ "Автодром "Смоленское кольцо" - российская гоночная трасса". Smolenskring.ru. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
  8. ^ "Google Translate". Translate.google.com. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
  9. ^ Golyshev, Gregory (20 August 2012). "Yuri Semenchev killed in Russian touring car crash". touringcartimes.com. TouringCarTimes. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  10. ^ "Russian Touring Car Championship 2012 8. Smolensk Smolenskring 29.-30.9.2012, 3.357km Formel Russia, Rennen 1, 10 Runden". Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  11. ^ "2017 SMP Formula 4 - North European Zone 2. Smolensk (RUS) 27.5.-28.5.2017, 3357m Rennen 1, 18 Runden". Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  12. ^ "TCR Russia 2023 » Smolensk Round 3 Results". Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  13. ^ "2021 RCRS Smolensk GT4 Race 1 Results" (PDF). 15 May 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2023.

External links

Russian Circuit Racing Series circuits (2004–present)
Circuits of the TCR Europe Touring Car Series (2016–present)
European Truck Racing Championship circuits (1985–present)
Categories