The planets must have aligned oddly in the past 24hrs, as there has been an over-abundance of news about motorcycle racing venues in the past day or so. In addition to the reports that Donington Park has gotten the go-ahead to host the WSBK European round at the end of this month, we’ve also gotten word that the Spanish track of Jerez has hit financial troubles, which could jeopardize the track on MotoGP’s calendar.
A contrast to that latter report, Dorna and Motorland Aragon (you know, that other Spanish track) have announced that Aragon will remain a permanent stop on the GP calendar through the year 2016. While MotoGP fans aren’t likely keen on hearing that Spain will account for nearly 25% of the stops on the GP calendar, the 2010 Aragon GP was immensely popular last year, attracting 70,000 spectators to the otherwise remote location.
Motorland Aragon originally came onto the MotoGP calendar last year, as a replacement for the Hungarian GP, which was to be hosted at the still incomplete Balatonring. With that foreign venue still in completion pergatory, and the Spanish track getting very favorable reviews from riders, journalists, and fans, the move seems like an easy choice for Dorna, who can count on the rabid Spanish market to soak up more motorcycle racing.
Of course if trouble continues to brew for the folks at Jerez de la Frontera, Aragon could be just one of three Spanish tracks on MotoGP’s future calendars, leaving Dorna to once again look for a premier class level venue. Either way, we hope some more infrastructure gets built-up around Motorland Aragon, which would help solidify the venue as one of the top spots on the GP calendar.
Source: MotoMatters; Photo: Ducati Corse
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