Motorsport Club Nürnberg (Norisring organiser)
Motorsport Club Nürnberg (Norisring organiser) at a glance
- Location
- Nuremberg, Bavaria
- Type
- club
- Length
- 2.3 km (1.429 mi)
- Turns
- 8
- Direction
- clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1947
- Owner
- City of Nuremberg (circuit); Motorsport Club Nürnberg e.V. (organising club)
- Capacity
- 140,000
- Website
- motorsportclub-nuernberg.de
Track map and layout
Motorsport Club Nürnberg (MCN) is not itself a racetrack but the volunteer motorsport club that owns and organises the Norisring Speedweekend, Germany's only street-circuit round of DTM, on public roads inside Nuremberg's Dutzendteich park. The Norisring itself is a short, fast 2.3 km, 8-corner street circuit built around the wide roads flanking the former Nazi Party rally grounds' Zeppelinfeld grandstand, run clockwise with two long straights and two tight hairpins. MCN, founded in 1905 and refounded after the war in 1947, has run motorsport at the site continuously since its first postwar motorcycle race, making it one of Germany's oldest active motorsport clubs.
Named corners and sections
- Schöller-Kurve. A tight hairpin at the end of the Norisring's main straight, a key overtaking and braking zone.
- Grundig-Kehre. A slow hairpin in the circuit's second half, another prime passing point on the short lap.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Norisring (current layout, 1972-present) | 2.30 km | 8 turns; the circuit MCN has organised racing on since 1972 |
Events and race weekends
MCN's flagship event is the Norisring Speedweekend each July, headlined by DTM alongside the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany and ADAC GT4 Germany as regular support categories. The club also organised motorcycle racing at the Norisring for decades before cars became the main attraction from the mid-1970s onward, and it continues to run the circuit's annual calendar today.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Int. ADAC Norisring Speedweekend (DTM Norisring) | DTM | July | the only street circuit round on the DTM calendar, organised by MCN |
| Porsche Carrera Cup Germany | Porsche Carrera Cup | July | support race for the Speedweekend |
| ADAC GT4 Germany | ADAC GT4 Germany | July | support race for the Speedweekend |
Getting there and parking
The Norisring sits inside Nuremberg's Dutzendteich park, close to the city centre and well served by public transport, which is included free with race tickets. Nuremberg Airport is about 10 km away with a quick U-Bahn connection into the city, from where S-Bahn trains reach the dedicated Frankenstadion station right next to the circuit in under 15 minutes.
- Nuremberg Airport (NUE) · about 20 min drive
- Munich Airport (MUC) · about 100 min drive
Parking
Limited car parking is available near the circuit; because public transport is included with race tickets and roads around the venue close for the event, most visitors are encouraged to travel by S-Bahn rather than drive.
Use the S2 to Frankenstadion station rather than driving — race tickets include free public transport and parking near the circuit is very limited on race weekend.
Hotels and camping near Motorsport Club Nürnberg (Norisring organiser)
Because the Norisring sits inside Nuremberg itself, visitors typically stay in the city rather than in a dedicated circuit town, choosing from the full range of Nuremberg hotels a short tram or train ride from the track. Rooms fill up and prices rise for the July Speedweekend, so early booking is worthwhile.
Where to look
Nuremberg's city centre and the areas around the main train station offer the broadest hotel choice, typically 10-20 minutes from the circuit by public transport.
Camping
A dedicated fan campsite operates near the circuit for the Speedweekend, with showers and food vendors, offering a walkable alternative to a city hotel.
RV
Limited motorhome parking is available around the campsite area for race weekend; spaces are more constrained than at purpose-built circuits given the urban setting.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
As a public-road street circuit, the Norisring is not open for everyday public track days; the roads function as normal city streets outside the Speedweekend. MCN, as the organising club, occasionally hosts closed-road club events, but access is far more limited than at permanent circuits.
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DTM | 0:46.618 | Nico Müller | Audi RS5 Turbo DTM | 2019 |
Spectator guide
The Norisring's short lap and compact footprint mean many grandstands and general-admission areas, all organised by MCN for the Speedweekend, offer views of multiple corners, with the historic Zeppelinfeld grandstand along the main straight giving a striking backdrop to the racing. The circuit's city-park setting makes it one of the most accessible DTM weekends for fans without a car.
Seating
Grandstands line the main straight facing the Zeppelinfeld structure and the circuit's hairpin sections; general-admission areas around Dutzendteich park offer additional free or low-cost viewing.
Best places to watch
Seats facing the Zeppelinfeld grandstand give both dramatic historical context and good sightlines down the main straight and into the following hairpin.
Weather
- July (DTM): warm summer weather typical of Bavaria, highs around 24-27°C
History of Motorsport Club Nürnberg (Norisring organiser)
Why this page is about a club, not a stand-alone venue
Motorsport Club Nürnberg (MCN) is a motorsport club rather than a racetrack in its own right: it is the volunteer organisation that owns and runs the Norisring, Germany's best-known street circuit, so this guide covers the club's history and the venue it operates together. MCN traces its roots to 1905, when it registered as an ADAC local group and ran hillclimbs at Würgauer Berg near Bamberg through the 1920s and early 1930s, before being dissolved under Nazi Gleichschaltung policy in 1933 and struck from the club register in 1937.
Postwar rebirth and the first Norisring race
MCN was refounded on 8 March 1947, and with support from the American occupation authorities its members staged the first postwar motorcycle race in Germany at the newly laid-out Norisring circuit inside Nuremberg's Dutzendteich park later that year. Motorcycle racing, drawing on pre-war and increasingly sophisticated postwar machines, dominated the club's events through the 1950s, with national races from the outset and internationally competitive fields from 1951 onward.
From motorcycles to touring cars
As Nuremberg's motorcycle industry declined through the 1960s and 70s, MCN shifted its focus to cars, and the Norisring became a fixture of German and later international touring car racing. The circuit's current 2.3 km, 8-corner layout has been in place since 1972, and MCN has organised Formula 2, Formula 3 and Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) racing there over the decades.
MCN today
MCN remains an active ADAC-affiliated club with several hundred members, and its flagship event, the Int. ADAC Norisring Speedweekend, continues to be DTM's sole street circuit round, held every July and regularly drawing crowds of well over 100,000 across the weekend. The club's volunteers plan, staff and run the entire event, making MCN one of the longest continuously operating motorsport clubs in Germany.
Frequently asked questions
Is Motorsport Club Nürnberg a racetrack?+
No. MCN is a volunteer motorsport club, not a physical venue; it owns and organises racing at the Norisring, a public-road street circuit inside Nuremberg's Dutzendteich park.
What event does MCN organise?+
MCN's flagship event is the Int. ADAC Norisring Speedweekend each July, headlined by DTM, the only street circuit round on that championship's calendar, alongside support races including the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany.
How old is Motorsport Club Nürnberg?+
MCN traces its roots to 1905 as an ADAC local group, was dissolved under the Nazi regime in the 1930s, and was refounded in 1947, when it staged the first postwar motorcycle race in Germany at the Norisring.
How long is the Norisring, the circuit MCN runs?+
The Norisring is 2.300 km (1.429 miles) long with 8 turns, a layout in place since 1972.
Can the public drive the Norisring?+
No, not on a regular basis. The circuit uses public roads that remain open to normal traffic outside the Speedweekend, so there is no everyday tourist-drive programme.
Other tracks nearby
- Norisring · 0 km · street circuit
- MSC Wieslauftal Rudersberg · 131 km · motocross
- Loketské Serpentiny · 143 km · motocross
- MSC Straßbessenbach · 146 km · motocross
- Kramolín (Automoto klub Nepomuk) · 178 km · motocross
- Hockenheimring · 186 km · road course
Facts checked against 3 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.