The Pista & Piloti event made its debut last October at the test center on the former NATO airfield in Pferdsfeld in the Hunsrück region. The then newly opened 1.6-kilometre test track in the upper part of the site was also part of the new runway, which has now been extended to over 4 kilometers in length thanks to the construction of a new handling course with a 20-degree banked turn and the inclusion of the runway.
However, the organizer Marco Wimmer did not change the actual concept: The aim is to offer enthusiasts of Italian vehicles a stage to drive their cars at racing speed without stress, hectic and timekeeping. As in racing life back then, the field was supplemented with contemporary competitors from other brands.
Class concept retained
In mid-April, the new date - this time on 29.08.2021, the last Sunday in August - was published on the homepage. The almost 200 starting places were then quickly allocated. The class division with the euphonious names "Giro d'Italia", "Gran Premio Alfa Romeo", "Trofeo Alfasud Revival", "Coppa Veloce", "Campionato Formula & Prototipi" and "Gran Premio Tazio Nuvolari" was of course retained.
As in the previous year, it was precisely this last group that shone with mass (well over 30 starters from the pre-war period and the early years thereafter) and real class. Two Alfa Romeo 8Cs, as driven by the eponymous Tazio Nuvolari in 1932, were there. There were also many other pre-war models from Amilcar, Austin, Bentley, Bugatti, BMW, FIAT, Graham Page, Jaguar, Lagoonda, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, MG, Riley, Veritas and Wolseley.
The smallest will be the biggest
In cooperation with the event sponsor Westbank, a "Preservation Cup" was awarded for the best preserved vehicle in its original condition. However, this did not go to one of the numerous pre-war cars, but to the Fiat 500 C Barchetta with the starting number 118 of Anette Lutz-Spross.
The body of the unique car was handcrafted between 1947 and 1950 from the tubes of four stolen bar stools and the aluminum sheet from the wing of a crashed British World War II plane. The small car with only 16.5 hp was in excellent condition. It was precisely this and the extraordinary history that ultimately convinced the expert jury, which visibly amazed the owner in view of the heavyweight competition from the pre-war years.
Parallel events in Imola and Hockenheim
The Bosch Hockenheim Historic, which was moved to the same weekend, and the Minardi Racedays in Imola have cost starters, at least in the formula and prototype classes, as the pool of such vehicles is unfortunately not huge. The Sbarro, the Nomad or the Jefa-Alfa Romeo Formula 2 of Yves Visschers stand out as exotic cars. The Dutchman had even deliberately decided against starting in Imola and opted for Pferdsfeld instead.
Otherwise, vehicles from almost all Italian brands were present. Only a Lamborghini was missing. It was nice to have the Lancia Stratos in a double pack, which brought the rally flair of times long past to life once again in old factory liveries. The competition was of course from Porsche or BMW, but an Opel Rekord P2, a Ford Consul Coupé or a wide-bodied Mazda RX-7 also enriched the scene.
There is no such thing as bad weather
The "race day" (again without spectators due to the coronavirus) was unfortunately a parade representative of the unloved species "Summer 2021". It rained lightly from time to time and the track never really dried out. However, the unpleasant weather did not detract from the event. With the exception of a few spins and straw bale remplers, the 18 15-minute driving sessions went off without any incidents worth mentioning.
Organizer Marco Wimmer was correspondingly satisfied: "It's something of a tradition for us that one event is sunny and then the next is rainy. Nevertheless, I am very satisfied. We are now where we always wanted to be in terms of the number of starters and the route." Next year, however, the event will continue at the same location and again in August. At least the overlap with Hockenheim would then be gone, as they will be racing there in May next year.
