Imatra Circuit
The Imatra Circuit is a motorsport street circuit in Imatra, Finland. The circuit has existed in two versions, and has been exclusively used for the "Imatranajo" motorcycle road race. From 1962 to 1978 a 6.030 km (3.747 mi) clockwise street circuit in the east of the town of Imatra was used. The circuit ran along the Vuoksi river and a railway line that had to be crossed. From 1979 to 1986 a shorter circuit was used. This was only 4.950 km (3.076 mi) long and consisted mostly of the western part of the original circuit.
The layouts of the Imatra circuit | |
| Location | Imatra, Finland |
|---|---|
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) EEST (DST) |
| Coordinates | 61°10′40.2″N 28°47′28.5″E |
| Opened | 1962 Re-opened:August 2016 |
| Closed | 1986 |
| Former names | Imatra Circuit (1964–1986) |
| Major events | Current: International Road Racing Championship' Imatranajo (2016–present) Former: Grand Prix motorcycle racing Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix (1964–1982) Sidecar World Championship (1967–1973, 1980–1982) |
| Jarno Saarinen Imatranajo Circuit (1979–1986, 2016-present) | |
| Length | 4.950 km (3.076 miles) |
| Turns | 11 |
| Race lap record | 1:50.616 ( Danny Webb, BMW S1000RR, 2018, Superbikes) |
| Grand Prix Circuit (1964–1978) | |
| Length | 6.030 km (3.747 miles) |
| Turns | 14 |
| Race lap record | 2:05.900 ( Johnny Cecotto, Yamaha YZR500, 1977, 500cc) |
From the 1964 season until the 1982 season the Grand Prix of Finland was run 19 times in Imatra. From the 1983 season the "Imatranajo" lost its World Championship status due to the dangerous nature of the circuit and the death of sidecar driver Jock Taylor in 1982.
The last road race on the Imatra Circuit for many years was held in 1986 when a six-year-old boy died after falling under a running wheel, but classic races still took place. Road racing returned to Imatra in August 2016 with a round of the International Road Racing Championship, and another round was held in 2017. In the "Imatranajo" on June 15, 2019, a fatal crash occurred when a Swiss driver Mathias Gnägi with a Superbike class dropped off the track in the rain and was killed.