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Fly & Drive - The beginning and end of popular airfield races

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Created in 2017

Reading time 11min

Written by:

Rainer Braun

Photos:

Hallo Fahrerlager (diverse Archive)

14

Hallo Fahrerlager (diverse Archive)

14

Fly & Drive - BMW 1800 im Zweikampf beim Flugplatzrennen Trier 1966

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Fly & Drive - BMW 1800 beim Flugplatzrennen Trier 1966

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Fly & Drive - 1969 kracht es in München-Neubiberg bei der Formel 3 gleich in der Startrunde

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Fly & Drive - Chaos beim Formel Fiesta Cup in der Startrunde beim Sieferland-Flugplatzrennen 1983

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Fly & Drive - BMW 2002 Turbo beim DRM-Lauf in Kassel-Calden 1977

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Fly & Drive - Eigenwillige Reparatur eines NSU Prinz im Fahrerlager am Flugplatzrennen Finthen 1964

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Fly & Drive - Fahrerbesprechung Flugplatzrennen Mainz Finthen 1966

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Fly & Drive - Flugplatzfest Innsbruck 1968 Sieger Sepp Greger, Johannes Ortner und Dieter Quester

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Fly & Drive - GLAS 1304 TS-Privatfahrer raufen beim verregneten Flugplatzrennen Wunstorf 1967 um den Klassensieg

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Fly & Drive - Schnappschuss aus der Frühzeit der Pferdsfeld-Flugplatzrennen 1959

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Fly & Drive - Scirocco Cup-Pilot Willi Bergmeister und Gaststarter Udo Lindenberg auf dem Flugplatz Sylt 1976

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Fly & Drive - Posche 904 GTS und Fiat-Abarth in der Startaufstellung zum GT-Rennen Innsbruck 1964

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Fly & Drive - Missverständnis in der Startkurve auf dem Flugplatz von Diepholz 1977

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Fly & Drive - Auto Union 1000S beim Flugplatz-Tourenwagenrennen bis 1000 ccm im Jahr 1961

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Summary

Airfield races were once among the most popular motorsport events in Germany. But serious accidents involving spectators, increasingly strict safety regulations and the associated costs caused one organizer after another to throw in the towel. The discipline, which is so popular with fans and drivers alike, is now virtually extinct. Rainer Braun was present at many of these airfield races and tells us all about them ...

Estimated reading time: 11min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Airfield races were once among the most popular motorsport events in Germany. But serious accidents involving spectators, increasingly strict safety regulations and the associated costs caused one organizer after another to throw in the towel. The discipline, so popular with fans and drivers alike, is now virtually extinct. Spectators used to flock to the airfield races in droves. The audience stood in rows of five along the home straight, separated from the thundering racing cars only by a few meters of safety distance, bales of straw or rolls of Nato wire. For their entrance fee, the customers also got to see something. Due to the mostly short track lengths, cars were constantly whizzing past, plus there was a tight daily program with up to 15 races. Whereas at the Nürburgring you had to wait between eight and nine minutes for the field to start, visitors to airfield races could experience non-stop action and also have an 80 percent view of the action away from the straights. Races where you could drive into the infield right up to the spectator seats and watch the racing from the comfort of your car were considered particularly convenient.

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