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The KymiRing is a
The main racetrack, designed by Pohjola and Apex Circuit Design Ltd is long. In addition, the complex will have a rallycross track with a joker lap, diverting from the main circuit's finish line.
Driver training facilities for the use of local driving schools are located next to the main track, using parts of the track to provide various customisable training modules. A traffic safety theme park for families with children is also included in the plans.
Kymi Ring in its entirety covers an area of . The infield of the track can be utilised as a venue for fairs, festivals and other mass events, with room for hospitality and dining services. Potential businesses, especially those of the automotive trade, have been designated a business park area at the circuit's outskirts, next to the main road 12.
Accommodation services at the circuit consist mainly of trackside cabins, called "toy barns" by the circuit management.
As of September 2021, the track, paddock and offices have been completed, with the cost of 30 million Euro. The track has permits to build for 150,000m² of floor space, with 9,000m² currently being used. No hotels or grandstands exist yet.
In June 2022, the developer was reported as being in administration, due to two construction companies filing for a non-payment total of €634,000.
Kymi Ring was intended to be the first and only track in the
Kymi Ring's official website
Apex Circuit Design Ltd
Grand Prix motorcycle circuits Iitti Kouvola Motorsport venues in Finland {{finland-sports-venue-stub
motor racing
Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of t ...
circuit in Kausala
Kausala is a village and administrative center in Iitti municipality in Päijänne Tavastia, Finland. Kausala has a population of 3,775, which makes it the largest village of the municipality in terms of population. The significance of Kausala for ...
of the Iitti
Iitti (; sv, Itis) is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Päijänne Tavastia region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population ...
municipality, Päijänne Tavastia, Finland, bordering the Kymenlaakso's regional capital Kouvola
Kouvola () is a city and municipality in southeastern Finland. It is located along the Kymijoki River in the region of Kymenlaakso, kilometers east of Lahti, west of Lappeenranta and northeast of the capital, Helsinki. With Kotka, Kouvola is ...
, and located north-east of the capital Helsinki. It was planned that it would be the first circuit in Finland to hold an FIA Grade 1 license. While the circuit itself was built to meet both Formula 1
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
and MotoGP specifications, hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix would require substantial investment in both the track's facilities and in race hosting fees.
The track was officially opened on 19 August 2019 with a small MotoGP
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
test. In July 2022, the developer was reported as being in administration.
The name "Kymi" comes from the Kymi River (''Kymijoki''), in the valley of which the race track is located.
Facilities
The main racetrack, designed by Pohjola and Apex Circuit Design Ltd is long. In addition, the complex will have a rallycross track with a joker lap, diverting from the main circuit's finish line.
Driver training facilities for the use of local driving schools are located next to the main track, using parts of the track to provide various customisable training modules. A traffic safety theme park for families with children is also included in the plans.
Kymi Ring in its entirety covers an area of . The infield of the track can be utilised as a venue for fairs, festivals and other mass events, with room for hospitality and dining services. Potential businesses, especially those of the automotive trade, have been designated a business park area at the circuit's outskirts, next to the main road 12.
Accommodation services at the circuit consist mainly of trackside cabins, called "toy barns" by the circuit management.
As of September 2021, the track, paddock and offices have been completed, with the cost of 30 million Euro. The track has permits to build for 150,000m² of floor space, with 9,000m² currently being used. No hotels or grandstands exist yet.
In June 2022, the developer was reported as being in administration, due to two construction companies filing for a non-payment total of €634,000.
Kymi Ring was intended to be the first and only track in the Nordic countries
The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sw ...
designed to meet the highest (Grade 1
First grade (also called Grade One, called '' Year 2'' in England or Primary 2 in Scotland) is the first grade in elementary school and the first school year after kindergarten. Children are usually 6–7 years old in this grade.
Examples by ...
) license requirements for the FIA.
Competitions
In July 2017, Kymi Ring andDorna Sports
Dorna Sports, S.L. is the commercial rights' holder for the motorcycling sport of Grand Prix racing.
Established in 1988 as an international sports management and marketing company, it is headquartered in Madrid, with branch offices and/or subs ...
, the commercial rights holder of MotoGP, signed a five-year contract for organising the Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix
The Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix was part of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing championship from 1962 to 1982. It was held at the Tampere Circuit in 1962 and 1963 before moving to the Imatra Circuit. Giacomo Agostini won the most Finnish ...
. It would be the first time motorcycle racing's premier class would race in the country since 1981.
The event was initially supposed to be on the 2020 MotoGP calendar but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. It was also on the 2021 MotoGP calendar but was later postponed to 2022. Concerns over the circuit were discussed by riders at a Safety Commission meeting at Le Mans. On 25 May 2022, it was announced that the event would once again be removed from the 2022 World Championship season, due to incomplete homologation works together with the risks caused by the ongoing geopolitical situation in the region by the Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
.
Ongoing financial troubles and incomplete construction resulted in the FIM Motocross World Championship
FIM Motocross World Championship is the premier championship of motocross racing, organized by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), divided into two distinct classes: MXGP and MX2. Race duration is 30 minutes plus two laps per ...
and Nitro Rallycross
Nitro Rallycross (Nitro RX, abbreviated to NRX) is an American rallycross racing series. Created by rallycross driver Travis Pastrana and the ''Nitro Circus'' production in 2018, its inaugural season began in 2021. The championship is sanctione ...
cancelling their August 2022 races at the track. The former moved the event to Hyvinkää
Hyvinkää (; sv, Hyvinge, ) is a city and municipality of Finland. It is located in the Uusimaa region, approximately north of the capital Helsinki. The city was chartered in 1960. The population of Hyvinkää is (). Its neighboring muni ...
, while the latter opted not to replace the date with a different location.
References
External links
*Kymi Ring's official website
Apex Circuit Design Ltd
Grand Prix motorcycle circuits Iitti Kouvola Motorsport venues in Finland {{finland-sports-venue-stub