Bikernieki Circuit, Rallycross

Bikernieki is Latvia's only permanent motor racing circuit, set within the Bikernieki forest on the outskirts of the capital Riga. Planning began in the late 1950s and early 1960s under chief engineer Peteris Dzenis, with the wooded location chosen partly to dampen noise and to shelter motorcyclists from dangerous crosswinds. Much of the construction was carried out by volunteers, including extensive draining of marshy ground, and the first competitions were held in July 1966 on the newly completed Ring of Skill, with the car-oriented Speed Ring following in 1968. The complex was designed around interlocking layouts that can be combined into a larger ring, characterised by corners of varying radius, few long straights and gentle elevation changes drawn from the forest topography. Through the Soviet era it became the premier racing venue in the USSR, home to the famous Amber Trophy races, before declining after Latvian independence in 1991. From 2011 the circuit passed to Latvia's Road Traffic Safety Directorate and underwent restoration, and it hosted rounds of the FIA World Rallycross Championship from 2016 to 2018 on a course designed by Apex Circuit Design. The principal Ring of Skill layout measures around 3.662 km, and the venue also serves runners, cyclists and cross-country skiers outside of motorsport events.

Operated by: VAS "Ceļu satiksmes drošības direkcija" (CSDD)