Brno Circuit


The Masaryk circuit or Masarykring, also referred to as the Brno Circuit, refers to two motorsport race tracks located in Brno, Czech Republic.
The original street circuit was made up of public roads, and at its longest measured. In 1949, events such as the Czechoslovakian Grand Prix attracted top teams and drivers. The track is named after the first president of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. Racing on the old roads ended after 1986, when the new circuit was opened.
The annual Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Czech Republic is the circuit's most important event. It is held here since 1950 and is the most famous motor race in the Czech Republic. Championship is part of the World Grand Prix since 1965.
The FIA World Touring Car Championship, FIA GT1 World Championship, Formula Two and the Superbike World Championship also raced at the circuit.
The Czech Republic Motorcycle Grand Prix is more of a promoter event than a profit-raiser itself. Since tobacco advertising has been banned in 2007, it is common among the other MotoGP events. The Brno Circuit is historically one of the oldest circuits, on the place were also held the most motorcycle championships in history after the TT Circuit Assen.

Original circuits

The original layout ran anti-clockwise on approximately of public roads west of Brno, including the villages of Bosonohy and Žebětín. From 1930 to 1937, the Masaryk circuit races attracted some of the top drivers and teams.
On September 25, 1949, the race was held for the first and the last time in Czechoslovakia as part of the Grand Prix motor racing. The Czechoslovakian Grand Prix in 1949 was run clockwise on a shorter layout around Kohoutovice. In spite of a crowd in excess of 400,000 people, this would be the last Grand Prix for cars on the old circuit.
Beginning in 1950, the circuit played host to the Czechoslovakian motorcycle Grand Prix, which became a world championship event from 1965. The circuit had been again reduced in length to in 1964. The European Touring Car series visited in the 1980s, by which time the circuit had been finally reduced to in 1975.

Modern circuit

The current permanent road racing circuit was opened in 1987. It lies north of Kyvalka, within the bounds of the circuit used in the 1930s, but not incorporating any of the public roads. The motorcycle race moved to the new circuit and regained its status as a round of the world championship. A World Sports Car Championship race was held in 1988, and a round of the A1 Grand Prix series in 2006. It is also the location of the 24H Epilog of Brno.

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