Even if the whole of Europe is currently holding its breath: The preparations for the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix (August 7-9) are currently fully on schedule. The program for the weekend at the Nürburgring has now been finalized. It offers new highlights on and off the race track. The most important continental European racing event for classic and vintage cars will be a festival of motorsport history for visitors and drivers alike, with many fascinating and legendary vehicles.
A good 500 racing cars pass by the grandstands in the racing and demonstration runs alone. Many other historic treasures await discovery in the paddock. One of the highlights will be the AvD Historic Marathon on the Nordschleife. After a break of several years, the three-hour race for classic and vintage cars on the most beautiful, longest and most challenging race track in the world is experiencing a renaissance. Also new to the program are two special races for Formula 1 cars: one field is dedicated to the premier class of the late 50s and early 60s as the "Revival GP of Germany 1961". The "Formula 1 Legends of the 70s - 90s" will showcase the Grand Prix cars that later competed for the world championship title. One of the most famous drivers of this era has already been confirmed as guest of honor: Jacky Ickx will be driving his original car from 1971 in person. If you want to secure your ticket for the weekend full of racing legends, you can still benefit from a 20 percent early bird discount until June 30.
Many tried and tested features
The many previous highlights of the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix program will be retained for the fans at the race track. These include the race of the two-seater racing cars and GTs up to 1960/61, for example, because this description refers to the beautiful sportscars and GTs that competed in the big endurance races in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Le Mans feeling at the Nürburgring traditionally comes to life at the latest when the field of these fascinating racing cars starts into the twilight on Saturday evening as the last race. After the finish, the traditional fireworks await the participants and spectators before the cars roll out directly into the paddock, where the evening ends with a paddock party and petrol stories: an atmospheric highlight of the entire weekend.
The touring car and GT races from the German Racing Championship are also action-packed. BMW M1, Ford Escort and others build a bridge to a glorious motorsport era. Once again, the organizers are cooperating with the Drivers' Association for Historic Racing (FHR), whose 100-Mile Trophy will also be competing in the DRM Revival. This means that great sports cars and GTs will be added, providing plenty of sporting (and historic!) spice.
Historic DTM cars also in the marathon on the Nordschleife
The DTM races on the Nordschleife in the early 1990s are legendary among fans and drivers alike. The touring cars from this period are at the start of the Touring Car Classics, which thrill with Alfa 156, Audi V8, BMW M3, Ford Sierra, Mercedes 190 or Opel Astra in DTM trim. In addition to the scheduled races on the Grand Prix circuit, some of the participants will also be involved in the AvD Historic Marathon. This is because there is a separate classification for youngtimers into whose regulations these vehicles fit. The 'race within a race', which is limited to 100 minutes, will thus evoke additional emotions and memories and will certainly bring back anecdotes from that era for many fans. And if the keyword 'Youngtimer' makes you prick up your ears, you're right: the participants from this historic series are also eligible to compete in the AvD Historic Marathon on the Nordschleife on Friday. The series completes the race as an invitational race outside the championship classification.
Huge motorsport spectrum
Legends will also be chasing each other in the rest of the program. For example, monoposto history is not only celebrated in the Formula 1 special races. The FIA Lurani Trophy for Formula Junior cars is also on the grid, as are the Historic Grand Prix cars up to 1965. Both races are historically ahead of the Formula 1 special races and thus cover a large historical arc that stretches back to the pre-war period. This is also well represented once again with the Vintage Sports Car Trophy field. These oldest racing cars of the weekend will once again reside in the appropriate original setting of the historic paddock.
Racing "with a roof over your head" is celebrated at the AvD Touring Car and GT Trophy as well as the FHR Gentle Drivers Trophy. There will be excursions into modern sport with the Ferrari of the FCD RacingSeries and the super sportscars of the International Audi R8 LMS Cup.
The program at a glance
The program of the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix (7 to 9 August 2020) at the Nürburgring offers nine decades of motorsport history. Probably nowhere else will fans be able to experience such a wide range of motorsport eras and reminisce about such different idols. The following overview shows what can be experienced on and off the track.
Races
- Race 1: FIA Lurani Trophy for Formula Junior cars (GP circuit)
- Race 2: Revival German Racing Championship / 100 Mile Trophy (GP circuit)
- Race 3: Historic Grand Prix cars up to 1965 (GP circuit)
- Race 4: AvD Touring Car and GT Trophy (GP circuit)
- Race 5: Two-seater racing cars and GTs up to 1960/61 (GP circuit)
- Race 6: A Gentle Drivers Trophy (GP circuit)
- Race 7: Touring Car Classics (GP circuit)
- Race 8: FCD RacingSeries (GP circuit)
- Race 9: International Audi R8 LMS Cup (GP circuit)
- Race 10: AvD Historic Marathon (three-hour race for cars according to Appendix K up to 1976) and AvD Nürburgring Trophy (100-minute race for cars up to 1996, both on the Nordschleife)
Special runs / parades
- Formula 1 legends of the 70s - 90s (GP circuit)
- Revival Grand Prix of Germany 1961 - Nürburgring (GP circuit)
- Vintage Sports Car Trophy for pre-war vehicles (GP circuit)
Further information is available on the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix website, where you can of course also pre-order tickets.
