At the 47th AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix, which attracted around 53,500 spectators at the Nürburgring from August 9 to 11, 2019, around 500 historic racing cars were on the move in over a dozen racing and demonstration runs, flexing their muscles and roaring their engines. In mixed weather conditions, there was plenty of variety on the Grand Prix circuit almost around the clock.
While the works delegations were largely conspicuous by their absence, the amateurs ensured surprisingly full starting fields and plenty of variety, just like the first races almost 50 years ago.
The breathtaking evening race on Saturday
Race 5, which has been a popular evening race for two-seater racing cars and GT vehicles from the 1950s to 1960/61 for many years, could not complain about a lack of interest at all. Because more than the permitted 50 teams registered, it was even necessary to screen the entries.
It was reminiscent of the Le Mans races of the 1950s, especially as dusk fell and only the headlights could reveal the individual vehicles.
Michael Gans ultimately won the race after a good two hours and 30 laps; the Lotus 15 with its slender four-cylinder engine had kept up reliably. Second place went to the Lister Chevrolet Knobbly of Lewis/Majzub followed by the Elva Mk VII S of Wulf/William.
Touring Car Classics with the stars of yesteryear
The cars of the former DTM also provide a highlight. In the Touring Car Classics, they drive real races and flex their muscles. The 1980 Ford Capri Zakspeed Turbo, driven by Peter and Stefan Mücke, did this best.
They actually managed to leave even much more modern touring cars such as the BMW E46 WTCC or Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM from the year 2000 in their wake.
There were also seasoned heroes in the field, such as Klaus Niedzwiedz in the Ford Sierra RS 500: "It's impressive that the response from the general public is so great; many visitors here are from my generation, but I also see a lot of younger people who are interested in these cars," said the Dortmund native.
Alongside him, Volker Strycek (Opel Omega) and Prince Leopold of Bavaria (BMW M3, of course) also took to the steering wheel as they did back then and thrilled the many spectators in the grandstands.
Many classic cars also took part in the DRM Revival, almost taking the spectators back to the touring car era. The flame-spitting racing cars have always been among the crowd's favorites.
Historic Formula 1 racing cars
The FIA Masters Historic Formula One Championship once again provided a colorful and melodious starting grid with more than a dozen Formula 1 cars from the late seventies and early eighties with Cosworth engines.
The gaps were rather smaller than in modern F1, but Stretton was able to win both races in the Tyrrell 012, albeit by a relatively small margin. In the first race, Cantillon in the Williams FW07C followed in second place, followed by Matteo Ferreraza in the Ligier JS11/15 in the second race on Sunday.
The historic Grand Prix cars went even further back in time, with the Maserati 250F also featuring the great winners of the 1950s.
However, these cars had little to do with the outcome of the race, with Michael Gans in the Cooper T 79 narrowly taking the lead in the first race, while the second race went to Peter Horsman in the Lotus 18/21.
Fierce competition in the Formula Junior cars
The Formula Junior monoposti of the FIA Lurani Trophy were almost skin-deep. Manfredo Rossi Di Montelera, competing in a Lotus 22, took the top step of the podium twice, while Bruno Weibel, also in a Lotus 22, was only fractions of a second behind on both occasions after 13 laps.
Third place went to Pierro Tonetti in a Brabham BT6, which until recently was considered almost unbeatable in the E1 class.
The FIA Lurani Trophy was very well attended with over 40 formula cars with mid and front engines.
Beautiful GT cars
For many spectators, however, it is not the single-seaters but the GT sports cars that are the favorites. They once again impressed at the Nürburgring with their beautiful shapes and impressive sound backdrops.
Whether four, six, eight or twelve cylinders, almost every firing order could be heard.
The GT cars battled it out in various races and series and put on a fine display of racing.
The prototypes in the FIA Masters Historic Sports Car Championship also offered such racing. Lola ahead of Chevron and Abarth Osella was the order of finish, but some spectators might have preferred to see the magnificent Alfa Romeo 33 TT 3 on the podium.
Attractive soundscape
You could hear how good the racing cars sounded back then in almost every racing series, and even the pre-war cars had a lot to offer in terms of musicality. You can hear some of them in this video clip:
Right up to the present day
But the AvD OGP was not just about celebrating the past.
With the Masters Endurance Legends, the racing cars of the future were presented, so to speak, which was well received by the spectators - after all, the cars of the nineties will soon be part of the classic car segment too. Who knows which sports and racing cars will be at the start of the 68th OGP in 2040.
Things to see around the track
As always, it was not only the races and demonstration runs, of which there were of course many in 2019, that attracted the interest of the public.
Around 30 club meetings took place around the race track, around 70 exhibitors from all areas of historic racing presented their skills in the paddock and there were interesting goodies to buy everywhere. There was also a wide range of culinary delights on offer, so nobody had to go hungry or thirsty.
The classic spirit pervaded the entire area, with a historical touch to the stands everywhere.
From a spectator's point of view, at any rate, it was a successful event that offered more than could be captured in two days.
