Verkehrssicherheitszentrum Sachsenring - in Zusammenarbeit mit dem ADAC-Sachsen

When the Sachsenring’s 75th anniversary was celebrated in 2002, the famous racing circuit had lived through quite a colourful history. For decades this corner of Saxony had attracted huge masses of people – every year tens of thousands spectators came to enjoy the Sachsenring races which soon became a hallmark of motor sports in this part of Germany. The RING (circuit), as it was and still is affectionately called among motor racing enthusiasts, was the place where racers could become famous and fans could not only watch their idols in exciting races but also had a chance to meet them in person. There were, of course, some doubts in 1927 when preparations began for a 'motorcycle competition', as it was called back then, on the roads around Hohenstein-Ernstthal. But all scepticism was gone when 130,000 spectators came to watch the first “Badberg-Rectangle-Race” on Ascension Day, the 26 May 1927. The second race took place in 1928, but since more than 40 serious accidents happened that year, the organisers were temporarily forced to refrain from holding more races.

In the 1930s international motorcycle races, the Grands Prix of Germany and Europe, were organised. The racing circuit in Hohenstein-Ernstthal - which was also well known for its textile industry and the writer Karl May - was brought to international attention, and soon the race track in the industrial area between Chemnitz and Zwickau became a fixture on the international racing calendar. In 1937 the circuit was renamed into SACHSENRING.

Names such as Ewald Kluge, Georg Meier, Karl Gall, Walfried Winkler and Kurt Mansfeld, but also those of the English racer James Guthrie and the Italian stars Serafini and Pagani are invariably linked with that period. On their DKW, BMW, Moto-Guzzi, Gilera and Norton motorcycles they dominated the Grand Prix scene up to 1939 and became also famous because of their excellent performance between Badberg, Heiterer Blick and Queckenberg. And at a presentation Bernd Rosemeyer steered his Auto-Union racing car through the streets of Hohenstein-Ernstthal.

Not long after the end of the horrible war, first attempts were made to revive motor racing at this traditional location. When the first race after the war took place in 1949, the organisers were rewarded for their efforts by half a million spectators, who used the opportunity to enjoy themselves and relax at the weekend of the race. In the following years spectator numbers were always around 250,000, being proof for the successful work of the organisers.

People had to get used to new names: Walter Zeller, Ernst Riedelbauch, Walter Knoch, Edgar Barth, Heiner Fleischmann, Noll/Cron, Schneider/Strauß, Theo Helfrich, Hans Stuck, Kurt Ahrens and many more. Another highlight in the history of the then 8.7 km long circuit were the Bicycle Road World Championships in 1960, in which the Lichtenstein cyclist Bernhard Eckstein and the legendary 'Täve' Schur participated as well.

From 1961 Motorcycle World Championship races could be held on the Sachsenring – because of the ceaseless work of the organisers, the large numbers of fans and the efforts of international top pilots. For eleven years Hohenstein-Ernstthal was a place where world-class racers met. The unforgotten heroes and former World Champions Agostini, Reed, Redmann, Taveri, Braun and Nieto enjoyed the annual meeting at the Sachsenring with its unique flair immensely. That was also the time when the fastest-ever racing lap time on the Sachsenring was established: Giacomo Agostini did a lap with the fantastic average speed of nearly 180 km/h!

As from 1973, when the GDR government permitted only races with participants from Eastern block states, it became much quieter on the stands – many fans went to Brno in Czechoslovakia to be able to admire their international heroes. But nevertheless there were still enough people here whose enthusiasm kept the Sachsenring alive. Wendler, Dörffelt, Drapal, Wächtler and Freudenberg were just a few of those who made sure that thousands of people were enchanted by excellent motor sport on the “Ring”. And there was also car racing, in which Melkus, Kaspar, Schumann, Nickoleit and others became living legends.

1990, however, marked the end of motor racing on the historic, 8.7 kilometre long natural racing circuit: Three people lost their lives – so priority had to be given to spectators’ and pilots’ safety.

When all bold dreams for a new circuit were shattered one year later, it were, again, some members of the Sachsenring team who kept the Sachsenring races alive – now with the active support of the Saxon ADAC automobile club. In order to be able to offer motor racing to the many Saxon fans, Sachsenring races were held in Most in Bohemia in 1992, and later on the Masaryk Circuit in Brno.

The construction of a road safety training centre, which was built on the grounds of an old brickyard near the original racing circuit in 1995, was an excellent opportunity to re-establish motor racing in the region. Five shareholders (the automobile club ADAC Sachsen; the Chemnitzer Land rural district; Test & Training, a subsidiary of the Austrian automobile club ÖAMTC; Butz, Krämer & Partner, a sports and TV- agency; the renowned planning agency Tilke; and auto motor sport, Germany’s leading automobile magazine) joined forces to realise a business idea which is unique in Germany: A modern road safety training centre and multifunctional event location turns into a non-permanent racing circuit twice a year.

In 1996 high-class motor sport returned to the Sachsenring: Twice a year races are held on the circuit – usually one motorcycle and one automobile event. The first races held on the new circuit were the Pro Superbike championship and the STW (super touring car) Cup. Again, thousands followed the call of the Sachsenring and were rewarded with fascinating scenes at the Motorcycle Grand Prix and the DTM (German touring car championship).

Now the fans were able to celebrate their international stars on two or four wheels again – Doohan, Biaggi, Rossi, Roberts, Aiello, Schneider, Alesi … Until 2000 the “New Sachsenring” comprised parts of the old circuit, some stretches of public roads of the adjacent industrial estate and the track of the road safety training centre. Because of the enormous national and international response, the Sachsenring was enlarged and upgraded to the latest safety standards in the following year, a project that was also financially supported by the Free State of Saxony. A new race-tower and permanent pits were built at the circuit, and the track was redesigned in such a way that public roads were no longer necessary.