Indianapolis in Oerlikon is a very special event for fans of historic motorsport and classic cars and can hardly be compared to anything else. This is the only way to explain the great popularity year after year. Even longer journeys are no obstacle, with more and more German fans being seen in the suburbs of Zurich. There is obviously something incomparable about this event.
A highlight of the season
The atmosphere at the Velo-Oval is indeed very special and extraordinary. From the riders' point of view anyway. It's hard to believe that riding for three times ten minutes on such a short track (333.3 meters long) can be so much fun. Riding in a vintage sports/racing car (or on a motorcycle) is of course not quite as strenuous as on a bike, but no less challenging.
Different riding technique required
At speeds of between 90 and 120 km/h, depending on the vehicle, you can travel relatively quickly. If you get stuck in the 44.5 degree steep bend during the first lap while still riding slowly, you realize for yourself how steeply inclined the track really is. You almost feel like you're going to tip over. Centrifugal forces tug in unusual directions and change depending on the angle of inclination, requiring both man and machine to rethink.
Overtaking only takes place on the outside, i.e. at the top. The slower rider gives the faster rider the outer, upper line. This results in a strange feeling when you have to turn your head towards the sky to see where your colleague is.
Against all the rules, corner entry is faster than exit, as the centrifugal force quickly moves into the vertical and the chassis is compressed as if two full-grown elephants were sitting in the car. Tires scrape the fender and you tend to steer too much. As the bend flattens out towards the exit, the centrifugal force switches back to its logical outward direction. A short video shows what this looks like from the driver's perspective .
High demands on the material
The centrifugal forces also put an unusual strain on the vehicles, as one example shows: While last year the Lucchini's tight ground clearance with the two elephants in the car was still its downfall and the concrete rubbed through the oil drain plug in the process, this time the car was set as high as possible. The underbody was now at peace, but the heat was getting to the prototype, causing the cooling water to boil.
The car in the center
Eight fields of six cars or seven motorcycles had the great pleasure of doing their laps on the velodrome three times on the evening of July 21, 2015. Over 5000 spectators lined the track, around 4000 of whom came to see the motorized vehicles, while the rest were also interested in the bicycles, which are normally the main attraction on the velodrome.
The Indy cars in their element
The field of six historic Indy cars was certainly the icing on the cake of the event. The fans applauded with great enthusiasm after each round.
Oncoming traffic for once
The Kaufmann brothers offered a small, unexpected highlight with a drive against each other. The Maserati 250F of Georg (the organizer of the event) did its laps in a clockwise direction, while brother Jo drove his BSA B50 T in the opposite direction.
They crossed each other at different points along the route. An action-packed spectacle that certainly provided an adrenaline rush not only for the pilots.
Hot, hotter, ...
The Nudeltopf in Zurich-Oerlikon was really heated up by the scorching sun throughout the day. The drinks stands were booming and when the time finally came for the pilots to indulge in a nice cold beer, all the cold bottles were long since empty, leaving the choice between warm beer or cold mineral water. Hardly anyone was bothered by this, on the contrary, because if business is good, there's a chance of a repeat performance.
Vehicles at the center
The visitors generally showed great interest in the vehicles. Urban Fässler, for example, calmly explained the entire history of his Climax engine in the Cooper Formula 1, which had been restored down to the last detail, several times. As more and more people joined in, the conference could only be stopped by the call to drive. Some of the promoters became a bit of an egotist, as Sauber driver Ernst Sigg put it, when fans kept asking if they could take a seat in one of the numerous racing cars. The visitors were allowed to try out the seats and secretly hoped that they would not stab events like Indianapolis Oerlikon in the back in future votes on noise or emissions legislation ...
