It was in October 1966 when the engines of motocross machines roared for the first time about 25 kilometers west of Halle (Saale). The GDR champion in the 500ccm class was sought in the shadow of the large potash heap, accompanied by an open race in the 125ccm class. At that time, paper flags served as route boundaries. The paddock was demarcated with snow fences and an army tent was set up for machine inspection. As provisional as it sounds, professional organizers were already at work for these first races. They came from the “Halle-Saale-Loop” race track, which had fallen victim to the plans for the huge, newly founded prefabricated building city of Halle-Neustadt.
