Circuits

Austrian racing circuits

The history of motor racing in Austria has been largely dominated by the various racing tracks which have existed around the village of Zeltweg, in the Styrian region (See A1 Ring). There have, however, been various others with street racing in Innsbruck and on the airfields of Tulln-Langenlebarn (which is 30 miles to the north-west of Vienna on the River Danube) and at Aspern, on the eastern side of the Danube, close to Vienna.Tulln-Langenlebarn was an operating airfield on which was laid out a 1.78-mile track which was used for Formula 2 races between 1967 and 1971. Aspern was originally Vienna's main airport but after World War II became a recreational airfield. The area is now being developed as Vienna expands to the east.Apart from the A1 Ring, Austria's only permanent racing facility is the Salzburgring, which is hidden away in the wooded hills behind Salzburg on the road to Hof and the lakes of the Salzkammergut. Built in the 1960s it was originally a motorcycle circuit but eventually began to host international Formula 2 races and eventually rounds of the World Sportscar Championship and the European Touring Car series. The high-speed nature of the track and the fact that it was crammed into a narrow valley meant that creating the necessary run-off areas was very difficult. Today the tracks hosts Formula 3 events and motorcycle races.