In 1927, the first race was held on an 8.7km public roads circuit, and the venue was dubbed “Sachsenring” in 1937. Between 1962 and 1971 the East German Motorcycle Grand Prix was held here. In 1971 West German racer Dieter Braun won the East German GP. As he stepped on to the podium, the thousands of fans sang the West German national anthem, after that entries were limited to east European entrants only. In 1990, racing through the village of Hohenstein-Emsthal was considered too dangerous with western machinery becoming ever faster. With the redevelopment of Eastern Germany in the new unified Federal Republic, a new 2.9km short circuit was built in the 1990’s. In 1998 the German Motorcycle Grand Prix was moved from the Nurburgring to the Sachsenring on a faster 3.670km circuit, which runs in an anticlockwise direction. Well known for its party atmosphere and large spectator attendances, the Sachsenring will certainly see a great weekend of racing.

Only two weeks have passed since the last round in Assen, where Tim Reeves and Gregory Cluze took their LCR, Kawasaki to another win, giving them a healthy 51 point lead in the Championship. Reeves has been on the top spot of the podium at the Sachsenring in the past, and he will be hoping that he and Cluze can do the same this year. The team will be on a high having won the last four races in the Championship.

In Assen, the Birchall Brothers Ben and Tom made their comeback to get their title challenge back on track. Driver Ben, still with a bad hand injury from the Isle of Man TT races, fought through the pain barrier to finish a great second to Reeves and Cluze. Brothers Ben and Tom were delighted with the result on their LCR, Suzuki. Although 51 points behind Reeves and Cluze this second place would slot them into second in the Championship fight. The Birchall Brothers have had great success at the Sachsenring in the past, taking four of the last five races here, and they will be hoping to continue that winning streak this year.


A solid fourth place in Assen keeps Uwe Gurck and Manfred Wechselberger third in the Championship, only 1 point behind the Birchall Brothers. German driver Gurck and Austrian passenger Wechselberger know this circuit well, and they will be looking for a good result here to keep them in the title hunt, and possibly get them back in front of the Birchall’s in the Championship points table.

Another pair who know the Sachsenring circuit well is German driver Mike Roscher with Swiss passenger Anna Burkard. They have been working well together throughout the season and they are sitting fourth in the Championship. They are delighted with this and have no intention of letting up. As this is an anticlockwise circuit, it could be very hard work for passenger Burkard, but she would certainly say that the same is true for all the passengers.

Jacob Rutz and Thomas Hofer sit only 2 points behind Roscher and Burkard. They were lucky to finish in Assen, as they had a puncture in the rear tyre causing them to spin on track, but a finish in tenth place gave them 6 valuable points. Rutz and Hofer are another team who know this track well and they will be looking for a big improvement in their Championship points.

The Dutch pairing of Bennie Streuer and Geert Koerts stood on the third spot of the podium at their home GP in Assen, to the delight of the home fans. Currently sixth in the championship, Streuer and Koerts like the feeling of being on the podium and another one here with their immaculately prepared LCR, Suzuki would be a great boost to their campaign.


Petri Makkula and Harri Asumaniemi will want to forget the last round in Assen. After two podiums in Croatia, a DNF in Assen was not what the Finish team were looking for, and they will want to get a good result here at the Sachsenring to try and get their Championship back on track.

Jorg Steinhausen and Axel Kolsch were sidelined from the Championship owing to a massive crash in Croatia, although they still sit in eighth on the leader board. This will give the French team of Phillipe Gallerne and Julien Chesneau a chance to move up the Championship table. The team are lacking power with their RCN, Suzuki, but they have been working away steadily in the Championship, and another finish here will be grist to their mill.

Kurt Hock and Enrico Becker have been absent from the last three races, leaving them way down the Championship table, but if the team are present at the Sachsenring they will go well with their LCR,Suzuki. Hock stood on the top spot of the podium in 2010.

The weekend will see a huge spectator attendance in the Sachsenring and once again the FIM Sidecar World Championship will join Moto GP for this prestigious event.


Words & Pictures Mark Walters

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