Misano World Circuit to Honor Marco Simoncelli

The board of directors for the Misano World Circuit in Rimini, Italy, announced the circuit’s name will become associated with the late Marco Simoncelli. The site of the San Marino Grand Prix and Simoncellli’s home track, the Misano circuit will bear Simoncelli’s name in some fashion, though the official name won’t be announced until after discussing the issue with the Simoncelli family.

“We owe it to the memory of Sic,” says Luca Colaiacovo, circuit president, “his family, to the hundreds of thousands of fans who admired the courage and humanity, the many personalities from the sports world and media that gave voice to this true and its popular movement, spontaneous and moving. We are so happy and proud to associate the plant with Marco Simoncelli Misano, a champion in sport and in life. ”

Though the circuit will associated with Simoncelli’s name, the board of directors announced it would not use Simoncelli’s name for sales or marketing purposes. The circuit will also work with the rider’s famiy to establish the new Marco Simoncelli Foundation.

The Misano circuit has had its own share of tragedies over the years. Last year, Showya Tomizawa died after a crash in a Moto2 race at Misano, and in 1993, three-time World Champion Wayne Rainey became paralyzed from the chest down following a crash at the Rimini circuit.

The late Daijiro Kato who died in the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix, at one point lived near the Misano circuit and now has a street that leads to the race track named in his honor.

Simoncelli’s father, Paolo, pictured above watching his son leave the Gresini garage at this year’s Misano race, has requested that this weekend’s MotoGP season finale in Valencia will not have a minute of silence, but instead honor his son with a minute of noise, with racebikes from the MotoGP, Moto2 and 125cc classes.

[Source: Misano Circuit (translated via Google), Gresini, MotoGP.com]