Rudskogen Motorsenter, Racing Circuit

Rudskogen Motorsenter is Norway's oldest asphalt racing circuit and, since a state-funded rebuild, the country's designated national motorsport centre. Set on rolling terrain south of Rakkestad in the Ostfold region, it backs onto dense forest and benefits from a southerly location that extends its usable season well beyond Norway's other tracks. The original 1.9 km course was opened on 20 May 1990, with Belgian Formula One driver Thierry Boutsen cutting the ribbon, and was initially run by a partnership of the Sarpsborg motor club, the local municipality and the national automobile federation. In 2006 the Norwegian government chose Rudskogen as its principal motorsport facility, commissioning Hermann Tilke to redesign the site; the expanded layout, pushing south into the forest, opened in 2012 with Sebastian Buemi demonstrating a Red Bull Formula One car. The current circuit measures 3.254 km over 14 turns, with a longest straight of roughly 640 metres and around 42 metres of elevation change, and is regarded as both fast and technically demanding. It has hosted the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship, TCR Denmark, GT4 Scandinavia, Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia and rounds of the F4 Danish Championship, alongside the popular Norwegian Gatebil events. Marc Gene set an unofficial benchmark in a Ferrari Formula One car during a 2013 demonstration. The on-site karting circuit, around 1.2 km long, meets international standards and once staged a European Karting Championship round. The venue is also widely used for testing, manufacturer days and corporate driver training.

Operated by: Rudskogen Motorsenter AS