Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli

The Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli (formerly Santamonica International Circuit until 2006, and only Misano World Circuit from 2006 to 2012) is a motorcycle circuit located in the municipality of Misano Adriatico, in the province of Rimini, precisely in the hamlet of Santa Monica and close to the basin of the Conca. It is named in memory of Marco Simoncelli, an Italian motorcyclist who died in 2011. Starting from the 1991 motoring season, Misano hosts on this track the traditional race of the Superbike world championship, since 2007 the Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera of the world championship and from 2018 the Italian stage of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters; exceptionally in 2020 it also hosts the Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna and the Rimini Riviera, also valid for the world championship. The idea of ​​building a circuit in this strip of the Romagna plain so linked to the mutor started in the early sixties. Designed and built under the aegis of Enzo Ferrari by a technician such as engineer Cavazzuti, the works began in 1970 and on 4 August 1972 it was tested: the newspapers of the time gave an excellent opinion on this system. The names assigned to the curves: bruta pela in dialect, the curve of the Sunset, of the Quercia, of the Carro, entered with familiarity in the speeches of enthusiasts. From 1980 to 1993 it hosted some motorcycle Grand Prix valid first as the Motorcycle Grand Prix of Nations, from 1985 to 1987 as the San Marino Motorcycle Grand Prix and finally as the Italian Motorcycle Grand Prix, alternating in the first and third cases. with the Monza, Imola and Mugello circuits. The last edition in 1993 culminated with the terrible accident that happened to the American driver Wayne Rainey at the exit from the bend in Misano, which ended the racing career of the 3 times world champion in the 500 class. The circuit also hosted the first and fifth episode of the 1988 edition of Games without Borders. The podium of the circuit at the 2010 World Championship After the death of Marco Simoncelli, which took place on 23 October 2011 during the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, fans and enthusiasts have brought forward the idea of ​​naming the Misano track in memory of the Italian rider (who lived in Coriano, a few kilometers from distance from the runway). On 2 November 2011 the board of directors of Santamonica S.p.A., owner of the track, decided to accept the request and to associate the name of the Romagna circuit with that of Simoncelli. The name change was made official on 9 June 2012, on the occasion of the San Marino Superbike Grand Prix.