One year before the 50th anniversary in 2023, the 49th AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix finally took place on the weekend of August 12 to 14, 2022 after a two-year interruption (corona pandemic and flood disaster on the Ahr). More than 20 races and regularity tests in perfect midsummer weather conditions made up for the long wait for the approximately 30,000 visitors at the weekend as well as the teams and drivers and created an almost euphoric atmosphere at the Nürburgring.
Saturday in particular was very well attended, finally there were again long columns on the approach and at the end full grandstands, which also applauded loudly again and again, just as one is used to from past times.
Loyal old-timers
The oldest cars included Peterheinz Kern in a Mercedes 680 S, in which Rudolf Caracciola won the inaugural race at the Nürburgring in 1927, and Uli Sauer in a BMW 328 (1938), who is the most loyal participant in the event with 49 participations in the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix.
"I'm very satisfied with the weekend," he summed up - probably also on behalf of many other participants. "To be honest, the race result doesn't count for me - there are enough trophies on the shelf at home. I don't really need any more. But I want to have fun with my classic car friends, and that was a complete success here. I'm very happy with the whole weekend."
Young newcomers
Former DTM driver Peter Oberndorfer, who came to the Eifel as series manager of the newly founded DTM Classic Cup: "I used to race here a lot myself, but this weekend gave me a completely new perspective. The OGP is an internationally important event, so it was fitting to include this event in the DTM Classic Cup season calendar. The flair is unique, there are lots of visitors and lots of beautiful cars here at the Nürburgring: we fitted in well here as a series, it was worth coming here."
Into the night
The two-seater racing cars and GTs up to 1960/61 raced late into the night on Saturday evening in the one-hour final race of the day. With the "Birdcage" Maserati, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, Porsche 904 and RSK 718, Jaguar C- and D-Type, Lotus Eleven, some of the most beautiful and historic sports cars of all time presented themselves in photogenic evening light.
The beautiful "small" and lightweight Lotus Eleven from the 1950s once again showed their great potential and relegated their mostly much more powerful opponents to the back of the field.
Ring legend
The field of CanAm and Group C sports cars included a true Ring legend: A yellow Porsche 917 driven by Willi Kauhsen in the early 70s. However, it did not go down in Nürburgring history with a major racing success, but rather had the honor of chauffeuring the then German President Gustav Heinemann for a lap around the partially snow-covered Nordschleife in the spring of 1973.
The participation of a BMW E30 325i Gr. A and an Opel Ascona DRM among all the large-volume V8 monsters was not really logical.
Formula 1 racing cars from back then
In the premier class, Marco Werner once again showed his great skills. In the first race on Saturday, he had to concede defeat in the Lotus 87B due to slight misfires and brake problems, which meant he even missed out on the podium.
The McLaren MP4/1 of Briton Steve Hartley took the win. But on Sunday it was the other way around, or rather the old order was restored. Werner won ahead of Hartley.
Absence of the German manufacturers?
It's just a pity that the big German manufacturers are increasingly divorcing themselves from their history and no longer see any point in taking part in major historic events. The only advantage of this is that the paddock area no longer takes up quite so much space and the GP circuit can therefore be driven over its full length. No more short connection after the first corner, which makes things much more interesting from a driving and photographic point of view.
Long live the future (of the past)
The future of the event is also permanently secured: The event's organizer community reached an early agreement with the representatives of the tradition-steeped Eifel racetrack to continue the many years of good cooperation and to extend the event contract well beyond the current term, which is secured until next year.
This means that the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix will also be held at the Ring for the five subsequent years from 2024 to 2028, so the 50th staging can already be looked forward to with pleasure.
