Opened on September 21, 1969, the Salzburgring is one of Europe's cult racetracks and has hosted prominent races with illustrious names in the past. Graham Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi, Jacky Ickx, Niki Lauda and many others have all raced here. Jochen Rindt took his last victory in the "Nesselgraben" in a Formula 2 race in 1970, six days before his tragic accidental death in Monza.
The European Touring Car Championship races that took place in the 70s and 80s should also not be forgotten. From 1971 to 1994, there were also regular rounds of the Motorcycle World Championship. Between 1975 and 1994, the "Oldtimer Grand Prix" for historic motorcycles and cars was held eight times, attracting several hundred participants from all over the world, including celebrities such as: Fangio, Lauda, Surtees and Taveri. Unfortunately, this event had to be discontinued due to stricter noise protection regulations in the province of Salzburg.
Since 2004, a classic car event has once again been held in memory of the only Austrian motorcycle world champion Rupert Hollaus.
The track is 4255 meters long and the curved circuit is surrounded by magnificent natural grandstands.
Demo drives with historic racing cars
A new classic racing event will be initiated at the Salzburgring on October 2-5, 2025 with the staging of the Legends Grand Prix 2025. The Legends Grand Prix will be held in the form of demo drives, thus minimizing the risk of the historically valuable "contemporary witnesses of the automotive world" being damaged in accidents.
"We want to establish the Legends Grand Prix as one of the top five classic series in Europe in the medium term. The field of drivers who compete in England, France, Italy and Germany should also be seen in Salzburg in the future. The region around the Salzburgring offers everything that is of value and importance to this clientele. A historic race track between the natural backdrop of the Salzkammergut and the cultural metropolis of Salzburg, explains Joachim Althammer, CEO of Legends GP GmbH and organizer of the Edelweiss Classic and Rossfeld Hill Climb.
Model Goodwood Revival
Following the example of Goodwood, the Legends Grand Prix will also feature a historic funfair. The concept envisages a uniform overall look and design, consisting of rides, pagoda tents and stalls. Customs and folk culture form the framework. Visitors will be taken on an automobile journey through time in a historic atmosphere. "The philosophy of the Legends Grand Prix at the Salzburgring is to experience an era anew," says Althammer.
"With the Legends Grand Prix, we are creating a historical event format in the international classic car scene. We expect up to 250 cars to be on show at the Salzburgring over 4 days and in 8 classes, from 1920 (Silver Arrows Mercedes I Auto Union) to 1985 (DRM series with Porsche Carrera 911 I Ford I Opel I Alfa Romeo and others).
The class divisions will include 1 Le Mans, Indianapolis, Grand Prix and hillclimb cars from the 1920s, 2 from the 1930s, 3 from the 1950s, 4 from the 1960s and 5 from the 1970s. Group 6 and 7 will also include special formula, racing and touring cars from the 50s and 60s. Group 8 will be a DRM starting field from 1972 - 1985.
At the same time, we are opening the window to the automotive future by offering leading car manufacturers a platform for their technical innovations.
A unique highlight for families with children is certainly the historic funfair with original old carousels, a Ferris wheel and many other attractions," adds Arno Zensen, Head of Sporting Affairs - Legends GP GmbH and former Team Principal DTM 1995 - 2020 I Racing Team Keke Rosberg.
The organization of the event according to ecological criteria and environmentally friendly standards is very important to the organization team and therefore plays a major role in the overall concept. For this reason, the event will be supported by an external and independent environmental expert right from the planning stage.
The aim is to establish the Legend Grand Prix as a "green event", which is why talks are being held with manufacturers of eFuels and it is being examined whether all participating vehicles can run on synthetic fuel in the future.
Further information can be found on the event website.
