The circuit was established in 1971 by the ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club) as an economical option for motorsport promotion in central Germany. Its first major event was the ADAC Hessenpreis, held on August 22, 1971. Laying out a racing circuit on airfield infrastructure allowed the organizers to avoid the capital costs of a permanent purpose-built facility while still hosting nationally and internationally sanctioned events.
The original circuit measured 2.645 kilometres and was used from 1971 to 1981. In 1982 the layout was modified to 2.590 kilometres, and this second configuration was used until the circuit closed in 1987. Both layouts followed the characteristic pattern of airfield circuits: long straights connected by relatively slow corners dictated by the geometry of the runway intersections, producing lap times in the 54–65 second range depending on the class.
The circuit hosted German Formula Three from 1971 to 1980 and again in 1982, and European Formula Three from 1976 to 1980 and 1982 — the latter being the series' highest-profile category and the primary proving ground for future Formula One talent. The Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft (DRM), Germany's principal sports car championship, held rounds at Kassel-Calden in 1972, 1973, and from 1975 to 1978. The Interserie, a more open-class sports car series that accommodated Can-Am machinery, visited from 1974 to 1980.
The circuit's lap records reflect the calibre of machinery and drivers that competed there. Bob Wollek set the Group 5 record of 54.800 seconds in a Porsche 935/77A during the 1978 DRM round. In Group 6 sports prototype competition, Herbert Müller set 55.200 seconds in a Porsche 917/30 at the 1974 Interserie round, with Volkert Merl subsequently setting 54.990 seconds in a Porsche 908/03 at the 1980 Interserie. In Formula Three, Corrado Fabi set 55.250 seconds in a March 803 at the 1980 European Formula Three round, with Oscar Larrauri subsequently setting the F3 record of 1:04.870 in an Euroracing 101 at the modified-layout 1982 European F3 round.
The European and German Formula Three programmes at Kassel-Calden attracted drivers who went on to significant careers in Formula One. Corrado Fabi, who set the F3 lap record there, became a Grand Prix driver in the early 1980s. Oscar Larrauri, who set the revised F3 record in 1982, also reached Formula One. The Interserie brought established sports car names including Müller and the Porsche works programme.
The circuit held its last event in 1987 and did not reopen thereafter. Its sixteen-year operating life covered what many regard as the most competitive era of German national motorsport and the formative years of the European Formula Three championship as a feeder series for Formula One.
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