Motorcycle circuits, or race circuits, are roads designed for motorcycle racing. These roads are typically in open, off-road areas and are often designed to be extremely challenging. Some of the best motorcycle circuits are found all around the world, so let’s take a look at some of the most famous.
Top Motorcycle Circuits
Netherland TT Circuit Assen
The TT Circuit Assen, a circuit in the Netherlands, is one of the most challenging races in the world and one of the most exciting. The Assen circuit is 17 laps long, and the total elevation change is almost 500 meters, which puts it at the very top of the list of most extreme race tracks. The Assen circuit is distinctive for its high concentration of fast corners, including a 177-deg turn known as the Esses and huge elevation changes.
Laguna Seca circuits
The Laguna Seca motorcycle race is a road course race that is held annually at the Laguna Seca Raceway in Salinas, California. It is the second-oldest motorcycle race in the United States and one of the oldest sports races in the world. The race consists of 17 turns and is 2.238 miles long. It is considered to be one of the most difficult circuits on the AMA Superbike Championship calendar and highlights Laguna Seca’s narrow, winding, and high-speed sections.
Cadwell Park Woodland Circuit
The Woodland Circuit has 5.8 miles (9.3 km) of tarmac used for racing and an additional 2.5 miles (4 km) of tarmac used for driver training. It is the longest circuit of its kind in the UK and one of the most extreme in Britain, with high-speed corners such as Hairpin S and Becketts Hill standing as the pinnacle of British motorsport.
Knockhill Circuit
Knockhill is Scotland’s fastest and most exciting track. The 3-mile road circuit has 14 corners and is a favorite among professional riders for its mix of technical and fast-paced corners. The circuit is popular with spectators and includes many other great features.
Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello
The Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello is one of the most famous racetracks in the world, and every year, the 24 Hours of Le Mans race is held there. The circuit is located near the historic town of Imola in northern Italy. This speed-lovers paradise first opened in 1920, when it hosted its first race. Since then, the Mugello race circuit has gone through many renovations, and today it consists of 10 turns, including the infamous “big” corner, called turn 12. The circuit is 6.3 miles (10.7 kilometers) long, and the track length is 2,105 yards (2,004 meters).
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
The Grand Prix of Phillip Island Circuit is a race track located in Phillip Island, Australia. While an Australian racetrack, the track is internationally famous, one of the first race tracks used for Formula One Grand Prix racing in Australia. The Circuit is a motorsport-specific facility.
Sepang International Circuit
The circuit is located 40 kilometers northwest of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. The Sepang International Circuit is owned by the Malaysian Government and operated by the Malaysian Grand Prix Corporation. The circuit opened in 2004 to host Formula One and MotoGP racing events. The 1.96 km (1.2 mi) long 15-turn street circuit showcases some of the most iconic corners in motorsport history.
Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
The Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, located in Kyalami, Gauteng, South Africa, is home to many Grand Prix racing events. The circuit became permanent in 1988 and was first used in 1987 for a racing event. The circuit is 6.6 km (4.2 mi) long and consists of 15 turns. Although it primarily hosts professional racing events, it is also used for testing, amateur racing, motorkhanas, and motorcycle racing.
Hockenheimring Grand Prix Circuit
The Hockenheimring is a race track in Germany and is considered to be one of the greatest tracks in the world. It’s the fastest circuit in the world and hosts the Formula 1 German Grand Prix. The circuit is located in Hockenheim, Germany, and is a 4.0-kilometer-long circuit. Many well-known drivers have raced here, including Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, and Ayrton Senna. The Hockenheimring is best known as the first Grand Prix circuit to have night racing.
Suzuka International Racing Course
The Suzuka International Racing Course is the longest-running race track in the world. The 4.4-mile track was initially known as Fuji International Speedway but was renamed Suzuka in 1998 after the Japanese city of Suzuka, located just 25 miles away. The track was designed with racing in mind, which means that it’s fast—the fastest FIA-certified circuit in the world (although it’s still not as fast as the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas).
Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit
One of the most famous races in the UK is the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit. It’s a 1.33-mile track and takes place over 30 laps (approximately 12 miles). The track is very fast, and so crashes are common. Drivers do all they can to avoid them, but they still happen, and when they do, the injuries are often very serious. The race is popular among spectators, with many watching them from the famous Paddock Club.
Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto
The Circuito de Jerez is located in Jerez de la Frontera, a city in Andalucía, Spain. The track has 20 turns and is 5.168 km in length. It is the circuit that hosted the Spanish MotoGP (the MotoGP World Championship) for two consecutive seasons.
Knowing The Race Circuits
Knowing the race circuits is not a difficult topic. For most people, the What, Where, When, and Why of a race circuit would be something that they would learn in a casual conversation. However, knowing these things is actually quite important because when you know how a race circuit works, you can pretty much anticipate the twists and turns along the way.
Conclusion
In motorcycle racing, it is also important to the circuit and its location; by knowing and studying the map and location of the circuit, you can anticipate the turn and the weather. This will enable you to choose what to do in advance and what protective gear to use during the race.
