Cremona Circuit CCW
Cremona Circuit CCW Notes:
The Cremona Circuit is a 2.14-mile (3.87-km) race track located near the geographic center of northern Italy, in San Martino del Lago, a small village an hour and a half ride away from Milano. There are 13 turns in the circuit, six right-handers and seven left-handers, with varying angles inclinations. Unlike most road courses today, races at the Cremona Circuit start/finish on the short front straight and not in the 900 meters (2952 feet) back straight, the longest in the raceway. The climate in Cremona has cold, cloudy winter and hot, sunny summers, with a significant rainfall even in the driest months.
The track surface of the Cremona Circuit is immaculate in all its trajectory, with ample runoff areas at both sides to provide the highest security standards for racing. The average speed of the circuit is 76 mph (122 km/h), with high-performance single-seaters reaching a breathtaking top speed of 167 mph (270 km/h) in the longest straight. The road course runs counterclockwise over relatively flat terrain, with the sharp angles of its corners adding a challenging edge to racing at Cremona Circuit. The landscaping around the track leverages the open spaces available at the circuit's location to present a stunning venue compatible with high-profile racing competitions.
CCW Notes:
The counterclockwise configuration at Cremona Circuit reverses the 3.768-kilometer layout near San Martino del Lago in Lombardy, transforming how riders and drivers approach the 11 curves (5 right, 6 left) of this modern Italian facility that gained FIA Grade B classification. Running CCW completely alters the experience of Cremona's signature sections—the wide left-handed stadium turn opening sequence, the tricky Turns 4-5-6 combination, and the ninety-degree right into the T8 hairpin followed by the T10 hairpin before the approximately 1-kilometer main straight. Where the standard clockwise direction has been mastered by World Superbike Championship competitors since the circuit joined the calendar, the reversed layout provides teams with alternative setup testing opportunities and track day participants with fresh mental challenges on the same physical asphalt.
Operating counterclockwise proves particularly valuable at Cremona given the circuit's consistent 12-meter width throughout—wider than many historic Italian circuits but narrower than modern Tilke designs—which creates different overtaking dynamics when corners are approached from reversed angles. The circuit underwent extensive renovation starting in 2021, expanding from its original 3.450 kilometers to the current 3.768-kilometer length while adding new pits, grandstands, press facilities, and race control infrastructure. Running CCW showcases these improvements from opposite perspectives, with the paddock and pit lane positioned differently relative to corner entry/exit points. Lombardy's Po Valley climate creates distinct seasonal variations—hot summer afternoons contrast sharply with cool spring and autumn sessions where morning temperatures affect tire warm-up strategies differently when attacking corners from unfamiliar directions. The counterclockwise option maximizes track utilization during multi-group events and testing sessions, allowing Cremona to serve diverse clientele from World Superbike teams to club-level motorcycle track day participants across Italy's competitive racing scene.
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