Karlskoga Motorstadion

History

Karlskoga Motorstadion began as a 1.550 km dirt track built in 1949, hosting its first race, the Kanonloppet, on 4 June 1950. The surface was paved with asphalt for the second Kanonloppet in 1952, extending the circuit to 1.600 km. A year later, the addition of the Björkdungskurvan section—later renamed Tröskurvan—brought the length to 2.000 km. In 1958, the Velodromkurvan section was added, pushing the track to 3.172 km.

Non-championship Formula One races took place in 1961, 1962, and 1963, featuring drivers like Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, and Jack Brabham. The Swedish Grand Prix was held there in 1967, won by Jackie Stewart, and the Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix in 1979, won by Barry Sheene. A crash on 8 August 1970 during a touring car event forced a two-year closure: a Ford Escort and a BMW 2002 locked together at a flat-out right-hander, went off the track, bounced over the banking, and killed five spectators.

After a period of decay, major renovations began in the 1990s and 2000s. In 1992, the track was shortened to 2.530 km, the pit area was relocated, and facilities were upgraded. Safety improvements included redesigning Tröskurvan and removing the velodrome section entirely, reducing the circuit to 2.400 km. In 2017, the final corner was modified, shortening the track to its current 2.350 km.