Matschenberg Offroad Arena
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Address: |
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 Cunewalde , Saxony , Germany
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| Route type: | permanent racetrack gravel, clay, sand subsoil |
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| Operator: | MC Oberlausitzer
Bergland eV |
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| Start of building: | 1977 | ||
| Opening: | 1979 | ||
| Track layout | |||
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| Route data | |||
| Important events: |
Autocross EM, Autocross DM, ILP, Trabant-Cross-Cup | ||
| Route length: | 0.820 km (0.51 mi ) | ||
| Height difference: | 30 m (98.43 ft ) | ||
| Records | |||
| Track record: | 0.29,831 min. (Thomas Anacleto (FRA), Fast & Speed Suzuki, 2016) |
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| https://www.matschenberg.de/ | |||
Coordinates: 51 ° 5 ′ 35.7 ″ N , 14 ° 29 ′ 17.1 ″ E
The mud Berg Offroad Arena is an autocross - racetrack in Cunewalde ( district of Bautzen , Saxony ) in Upper Lusatia. It was inaugurated in 1979 and has been one of the venues for the European and German Autocross Championships since 1999.
history
The construction of a motorsport facility was not easy in the GDR times, since motocross and autocross were not part of the Olympic disciplines and initially received little political support. In 1977, the construction of the plant on the Matschenberg finally began in what was then Weigsdorf-Köblitz , now a part of Cunewalde. After a two-year construction phase, the first race for the runs of the GDR championship in the classes up to 600 cm³ and 1300 cm³ started on August 30, 1979. Even then there was international driver participation, although these came almost exclusively from the socialist Eastern Bloc countries.
In the initial phase of the route there were almost no safety precautions such as safety fences or large run-off areas. The then up to 20,000 spectators stood crowded behind simple barrier tape and admired the drivers. At the end of the 1980s, an additional building for the route control was built at the start area. The Matschenberg was one of only a few permanent autocross routes in the GDR.
After the turn
After 1990, intensive investments were made in the safety of the route. Almost the entire route was provided with a triple guardrail and a safety fence was installed in the spectator areas. There was also the construction of 9 marshals' houses. Motocross races were not held any further.
At the end of the 1990s, the operator applied for an FIA license, which was finally granted in 1999. Since then, the track has been one of the venues for the European Autocross Championship, which takes place on the last weekend in June. It starts in the classes Junior Buggy , Buggy up to 1600 ccm , Super Buggy and Touring AX .
There are also races for the German Autocross Championship, the Lausitz Pokal Interest Group (ILP) and the Trabant Cross Cup.
Today the off-road arena is one of the most important venues for autocross races in Germany. In addition to the short distance in Seelow , it is the only German in the European EM racing calendar. The patron of the annual event is the Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer .
The distance
The arena is 820 meters long with a height difference of around 30 meters. The track is 11 to 16 meters wide. It is driven counter-clockwise.
The start takes place on a concrete slab in a starting field of a maximum of ten vehicles. There is a 38% incline to overcome right on the Startberg. Immediately behind it is a jumping hill, followed by a 180 ° curve. After a long straight, there is a left curve before it goes downhill to the sharp target curve. Top speeds of up to 180 km / h are possible on the route, which makes it one of the fastest routes on the Autocross EM calendar. It is one of the most demanding and attractive racetracks in European autocross.
The route is only partially visible to spectators, which is why a video screen has to be used.
In 2019 the race track will celebrate its 40th anniversary and the 20th FIA race.
Web links and sources
- Official website of the route: matschenberg.de
- Program booklet Autocross EM 2019
