Rudskogen Motorsenter

Rudskogen Motorsenter at a glance

Location

Rakkestad, Østfold

Type

road course

Length

3.254 km (2.022 mi)

Turns

14

Surface

asphalt

Elevation change

138 ft

Opened

1990

Address

Rudskogen Motorsenter, Highway 111

Website

rudskogen.no

Track map and layout

Rudskogen Motorsenter's current 3.254 km, 14-turn layout was designed by German track architect Hermann Tilke and opened in 2012, replacing the original 1.901 km, 10-turn circuit used from 1990. The technically demanding lap uses a 640 m longest straight and around 42 m of elevation change to test both car and rider, and its southerly location in Østfold gives it roughly eight extra weeks of usable season each year compared with most other Norwegian circuits. The site also includes a 1.2 km go-kart track and dedicated areas for enduro, motocross/FMX and children's riding.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

Designated by the Norwegian government in 2006 as the country's main national motorsport facility, Rudskogen hosts Norway's top-level car and motorcycle racing, including Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia and Nordic 4 Championship rounds, alongside national touring car and formula series. It is best known internationally as the home of the Gatebil festival, a huge car culture and track-day event blending drifting, drag racing, show-and-shine and open-track sessions, held at Rudskogen multiple times a year.

Getting there and parking

Rudskogen sits on Highway 111 between Sarpsborg and Rakkestad in Østfold, about an hour's drive from Oslo and roughly 2.5 hours from Gothenburg, making it accessible for both Norwegian and Swedish visitors. A dedicated station once served the circuit on the Eastern Østfold Line for shuttle trains during major 1990 events, but it was never part of the scheduled network and has long been closed, so a car is the practical way to reach the venue today.

• Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL) · about 90 min drive
• Oslo Torp Sandefjord Airport (TRF) · about 90 min drive

Parking

On-site parking is available for event days, with additional capacity opened for major festivals such as Gatebil.

Book accommodation well ahead of the Gatebil Main Festival in July, when the surrounding area's limited lodging sells out fast.

Hotels and camping near Rudskogen Motorsenter

Sarpsborg and Fredrikstad, both around 30-40 minutes away, offer the nearest wider choice of hotels, while Oslo, about an hour's drive north, is a practical alternative base for visitors combining a circuit visit with time in the capital.

Where to look

Sarpsborg and Fredrikstad for proximity; Oslo for a bigger city base with more transport options.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

Rudskogen runs an extensive programme of driver training, car and motorcycle club track days, drop-in go-karting on Fridays and Saturdays through the April-October season, and courses that continue into winter, including circuit driving on snow and ice. The circuit's own events calendar and the Gatebil festival are the main routes for public track access.

Who runs days here

• Rudskogen Motorsenter (official circuit)both
• Gatebilboth

Spectator guide

As Norway's designated national motorsport facility, Rudskogen has grandstand and viewing infrastructure built for its top-level racing calendar, with the technically demanding, elevation-rich Tilke layout giving spectators varied sightlines across several corners from the main viewing areas.

Seating

Grandstand seating is concentrated around the start-finish straight, with additional trackside viewing along the circuit's elevated sections.

Best places to watch

High ground overlooking the circuit's elevation changes gives good views across multiple corners, particularly popular during Gatebil for watching drift and drag action.

Weather

• April-October (main season): temperate Østfold climate, warmest July-August around 18-22°C

History of Rudskogen Motorsenter

Norway's national motorsport home

Rudskogen Motorsenter opened on 20 May 1990 in Rakkestad, Østfold, in southeastern Norway, with an original 1.901 km, 10-turn circuit. Its southerly location gave the track a longer usable season than most Norwegian venues, and it steadily grew into one of the country's most important motorsport facilities through the 1990s and 2000s, hosting national car and motorcycle racing across multiple disciplines.

A Tilke rebuild and national status

In 2006, the Norwegian government selected Rudskogen as the country's main national motorsport facility, and the circuit was rebuilt to a new design by German track architect Hermann Tilke, reopening in 2012 as a 3.254 km, 14-turn layout with a 640 m longest straight and around 42 m of elevation change. The redevelopment also added a 1.2 km go-kart track and dedicated enduro, motocross/FMX and children's riding areas, turning the site into a broad multi-discipline motorsport centre rather than a single circuit.

Home of Gatebil and top-level Nordic racing

Since the rebuild, Rudskogen has hosted rounds of Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia, the Nordic 4 Championship and other national touring car and formula series, cementing its role as Norway's premier circuit racing venue. It has also become internationally known as the permanent home of the Gatebil festival, a large-scale car culture event combining drifting, drag racing and open trackday sessions, with its flagship Main Festival each July drawing enthusiasts from across Scandinavia and beyond.

Frequently asked questions

Other tracks nearby

• Glimminge Motorstadion · 122 km · motocross
• Vålerbanen · 152 km · road course
• Kinnekulle Ring · 153 km · road course
• Gelleråsen Arena (Karlskoga Motorstadion) · 184 km · road course
• Skövde Circuit · 186 km · historic circuit (defunct)
• Mantorp Park · 256 km · road course