Smolensk Ring

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; 14 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)
SMP F4 (2017–2019)
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 Abarth)
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-kilometre (56 mi) east of its namesake city of Smolensk and about 250-kilometre (160 mi) 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

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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

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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

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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 Abarth 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
Truck racing 1:51.351[14] Antonio Albacete MAN TGS 2013 Smolensk ETRC round

References

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  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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  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". 30 September 2012. 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". 28 May 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  12. ^ "TCR Russia 2023 » Smolensk Round 3 Results". 20 May 2023. 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.
  14. ^ "2013 FIA European Truck Racing Championship - SmolenskRing - Race 3". 28 July 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
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