The smell of tire rubber and petrol, a beguiling soundscape across all frequencies, beautiful racing cars from various categories and eras, an impressive spectator backdrop and a great atmosphere in the paddock and on the stands - the 21st edition of the "ADAC Hockenheim Historic - The Jim Clark Revival" once again delivered everything that racing fans expected from one of Europe's most important classic events. Once again, the 21st edition of the "ADAC Hockenheim Historic - The Jim Clark Revival" delivered everything that racing fans have come to expect from one of Europe's most important classic events. In perfect spring weather, around 46,000 visitors flocked to the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg over the three days of the event to indulge in the magic of past racing days.
The golden era of touring car racing
As usual, the program left nothing to be desired, with a focus this year on the various types of touring car racing. The "Touring Car Golden Era" series alone thrilled fans with an impressive field of more than 50 cars from the former DTM, STW and DTC. It is true that the results at the ADAC Hockenheim Historic are traditionally of secondary importance. But Altfrid Heger, who celebrated both of the day's victories in the Audi 200, two-time class winner Kris Nissen (BMW M3 E30) or DTM veteran Roland Asch, who drove his Ford Sierra Cosworth to fifth place on Sunday, would certainly take a differentiated view of this.
Asch, six-time winner of a DTM race and now a tender 75 years old, emphasized the family character of the Jim Clark Revival: "It's so nice here! It's unbelievable how many spectators have come again. Everything is open, the fans get closer to the action than at almost any other event. The atmosphere is great. Yesterday evening we had a barbecue together in the paddock - just like in the old days. The races were also great fun. Unfortunately, I couldn't hold off Altfrid and Kris. I made a mistake with the tires, they were too soft. I should have known better with my experience."
Great atmosphere in the stands
The atmosphere in general: the fans clearly enjoyed the special atmosphere. Without exception, every racing car was greeted with applause on the final lap. The sales stands were just as busy as the many attractions of the ADAC Erlebniswelt, the large brand club meeting, the Jim Clark special exhibition and the attractive exhibition areas on the pit roof, where 17 legendary Opel racing and rally cars built between 1903 and 2025 were on display. The start-finish area at the public Grid Walk in the run-up to the Boss GP race on Saturday was bursting at the seams.
But of course it was the players on the 4.5-kilometer Grand Prix circuit who attracted the most attention. For example, the protagonists of the DRM Revival around Peter Mücke, who won the first race on Saturday in his Ford Capri Turbo and was leading the second race when his 700 hp monster stopped working. This cleared the way for Nico Send, who left BMW M1 and Porsche 911 Turbo cars standing in his infernal orange Kadett C and secured an Opel one-two victory together with Michael Sadurski in the Ascona 400. Or the "Class One Revival powered by Carbon", where motorsport fans were able to reminisce about the great days of the Class 1 touring cars in the DTM.
Formula 1 up close at the Hockenheimring
Anyone who wanted to experience a real Formula 1 in the pits or on the racetrack was in for a treat at the Boss GP and Raceclub Germany, which brought three Toyota GP racers from 2006, 2008 and 2009 to the track. The Historic Racecar Association commemorated Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips, who died in an accident at the 1961 Italian Grand Prix in Monza, with its various monoposti. And the Lurani Trophy and the excellent line-up of 52 cars in the DMV Formula Vau proved why Formula Junior and Formula Vau have produced great names in international formula racing over the decades.
Sports and GT cars traditionally play an important role at the ADAC Hockenheim Historic. While the "Golden Era Classic Cup" was dedicated exclusively to cars from Porsche, Raceclub Germany presented various prototypes and GTs. The "Gebhardt Ginetta Nordic Championship" and "Velom Sportscar Supercup by Interwetten SCC" bridged the gap to the modern era, with the latter featuring an ex-Formula 1 driver in Christian Klien. "The variety of cars here is brilliant," said the 43-year-old Austrian enthusiastically. "It reminds me of my first visits to the races as a child. Everything that looks good and makes noise is on the track here. You can see from the many spectators how well this mixture is received - simply great!" Klien's enthusiasm was not even dampened by the fact that his PRC WPR was stranded with gearbox problems on Saturday and the Cosworth V8 engine did not want to play along the next day.
Date set for the 22nd edition
At the end of three exciting Classic race days, the Hockenheimring management also drew a positive conclusion. "The ADAC Hockenheim Historic has long been one of the most popular and successful events in the Hockenheimring calendar," said a delighted Jorn Teske, one of the managing directors of Hockenheim-Ring GmbH alongside Jochen Nerpel and Tim Brauer. "What makes the event so special is the high degree of emotionality as an elementary component. The open paddock concept is extremely popular with the public, as it provides exciting insights behind the scenes of historic motorsport. The varied supporting program also ensures that the event offers the best entertainment for visitors of all generations far beyond the races." And Jochen Nerpel emphasized "the strong partnership with the ADAC, which is now in its third year and ensures that the event continues to grow and develop. The large number of visitors proves the coherence of the event concept. Our thanks go to the teams and participants, our partners and the countless helpers on and off the track, without whom the organization of such an event would not be possible."
The next date has already been set: the 22nd edition of the three-day motorsport festival will take place from May 7 to 9, 2027. Further information can be found on the ADAC Hockenheim Historic website.
