Sachsenring

The Sachsenring held the East German Grand Prix for motorcycles from 1961-72 and is the current home of Germany’s MotoGP race. That the undulating roads around the village of Hohenstein-Ernstthal hosted bike races in 1927 and ’28 was due to local enthusiasts Paul Berger and Sepp Wagner. Racing returned with the 1934 German Grand Prix for motorcycles, three years before the fast open roads officially adopted the ‘Sachsenring’ moniker. Those years were marred by fatalities including two-time winner Jimmie Guthrie in 1937.
It reopened after World War II in 1949 and held a round of the motorcycle World Championship from 1961. West German Dieter Braun scored a politically charged victory in the 250cc race in 1971. The original track closed on safety grounds in 1990 and a modern substitute was opened in 1996 using a section of road after the old start. The home of the MotoGP German Grand Prix since 1998, the Sachsenring was revamped and extended by Hermann Tilke in 2001