Karlskoga Motorstadion Explained

Karlskoga Motorstadion, also known as Gelleråsen Arena, is the oldest permanent motorsport race track in Sweden. The circuit is located north of Karlskoga. The layout is such that the whole track can be seen from all spectator areas.[1]

It is currently authorised for European Championship rounds of road racing and Swedish Touring Car Championship events.[1]

History

Built in 1949 as a dirt track, the inaugural race was the first Kanonloppet on 4 June 1950.[2] [3] For the second Kanonloppet in 1952, the surface had been paved with asphalt and the length was .It was extended to in 1953 with the addition of the Björkdungskurvan section (later renamed to Tröskurvan).[4] In 1958 it was additionally extended to with the Velodromkurvan section (Velodrome bend).[5] [6]

In 1961, 1962 and 1963 non-championship Formula One events were hosted here, which saw the likes of Stirling Moss, Jim Clark and Jack Brabham battle it out on-track. 1967 a race called Swedish Grand Prix was held there, won by Jackie Stewart. In 1979, the circuit hosted the Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix won by Barry Sheene.

The circuit was forced to close for two years after a crash on 8 August 1970 during a touring car event.Two cars, a Ford Escort and a BMW 2002, locked together at the flat out right hander before the straight leading up to the Velodromkurvan, and went off the track at high speed, bounced over the banking and into the crowd, killing five spectators.[5]

After a period of decay, the track went through major renovation work during the 1990s and 2000s. In 1992, the track length was shortened to .[7]

The pit area was moved and the facilities were improved. There was also several safety improvements, including a redesign of the Tröskurvan and the complete removal of the velodrome section.This shortened the track to its current length of .[8] [9] In 2017, the last corner was modified and the track length was shortened to .[10]

Lap records

As of August 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Karlskoga Motorstadion are listed as:

CategoryTimeDriverVehicleEvent
Full Circuit: 2.350 km (2017–present)
1:03.470[11] 2024 2nd Karlskoga Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia round
1:03.723[12] 2023 1st Karlskoga Pro Superbike round
1:04.730[13] 2023 Karlskoga F4 Danish Championship round
1:04.918[14] 2023 Karlskoga Formula Nordic round
1:06.042[15] 2023 1st Karlskoga Pro Superbike SSP round
1:06.781[16] 2020 Karlskoga TCR STCC round
1:06.939[17] 2022 Karlskoga GT4 Scandinavia round
1:11.379[18] 2023 1st Karlskoga Pro Superbike SSP 300 round
1:17.433[19] LRT NXT1 2023 Karlskoga NXT Gen Cup round
Full Circuit: 2.400 km (2006–2016)
1:01.841[20] 2009 1st Karlskoga Formula Renault 2.0 Sweden round
1:04.488[21] 2012 1st Karlskoga TTA round
1:04.809[22] 2015 Karlskoga Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia round
1:06.797[23] 2008 Karlskoga STCC round
Full Circuit: 2.530 km (1992–2005)
1:03.634[24] 2004 Karlskoga Formula Renault 2000 Scandinavia round
1:06.064[25] 2003 Gelleråsen Swedish GTR round
1:06.586[26] 2001 1st Karlskoga STCC round
1:07.285[27] 2001 Gelleråsen Swedish GTR round
1:07.353[28] 2005 Karlskoga Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia round
1:09.606[29] 2004 1st Karlskoga STCC round
Full Circuit: 3.000 km (1958–1991)
1:12.100[30] 1974 Karlskoga F2 round
1:16.200[31] 1970 Kanonloppet
1:17.400[32] 1969 Kanonloppet
1:20.800[33] 1969 Kanonloppet
1:21.310 1979 Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix
1:22.216 1978 Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix
1:23.500 1979 Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix
1:24.100 1962 Kanonloppet
1:28.767 1978 Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix
1:38.300[34] 1965 Karlskoga ETCC round

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Home. Karlskoga Motorstadion AB. 8 October 2019.
  2. Web site: Historien om Gelleråsbanan . 25 December 2022.
  3. Web site: Gelleråsen Org . 25 December 2022.
  4. Web site: Gelleråsbanan 1953 . 25 December 2022.
  5. Web site: Darren Galpin. Karlskoga Track Info. The GEL Motorsport Information Page. 4 October 2009.
  6. Web site: Gelleråsbanan 1958 . 25 December 2022.
  7. Web site: Gelleråsbanan 1992 . 25 December 2022.
  8. Web site: History . Karlskoga Motorstadion AB . sv . 4 October 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080827184253/http://www.karlskogamotorstadion.com/motorstadion/history.htm . 27 August 2008 .
  9. Web site: Gelleråsbanan 2006 . 25 December 2022.
  10. Web site: Gelleråsbanan 2017 . 25 December 2022.
  11. Web site: Kanonloppet Karlskoga 2024 - Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia, Heat 2, 29 varv . 17 August 2024 . 21 August 2024.
  12. Web site: SM RR Karlskoga Bikeweek 2023 - MC PRO Superbike, Heat 1, 18 varv . 30 July 2023 . 17 February 2024.
  13. Web site: Gelleråsloppet Karlskoga 2023 - Formula Nordic, Heat 3, 18 varv . 4 June 2023 . 5 June 2023.
  14. Web site: Gelleråsloppet Karlskoga 2023 - Formula Nordic, Heat 1, 18 varv . 4 June 2023 . 5 June 2023.
  15. Web site: SM RR Karlskoga Bikeweek 2023 - MC Super Sport 600, Heat 3, 9 varv . 30 July 2023 . 21 August 2024.
  16. Web site: TCR Scandinavia Touring Car Championship 2020 » Karlskoga-Gelleråsen Round 1 Results . 16 August 2020 . 22 May 2022.
  17. Web site: Smallcars Karlskoga 2022 - GT4 Scandinavia, Heat 1, 52 laps . 24 September 2022 . 25 December 2022.
  18. Web site: SM RR Karlskoga Bikeweek 2023 - MC Super Sport 300 Junior, Heat 1, 12 varv . 30 July 2023 . 17 February 2024.
  19. Web site: Kanonloppet Karlskoga 2023 - NXT Gen Cup - Race 1 . 19 August 2023 . 17 February 2024.
  20. Web site: STCC Karlskoga 2009 - Formula Renault 2000, Heat 2, 12 laps . 23 May 2009 . 25 December 2022.
  21. Web site: TTA Karlskoga 2012 - TTA, Race, 31 varv . 12 May 2012 . 10 June 2024.
  22. Web site: 2015 Porsche Cup Scandinavia Karlskoga (Race 2) . 15 August 2015 . 25 December 2022.
  23. Web site: Swedish Touring Car Championship 2008 » Karlskoga-Gelleråsen Round 4 Results . 1 June 2008 . 22 May 2022.
  24. Web site: STCC Karlskoga 2004 - Formula Renault 2000, Heat 1, 12 laps . 30 May 2004 . 25 December 2022.
  25. Web site: STCC Kanonloppet Karlskoga 2003 - GTR, Heat 1, 22 laps . 16 August 2003 . 25 December 2022.
  26. Web site: Swedish Touring Car Championship 2001 » Karlskoga-Gelleråsen Round 6 Results . 4 June 2001 . 22 May 2022.
  27. Web site: Swedish GTR Championship Gelleråsen 2001 . 4 June 2001 . 25 December 2022.
  28. Web site: STCC Kanonloppet Karlskoga 2005 - Porsche Carrera Cup, Heat 1, 12 laps . 20 August 2005 . 25 December 2022.
  29. Web site: Swedish Touring Car Championship 2004 » Karlskoga-Gelleråsen Round 5 Results . 31 May 2004 . 22 May 2022.
  30. Web site: 1974 Kanonloppet . . 11 August 1974 . 22 May 2022.
  31. Web site: 1970 Swedish Grand Prix . . 9 August 1970 . 20 July 2022.
  32. Web site: 1969 Swedish Grand Prix . . 17 August 1969 . 20 July 2022.
  33. Web site: 1969 Kanonloppet Karlskoga Sveriges Grand Prix FIA European Cup For Formula 3 Ergebnis Finalrennen . 17 August 1969 . 22 May 2022.
  34. Web site: Kanonloppet 1965 . 8 August 1965 . 22 May 2022.

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