The FIM World Endurance Championship will return to Belgium in 2006, with the a new event; the Zolder 1000km race. The race is provisionally scheduled for the 16th/17th of June, and will take place on the much improved Circuit Zolder.

Circuit Zolder is the original home of the 24H de Liege and is the only FIM homologated circuit in Belgium. An exclusive three-year contract has been signed with the World Endurance Championship, and the aim is to homologate the circuit for World Superbike events in the future.

The Zolder circuit is 3.977km long, and was constructed in 1963. Racing activities started at Zolder in the 1950s, and the circuit is currently home to rounds of the World Motocross and World Supermoto as well as a number of international car and truck racing events. The circuit is located in central Belgium, close to the E314 motorway which runs between Brussels and Aachen

More information: www.circuit-zolder.be

The official press release follows…

Belgium Back at International Speed

Through the years, Circuit Zolder has established an outstanding reputation as a car, motorcycling and bicycle racing sports centre. In the last few years, motorcycling has been in the spotlight, not only for the hosting - and organising - of the Motocross des Nations and the MX GP of Flanders, but also for the activities of Motorsportschool Zolder. The format Motorsportschool Zolder introduced in 1998 is growing continuously, as are the Club MET runs that are held on Mondays during the racing season.

Circuit Zolder now makes an important move towards race bikes. During the visit of FGSport managing director Vincenzo Lamaro to Circuit Zolder on Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st June 2005, both parties concluded an exclusive contract; for the next 3 years a heat of the FIM World Endurance Championship will take place at Circuit Zolder.

1000km Race on New Circuit

The provisional date set for 2006 is the weekend of 16th and 17th June, subject to changes in the international calendars of MotoGP and World Superbikes. This means that the 1000km race will be held on the rebuilt circuit, because in March 2006 the entire track will be re-asphalted and two chicanes will be adjusted to obtain the latest FIM and FIA licences.

Jos Driessen, President of the Belgian Motorcycling Association, and Claude Danis, FIM CCR President, are very please to welcome the World Endurance Championship to Belgium. Danis was closely associated with the track transformations from day one, and had early access to the circuit plans. As a Belgian FIM official he applauds the visit of the World Endurance Championship to Circuit Zolder:

"The International Motorsport Federation applauds the comeback of the World Endurance Championship to Belgium. Formerly, the 24H de Liege used to be a traditional heat of this championship.

"FGSport, the official promoter of this championship on behalf of the FIM, was - out of consciousness of the popularity and the history of endurance in Belgium - a zealous advocate of this return. Zolder, the original location for the first editions of the 24H de Liege, is a self-evident choice. As a matter of fact, Zolder is the only circuit in Belgium that has decided to carry out the necessary safety-increasing works to obtain FIM homologation, a prerequisite to organise a world championship heat.

"The improvements to the circuit are planned in two stages. The first stage will enable the circuit to obtain the homologation for the World Endurance Championship; when the second stage is realised, the circuit should be able to gain homologation for the Superbike World Championship. As anywhere in the world, the FIM follows the progress of the works with Argus' eyes and assists the circuit managers during the development of the plans.

"Road races have a long history in Belgium. It was a true shame that Belgium no longer featured on the world championship calendar. Now, Zolder is resuming the glorious past by offering the many amateurs of this sport the opportunity to live these prestigious races again. The Belgian Motorcycling Federation has decided to affiliate again with the Road Racing World Championship organising federations, so that this discipline can be developed in a serene manner. I express words of thanks to Zolder, to FGSport and to FMB."

The last road racing world championship organised in Belgium was in 2001, when the 24H de Liege was run under the World Endurance Championship flag. Further, the only MotoGP ever organised at Zolder dates back to 1981 - the event was won by Randy Mamola. 26 years on, Circuit Zolder makes its comeback to motorcycling featuring the best in world motorcycle racing.