Coinciding with the Hungarian Grand Prix at the weekend was the announcement that the country is about to have a second race track, although centred around motorcycle racing and MotoGP in particular.

The week before the Hungarian Grand Prix, Dorna Sports (promoters of MotoGP), Sedesa Real Estate and the Hungarian Minister for Economy and Development, Gordon Bajnai held a joint press conference to announce the building of a brand new international race track on the southwest shore of Hungary's major tourist region, Lake Balaton, 140 kms south of Budapest.

The new Balatonring will be 4.65 kms in length and occupy a site of 252 hectares near the small town of Savoly, just 15 minutes from the FlyBalaton International airport. The total cost of the project is 172.34 million Euros. It will generate 800 permanent jobs, and will be operated by a new company jointly owned 30 percent by the Hungarian Tourist Board and 70 percent by Worldwide Circuit Management. The circuit is expected to host its first Balaton GP in 2009 at the earliest during the off-peak season of the Balaton region.

It is not known if the circuit will host car races, but it will be a fairly tight track, winding in and out of itself in a stadium format so that spectators will be able to see much of the circuit. The circuit is necessary because the Hungaroring is unable to cater for motorcycle racing, driving fans of Hungarian riders World 125cc Champion Gabor Talmacsi and 250cc rider Imre Toth over the border to Brno in the Czech Republic to see them race.