The Misano World Circuit (officially known as Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, and before 2006 called Circuito Internazionale Santa Monica) is a race track located next to the town of Misano Adriatico (Province of Rimini) in the frazione of Santa Monica-Cella.
Originally designed in 1969 as a length of , it hosted its first event in 1972.
In 1993, the track length was increased to .
As of 2007, it began hosting the San Marino and Rimini Coast Grand Prix as part of the MotoGP World Championship.
In 2012, the track was renamed to commemorate Marco Simoncelli, a local motorcycle racer who died in 2011.
History
The circuit was designed in 1969; it was built from 1970 and 1972, and inaugurated that year.
Its initial length was  and only had a small, open pit area.
This version of the circuit hosted three editions of the San Marino motorcycle Grand Prix, from the 1985 season to the 1987 season.
In 1993 it was modified for the first time: the track length was increased to , with the possibility to race both the long and the old short loop; moreover, new facilities and new pit garages were built.
It was at Misano during the 1993 Italian Grand Prix that the defending 500 cc World Champion Wayne Rainey's career ended after he fell and suffered a broken spine.
Between 1996 and 2001 all facilities were improved further, adding more pits and stands.
In 2005, a new access point to the circuit was built, Via Daijiro Kato, in honor of the late Japanese rider, killed during the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix, whose in-season race home was in the Portoverde frazione of Misano Adriatico.
thumb|left|Main straight In order to host again the World motorcycle championship, the circuit was extensively modified in 2006.
The circuit direction was changed to clockwise direction, the track length was brought to , track width has been widened to , facilities were improved, and all security measures have been applied.
The first MotoGP race held on the circuit after the modifications was the 2007 San Marino and Rimini Coast Grand Prix, which was won by "home" marque Ducati.
During the 2010 Moto2 event, Japanese rider Shoya Tomizawa was killed after losing control of his bike and being subsequently struck by both Scott Redding and Alex de Angelis.
Coincidentally this incident occurred 17 years to the day of Wayne Rainey's career ending incident also at Misano.
On 3 November 2011, the circuit owners announced that it would be named after Marco Simoncelli, an Italian motorcycle racer who died during the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang a week prior.
Simoncelli was born in nearby Cattolica and had lived from childhood in Coriano.
On 8 June 2012 the track's new name was confirmed at the San Marino round of the Superbike World Championship.
Lap records
The official race lap records at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli are listed as:
References
External links
Official Homepage in English
