The 6th edition of the historic airfield race in Zweibrücken (for two, three and four-wheelers) took place on the last weekend in August. The organizing team around Wolfgang Heinz was able to attract over 200 starters to the Western Palatinate. This was despite two major histo events running in parallel in Pferdsfeld (Pista & Piloti) in nearby Hunsrück and the Motorcycle Oldtimer GP in the distant Austrian town of Schwanenstadt. There was a pleasing increase in the number of starters in the formula and prototype classes as well as in the motorcycle sidecars. As in the previous year, Class 3 for classic cars and youngtimers built up to 2000 was once again packed and booked out early despite the division into two separate fields of 30 starters each.
With all the chicanes
In recent years, the entrance to the paddock had been a little slow at times, but the organizer had revised the concept and this time everything ran smoothly and nobody had to wait long. Two changes were also made to the route: Firstly, the hairpin used in the STW races in the 90s was used as a "natural" chicane instead of the pylon variant. Secondly, the transition from the runway to the connecting track to the taxiway, i.e. the back straight, was significantly slowed down by a chicane.
Corso into the city
This year, the three-day event will once again kick off with a police-escorted parade from the airfield down to the Rathausplatz in the heart of the city. However, the trip into the city center was much shorter and smaller this time, as it started raining right on time for the start and some people preferred to stay in the paddock.
The airfield race
The first day of racing on Saturday also began with light rain, but this only bothered the first three classes. After that it was dry and on Sunday in particular it was even T-shirt weather. The name "airfield race" primarily serves to improve marketing. Demo runs and regularity tests actually take place. The sporting regulations have remained the same: The first run on Saturday was for practice, in the second the target time was set. This in turn had to be repeated seven times in each of the two timed runs on Sunday.
In Class 2 for racing cars, Christoph Neichel won in the Golf I (1982) with 10.57 points. Class 3 was judged together despite two separate fields. As in the previous year, the Luxembourg team Ken Wiltgen/Thomas Langer triumphed here in a BMW M3 (1982).
Save the Date!
Next year, the event will continue at the same location: On March 29th, there will be a test drive. The seventh edition of the airfield race is scheduled for the weekend of August 28-30.
