On the Monday before the actual date, the breaking news reached our mailboxes that the "Indianapolis in Oerlikon" would be postponed by two days due to bad weather... This is probably not a decision an organizer likes to make, as participants and spectators often make a note of dates in their calendars weeks in advance, but rarely the alternative date.
Nevertheless, the grandstands fill up early in the evening and queues form at the "Suure Moscht" and beer kiosks. The weather is perfect, sunny and a little cloudy, not too hot but still really summery, the perfect mix.
We at Zwischengas have written in enough detail about the history and value of the concrete cycling track in Oerlikon in last year's reports(2011, 2012, 2013)...
Nevertheless, one thing has to be mentioned again and again: as soon as you see the old archaic concrete track, the steep walls stretching up towards the sky, the grandstands and the steps still looking like they used to, it's a very special feeling. Authentic, just like the historic racing cars that are already lined up side by side inside the oval and are eagerly viewed and photographed by visitors...
With the obligatory bratwurst in hand, you mingle with the people. Many people know each other, pat each other on the back, shake hands, exchange the latest news, it feels like a very big family, very cozy, somehow familiar, because perhaps everything and everyone is so close together, and it's funny too.
Although the first demo run is about to start, people are still busy discussing and looking at details.
Some drivers are already sitting in the vehicle and taking a short break...
...others are still taking their time, but have already laid out their helmets and gloves properly.
Anyone who has been to the Indianapolis in Oerlikon in the last few years will probably know almost all the vehicles. Nevertheless, new ones keep popping up, such as Ruedi Stoop's Lucchini Group C car from 1989.
Ernst Sigg's fully restored Sauber C2 racing car from 1972 is also spotted in Oerlikon for the first time:
Among the pre-war racing cars, there are also new vehicles for Oerlikon, such as the beautiful Buick C8 Racing Car from 1939, equipped with a 300 hp 4.2-liter engine:
Of course, the noodle top cars are not missing either, from the legendary Stutz Blackhawk to the brute Nash 480 Aeropower to the hunchbacked but nimble Miller Sprintcar, they are all there.
Then it finally starts... the drivers form up for the "blind lap".
While the first category is still completing its laps, the next participants are already preparing, this time the Indycars!
Between the demo runs (bike fans would rather call the classic cars the intermediate program), the bike races start.
But it's not just the classic cars that are fast... when the last lap ticks off, the cyclists are also pretty fast...
While the cyclists do their laps, it gets more and more crowded inside the oval, but not at all uncomfortable. On the contrary, there is more and more discussion and parleying about technical details...
The views from inside the oval are always impressive. Unusual perspectives reveal themselves to the viewer: the racing cars "fly" by virtually above the sunshades:
The race track is not entirely safe to drive due to the special angle of inclination and transitions between the steep wall and the straight. While most drivers hold back their racing genes, there are a few hot head-to-head maneuvers in the Indycars:
And so the evening flies by and ends in the most beautiful summer evening light.
As every year, we can really recommend this event to every classic car fan, because nowhere else do we experience such a special, cozy, authentic and familiar atmosphere as at the "Oerlikon in Indianapolis" event.
Congratulations once again to the organizer Georg Kaufmann for this wonderful event. See you next time!
