The world's best motocross racers will descend on western Turkey's Afyon for MXGP Turkey on Sept. 6. The city will host the three-day international event for the second time.
It secured hosting rights once again thanks to its outstanding race tracks, deemed one of the best in the world. On the sidelines of MXGP, which is endorsed by the Turkish Presidency, the city will host a Sports and Motorcycle Festival. Some 1,500 people, from racers to crews, will travel to Afyon for the event which is expected to attract at least 30,000 people in total.
More than 100 racers from teams like Yamaha, Honda, KTM, Husqvarna and Kawasaki will race for the top title. The racetrack, which is managed by Afyon Motor Sports Center, was awarded the "best infrastructure" award last year by the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM).
Built on a 250,000 square meters area, it has already hosted a series of events in over the years, from Turkey motocross racing championships to Balkan and European tournaments. The widest opening on the 1,725-meter-long track is 15 meters, and in other parts the track narrows down to as little as 8 meters.