Around 23,000 visitors embraced the Nürburgring Classic 2026. We were present during the weekend to bring you the story mentioned below.

The public was treated to a literal journey through the history of motorsport, featuring single-seaters from the 1960s to the period around the year 2000, touring cars from seven decades ago to the DTM cars of the 1980s, as well as an array of GTs and sports cars from bygone eras. The public could enjoy the action on the track for three days, from early morning, with an endurance race for cars from the Historic Championship 81 on Saturday evening.

There was no shortage of single-seaters during this year’s edition. The lightest cars took to the starting grid in the Lurani Trophy for Formula Junior cars. Clive Richard engaged in a direct battle with Manfredo Rossi di Montelera in both races, both in a Lotus 22. However, Richard was the faster driver in both races. During the first race, the Briton finished with a comfortable lead, yet in race 2 he managed to claim the double victory by just a breath.

The early years of Formula 3 were reflected by the presence of the Historic F3 1000 cc European Trophy, where the so-called ‘Screamers’ with one-liter engines lined up at the start. In both races, Peter de la Roche faced no opposition whatsoever. After the lights turned green, the Briton vanished over the horizon with his Alexis Mk.17.

Historic Monoposto Racing from the Netherlands always guarantees a large field of historic Formula Ford cars, and this was also the case during this edition of the Nürburgring Classic. During the first race of the weekend, it was Leon den Hollander who, in his Van Diemen RF83, prevented Graham Fennymore from taking the win.

During the second race, the battle was once again between the Dutchman and the Brit, while David Schneider from Switzerland had also joined the fray, which continued right to the finish line. Fennymore finished first ahead of den Hollander by less than a split second of nine thousandths of a second.

The fastest and loudest single-seaters, and at the same time the very fastest participants of the event, were the lightning-fast cars of the BOSS GP Series. This series primarily features former GP2, Formula 2, and World Series cars, usually including a number of former Formula 1 cars.

This time, alongside the always super-fast Ingo Gerstl with his Toro Rosso STR1, a Williams FW25 was also on the starting grid, which only participated in the second race on Sunday. Gerstl won both races convincingly. The 20-year-old Juju Noda, daughter of former Formula 1 driver Hideki Noda, took the wins in the other classes.

There was no shortage of touring cars and GTs this weekend either. The Youngtimer Trophy from Germany always ensures well-filled starting grids divided into two divisions. During the first race of Youngtimer Trophy 1, Sebastian Glaser dictated the pace with his Ford Escort RS1800. Nothing seemed to stand in the way of the fast German, until bad luck struck in the closing stages. As a result, the victory was handed to Sven Fisch with his Opel Kadett C Coupe.

However, that he was one of the fastest drivers on the track became apparent during the second race on Sunday, which he also won convincingly.In the Youngtimer Trophy 2, it is primarily Porsche 911s that dominate, and this was also the case this weekend. The first race on Saturday went convincingly to Daniel Schrey’s Porsche 935 K1. On Sunday, however, it was Michael Funke who set the pace and drove his 911 RSR to victory.

Another crowd-puller are the former DTM and STW touring cars from the popular Tourenwagen Golden Era. Over forty iconic cars from the eighties and nineties entertained the crowd. Veteran Kris Nissen showed on two occasions what kind of racing talent the former Danish veteran possessed. He won the first race in a controlled manner, and the second in a dominant way.

The Historic Championship ’65 had two races on the schedule during the weekend. As is often the case in this interesting championship, the battle for the win frequently unfolds between the entered historic sports cars, and this time was no exception. Oliver Hartmann fought a lap-long duel with Georg Hallau during both races, which ultimately turned out in Hartmann’s favor with his Elva Mk.8.

On Saturday evening, the 90-minute endurance race of the Historic Championship ’81 was on the program, featuring a wide variety of historic racing cars. However, none of the forty-four entered cars had an answer to the dominance of Sebastian Glaser and Michael Kammermann with their fire-breathing BMW 3.0 CSL. The German-Swiss combination crossed the finish line first after an hour and a half of racing, shortly before dusk, with a lead of over two minutes.

The Nürburgring Classic proved once again that this event has rightfully taken a prominent place on the European historic motorsport calendar. We are already eagerly looking forward to the 2027 edition, which will simultaneously celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Nürburgring.

Results Nürburgring Classic 2026

Lurani Trophy

Race 1

1. Clive Richards, Lotus 22
2. Manfredo Rossi di Montelera, Lotus 22, + 3.397
3. Simon Jackson, De Tomaso FJ, + 36.899

Race 2

1. Clive Richards, Lotus 22
2. Manfredo Rossi di Montelera, Lotus 22, + 0.279
3. Simon Jackson, De Tomaso FJ, + 44.628

Historic F3 1000 cc European Trophy

Race 1

1. Peter de la Roche, Alexis Mk.17
2. Jason Timms, Brabham BT21, + 8.084
3. Ludovic Ingwiller, Pygmee 69, + 14.253

Race 2

1. Peter de la Roche, Alexis Mk.17
2. Jason Timms, Brabham BT21, + 31.268
3. Austin Widmer, Brabham BT21, + 34.607

Historic Monoposto Racing

Race 1

1. Leon den Hollander, Van Diemen RF83
2. Graham Fennymore, Reynard SF81, + 2.209
3. David Schneider, Reynard SF84, + 2.491

Race 2

1. Graham Fennymore, Reynard SF81
2. Leon den Hollander, Van Diemen RF83, + 0.093
3. David Schneider, Reynard SF84, + 0.161

BOSS GP Series

Race 1&2 F1

Ingo Gerstl, Toro Rosso STR1

Race 1 several categories

1. Juju Noda, Dallara World Series V8 T12
2. Francisco Soldavini, Dallara GP2/11, + 8.831
3. Simone Colombo, Dallara GP2/11, + 37.881

Race 2 several categories

1. Juju Noda, Dallara World Series V8 T12
2. Francisco Soldavini, Dallara GP2/11, + 6.205
3. Simone Colombo, Dallara GP2/11, + 31.946

Youngtimer Trophy 1

Race 1

1. Sven Fisch, Opel Kadett C Coupe
2. Adrian Remmele, Opel Kadett C Coupe GT/E, + 16.217
3. Jonas Remmele, Opel Kadett C, + 45.595

Race 2

1. Sven Fisch, Opel Kadett C Coupe
2. Michael Nolte, Opel GT MN, + 21.473
3. Adrian Remmele, Opel Kadett C Coupe GT/E, + 46.393

Youngtimer Trophy 2

Race 1

1. Daniel Schrey, Porsche 935 K1
2. Marcus Menden, Porsche 911 RSR, + 5.757
3. Andre Kunkel, Porsche 911 RSR, + 6.836

Race 2

1. Michael Funke, Porsche 911 RSR
2. Daniel Schrey, Porsche 935 K1, + 4.866
3. Marcus Menden, Porsche 911 RSR, + 31.762

Tourenwagen Golden Era

Race 1

1. Kris Nissen, BMW M3 E30 DTM
2. Giorgios Katsikis, Opel Kadett C Coupe, + 1.886
3. Peter Rikli, Honda Accord Euro R CL7, + 18.072

Race 2

1. Kris Nissen, BMW M3 E30 DTM
2. Peter Rikli, Honda Accord Euro R CL7, + 13.811
3. Gerhard Füller, Opel Vectra STW, + 13.980

FHR Historic Championship ’65

Race 1

1. Oliver Hartmann, Elva Mk.8
2. Georg Hallau, Lotus 23, + 1.090
3. Alexander Kolb, Shelby Cobra 289, + 1.832

Race 2

1. Oliver Hartmann, Elva Mk.8
2. Georg Hallau, Lotus 23, + 6.136
3. Alexander Kolb, Shelby Cobra 289, + 34.433

The post Report & Gallery: The Nürburgring Classic 2026 appeared first on Motorsport Retro.

By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

We continue our retrospective about one of Europe’s leading touring car championships from the late seventies and early with this third part featuring the 1977 racing season.

From 1977 onwards, the unrestricted Group 5 super touring cars were allowed to compete in the DRM (German Racing Championship). This ushered in a period in which touring cars were to know absolutely no limits. It would become the most iconic period of the DRM championship, which gained a large fan base far beyond Germany as well.

Cars looked impressive, often featuring enormously widened fenders and wings. Generally the participating cars were equipped with turbo engines that had a displacement 1.4 times smaller than their predecessors. Group 5 cars from this era were not only spectacular and impressive to look at, but they were also very expensive and were consequently only fielded in limited numbers until 1982.

By allowing Group 5 cars, the organizers opted for the same vehicle class that had been competing in the World Sportscar Championship. The popularity of the championship subsequently rose to unprecedented levels.

Great was the surprise when, during the opening race of the 1977 season at Zolder in Belgium, no fewer than 21 cars were entered in the smaller Division 2. In the large Division 1, there were 12, and this caused some disappointment. Ultimately the switch to turbo engines was also made in Division 2.

BMW for example entered Division 2 with the Junior team, consisting of Manfred Winkelhock, Eddie Cheever, and Marc Surer. Surer won the opening race in Division 2 and finished second in the overall standings behind Manfred Schurti. BMW initially still used the two-liter M12 engine that was also used in Formula 2.

BMW’s in-house tuner Schnitzer however, was already a step ahead. The BMW 2002 they fielded used a custom-prepared 1.4-liter turbo engine, allowing them to start in Division 2. The performance of the small turbo engine was impressive; Harald Ertl for example, set the fastest lap.

Porsche also had the best chances two weeks later when the second race of the season was held at the Nürburgring. This time it was Rolf Stommelen who tasted the sweetness of victory with a Gelo Racing Porsche 935.

The 1977 season became a pure Porsche affair, with a battle between Kremer Racing and Georg Loos Racing. It would be a fierce battle, as both teams became literal arch-rivals. Georg Loos relied on Rolf Stommelen, while Kremer Racing fielded the Frenchman Bob Wollek.

Porsche debuted the Porsche 935/2.0 ‘Baby’ during the second half of that season. This was a special variant of the 935 equipped with a six-cylinder engine of only 1,428 cc, which, according to the regulations, could be entered in Division II.

Porsche had developed the ‘Baby’ specifically to take on BMW and Ford in the two-liter class. The 935 ‘Baby’ was developed in just four months and was primarily a signal to the competition, who believed that Porsche could not compete for victory in the two-liter division.

Porsche could be anything but happy with the debut, as Jacky Ickx did not reach the finish line due to, among other things, an overheated engine.

Nevertheless, the Porsche 935 weighing only 750 kg, held enormous potential, which was confirmed during a DRM race at the German Grand Prix when Jacky Ickx convincingly claimed the class victory. Ickx crushed the competition during qualifying and held a fifty-one-second lead when he crossed the finish line.

It was more than striking that, after Ickx had driven the Porsche to victory, the manufacturer from Zuffenhausen was of the opinion that the competition had been silenced and sent the 935/2.0 Baby to the museum.

The title fight for the 1977 championship was decided during the very last race at the Nürburgring. Rolf Stommelen had already secured victories that year at the Norisring and in Diepholz. At that moment, Stommelen and his direct competitor Bob Wollek had the same number of points and both could still lay claim to the championship. However, Stommelen reigned supreme during the race in the Eifel with his Gelo Racing 935, and Wollek had to settle for second place. In doing so, Stommelen became the very first champion in Group 5 of Division 1.

In Division 2, Schnitzer (BMW) and Porsche proved that one could also compete for the top honors in the two-liter class with a turbo. Incidentally, Schnitzer did not only enter a BMW 2002; that year, they also fielded a Toyota Celica in Division 1 for Harald Ertl.

Incidentally, BMW drew considerable attention to itself that year with their BMW Junior Team, consisting of Eddie Cheever, Marc Surer, and Manfred Winkelhock. Cheever and Surer were often overconfident, and their aggressive driving style cost the team points. However, they did ensure they got the crowd on their feet. Manfred Winkelhock, on the other hand, was the most consistent. As a result, the BMW Junior Team managed to win no fewer than eight of the ten DRM races in the junior division that year. To be fair, it must be mentioned here that BMW took full advantage of the fact that Hans Heyer’s Zakspeed Ford Escort was too heavy. Heyer claimed the DRM championship title in 1976.

Results 1977 DRM Championship

1. Rolf Stommelen, Porsche 935
2. Bob Wollek, Porsche 935 K2
3. Manfred Winkelhock, BMW 320

In the next part of our retrospective about the iconic DRM championship, we look back at 1978 and 1979.

The post Europe’s finest during the 70s & early 80s, the DRM-championship: part 3 appeared first on Motorsport Retro.

Images and information thanks to Sam Hancock unless otherwise mentioned

This stunning original Porsche 911 RSR is for sale at Sam Hancock. Chassis 006 0015 was used in the Tour de France Automobile in 1975, 1976, and 1978.

Porsche’s 911 RSR was the result of the continuous further development of the now legendary 911. The RSR variant was a further development of the Carrera RS (RennSport) and stood out particularly due to the widened fenders, a 2.8-liter flat-six, and the typical Ducktail rear wing.

An evolutionary version appeared in 1974 under the designation 911 Carrera RSR 3.0, which delivered 330 hp. In this variant, the oil cooler was mounted at the front.  Additionally, the fenders were widened even further to accommodate wheels and tires derived from the Porsche 917. Porsche had managed to keep the weight at just 900 kg.

Chassis 006 0015, offered by Sam Hancock, was delivered in 1974 to the renowned French garage owner and Porsche specialist Meznarie. The car was entered in the Tour de France Automobile in 1975, 1976, and subsequently in 1978 in the blue colors of the French clothing brand Christine Laure. Nowadays, this particularly beautiful car can also be regularly seen in Classic Endurance Racing, part of the Le Mans Classic Series.

Sam Hancock is a professional racing driver, coach and advisor to private clients on classic car transactions and historic racing programmes. Besides this, he sells exceptional vehicles for private collectors.

More about this iconic Porsche 911 RSR can be found here.

The post For Sale: Original ‘Christine Laure’ Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 RSR appeared first on Motorsport Retro.

By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

The 14th edition of the Spa Classic, organized by Peter Auto, was once again a real treat and one that surpassed itself. Under the banner of the Le Mans Classic Series, it was the second event on the calendar to be held on the sun-drenched and summer-warm Spa-Francorchamps circuit, following the season opener in Barcelona. Since its inaugural edition in 2011, the Spa Classic has grown to become one of Europe’s leading historic meetings.

Despite the cancellation of Group C Racing, which usually draws a considerable number of fans to the Ardennes, the organizers could look back on a very successful event, including three days of action from early morning until nearly midnight.

In addition to the well-known Peter Auto series, such as Classic Endurance Racing 1&2, Endurance Racing Legends, The Gentlemen Challenge, Sixties Endurance, and The Heritage Touring Cup, the program now also included a genuine premiere.  The public could enjoy the arrival of the Heritage Touring Cup 2. A series that extends the history of touring car racing by focusing on the post-1982 era—when Group A cars energized European championships through to the early 1990s.

Due to insufficient entries for Group C cars, the program was further enhanced with the GT3 Revival Series from the SRO Motorsports Group and Peter Auto. It is a new historic series specifically intended for GT3 cars to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the GT3 class.  The series is particularly aimed at the first generation of GT3 cars from the period between 2006 and 2013. No fewer than 44 GT3s had entered for the Spa Classic.

Endurance Racing Legends 2 for GT2 cars kicked off the weekend on Saturday afternoon with their first race. It would primarily be a duel for the victory between an array of Ferrari F430s and Porsche 996s and 997s, interspersed with Aston Martin Vantages, a Mosler MT900R, a Corvette C6 ZR1, and a Toyota Supra.  Pole position went convincingly to the Ferrari F430 GTC Evo of Philip Kadoorie. However, the forty-minute race was convincingly won by the Ferrari F430 GTC Evo of father David and son Olivier Hart from the Netherlands.

The second race, scheduled for Saturday evening, was prematurely ended with a red flag due to a crash in the GT3 Revival. The condition of the guardrail was such that a repair lasting several hours followed, after which race control made the correct decision not to start the race.

As the second series, the prototypes and GTs of Endurance Racing Legends 1 took to the track for their first race of the weekend. Alfie Briggs narrowly won the battle for pole position in his Zytek 04S against Christian Albrecht in an Audi R8 LMP.  However, during the forty-minute race, Olivier Galant had the longest stamina with his mighty Panoz LMP-1 Roadster S, pulling away to secure a safe lead. Galant also dictated the pace during the second race on Sunday, once again crossing the finish line in first place after forty minutes with a lead of around four seconds.

After the fairly modern sports cars, the program took a significant dive back in time with the first race of The Gentlemen Challenge. An interesting series open to cars that were used in the most prominent endurance races during the 50s and 60s.  Serge Kriknoff from Switzerland drove his Lotus to pole position. However, during the thirty-five-minute race, two Listers dominated. The duel for the victory between Luc-Pierre Verquin and the John Spiers/Nigel Greensall combination was ultimately settled by the Frenchman.

True to tradition, a two-hour endurance race took place before the Sixties Endurance, which was held on Saturday evening. Over fifty Shelby Cobras, Jaguar E-Types, Lotus Elans, and various Porsches, to name a few.  As expected, the battle for the victory was between the Cobras and the E-Types. After two hours of racing, the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe of Maxime Guenat and Guillaume Mahe took home the win.

On Saturday evening, the first of two fifty-minute races for the GT3 Revival Series was held. The battle for pole position was decided by the Ferrari 458 GT3 Evo of Jean-Luc Beaubelique and Jim Pla.  The race started on Saturday evening at 9:35 PM, but after eleven minutes of racing, the safety car had to come out because drivers had broken down at two different locations. At one of the locations, the guardrail appeared to be so severely damaged that race control decided to stop the race with the red flag and not resume it.

The second race of The Gentlemen Challenge kicked off on Sunday morning with another forty-five-minute race. Luc-Pierre Verquin took the win again with his Lister Knobbly Chevrolet. The Frenchman faced virtually no opposition and crossed the finish line first with a lead of about ten seconds over Serge Kriknoff’s Lotus 15.

On Sunday morning, the sports cars and GTs of Classic Endurance Racing 2 entered the arena for their sixty-minute race. Chris Ward and Jan Magnussen proved to be a cut above the rest of the field.  The impromptu duo secured pole position in their Lola T292 by a margin of over a second. During the race, both seemed to be from another planet. With a lead of over a minute, Magnussen crossed the checkered flag first after an hour of racing, having previously swapped seats with Ward.

The Spa Classic was the very first race of a brand new serie, the Heritage Touring Cup 2. Mats van der Brand already delivered an impressive performance during qualifying by driving his BMW M3 E30 to pole position with a gap of nearly four seconds.  He also dominated the race without any opposition. However, a technical problem forced him to pull his M3 over prematurely. Thus, after forty minutes of racing, the victory went to the BMW M3 E30 of Sam Adriaans.

The second race of the GT3 Revival Series on Sunday afternoon was dominated for the vast majority of the fifty-minute race by the French combination of Jean-Luc Beaubelique and Jim Pla.  Only in the very final stages did the Nissan GTR Nismo GT3 of Andrew Bentley and Maxwell Lynn come dangerously close. However, with a minimal difference of just two tenths of a second, the victory went to the Ferrari 458 GT3 Evo of Beaubelique and Pla.

The epic touring cars of the seventies, the Heritage Touring Cup 1, were scheduled as the penultimate event on the extensive program. Sebastian Glaser had narrowly secured pole position with his fire-breathing BMW 3.0 CSL at the expense of Maxime Guenat in a Ford Capri RS3100. Initially, everything seemed to indicate that the duel during the race would also be between these two rivals. After the lights turned green, the entire field sprinted towards the La Source hairpin.

Pekka Nystrom went straight on in the sprint with his Chevrolet Camaro and crashed into the unfortunate Glaser and Guenat. For all three, the race was over after just a few meters, with the top two from qualifying immediately eliminated.  The battle ultimately came down to the Cologne Capris of Yves Scemama and Armand Mille. Despite a red flag and a restart, Scemama eventually took the victory.

The conclusion of the long race weekend on Sunday afternoon was taken by the sports cars and GTs of Classic Endurance Racing 1. Here too, Chris Ward and Jan Magnussen set the tone during qualifying with their Lola T70 Mk.IIIB.  During the sixty-minute race, the British-Danish duo faced no opposition whatsoever. Ward took the lead immediately after the start and disappeared over the horizon. After the mandatory pit stop, Magnussen took over the wheel and drove the T70 across the finish line first with a lead of over fourteen seconds.

The 14th edition of the Spa Classic was literally a mouth-watering affair, once again an edition that managed to surpass the previous one. We are already counting down the days to the 15th edition of this greatest historic motorsport event, which absolutely should not be missing from the calendar of any true motorsport fan.

Race results Le Mans Classic Series – Spa Classic 2026

Classic Endurance Racing 1

1. Jan Magnussen/Chris Ward, Lola T70 Mk.IIIB
2. Armand Mille, Lola T70 Mk.IIIB, + 14.744
3. David Hart/Olivier Hart, Lola T70 Mk.IIIB, + 40.858

Classic Endurance Racing 2

1. Jan Magnussen/Chris Ward, Lola T292
2. Stephane Nguyen, Lola T282, + 1:05.096
3. Yves Scemama, TOJ SC304, + 1:07.516

Endurance Racing Legends 1 –  LMP-GT1

Race 1

1. Olivier Galant, Panoz LMP-1 Roadster S
2. Alfie Briggs, Zytek 04S, + 4.087
3. Mike Newton, MG EX2674, + 45.994

Race 2

1. Olivier Galant, Panoz LMP-1 Roadster S
2. Alfie Briggs, Zytek 04S, + 4.207
3. Christian Albrecht/Stefan Mücke, Audi R8 LMP, + 16.271

Endurance Racing Legends 2 – GT2

1. David Hart/Olivier Hart, Ferrari F430 GTC Evo
2. James Thorpe/Phil Quaife, Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT2, + 8.539
3. Philip Kadoorie, Ferrari F430 GTC Evo, + 8.819

GT3 Revival

Race 1

1. Guillaume Dumarey, Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3
2. Andrew Bentley/Maxwell Lynn, Nissan GTR Nismo GT3, + 2.690
3. Philip Kadoorie/Rob Huff, Mercedes SLS AMG GT3, + 7.857

Race 2

1. Jean-Luc Beaubelique/Jim Pla, Ferrari 458 GT3 Evo
2. Andrew Bentley/Maxwell Lynn, Nissan GTR Nismo GT3, + 0.244
3. Jonathan Mitchell, Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3, + 3.428

Heritage Touring Cup 1

1. Yves Scemama, Ford Capri RS 3100 Cologne
2. Armand Mille, Ford Capri RS 3100 Cologne, + 0.378
3. Olivier Breittmayer/Emile Breittmayer, BMW 3.0 CSL, + 51.274

Heritage Touring Cup 2

1. Sam Adriaans, BMW M3 E30
2. Richard Meins/Rob Huff, Jaguar XJS Serie 1, + 18.728
3. Moritz Horn, BMW M3 E30, + 46.918

Sixties Endurance

1. Maxime Guenat/Guillaume Mahe, Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe
2. James Thorpe/Jonathan Mitchell, Jaguar E-Type 3.8, + 31.271
3. Lee Mowle/Phil Keen, Jaguar E-Type 3.8, +1:31.153

The Gentlemen Challenge

Race 1

1. Luc-Pierre Verquin, Lister Knobbly Chevrolet
2. John Spiers/Nigel Greensall, Lister Jaguar Costin, + 1.984
3. Andreas Rolner/Lars Rolner, Ferrari 275 GTB, + 4.247

Race 2

1. Luc-Pierre Verquin, Lister Knobbly Chevrolet
2. Serge Kriknoff, Lotus 15, + 10.062
3. Catesby Jones, Porsche 904/6 Carrera GTS, + 14.861

The post Mega Gallery & Report: The Stunning 14th Edition Of The Spa Classic appeared first on Motorsport Retro.

In our sixt part of our retrospective about the origins of Formula 3 1971-1984 and the major F3-constructors, we take a closer look at Eifelland, Ensign and GRD.

Eifelland

Although Eifelland certainly does not belong to the target audience of this series of articles, we would like to briefly explain this brand name due to its unique character. There was little to no question of a constructor in the literal sense, as Eifelland did not come up with its own creations.

Eifelland was in fact a Formula 1 team from Germany, named after the caravan manufacturer Eifelland, which was owned by Günther Hennerici. The German was born near the Nürburgring, hence the connection to the Eifel Mountains.

Hennerici expanded his activities in 1971 by establishing his own racing team. Initially, the team focused on participating in Formula 3, in which his wife, Hannelore Werner, was among those competing.

After entering Formula 1 with Rolf Stommelen in 1972, he purchased a number of March 723s. ​​Hennerici used modified nosecones, after which the cars were known as the Eiffelland 23. Although his modified F3 cars only competed in Germany, they achieved a number of notable results.

Ensign

Morris, “Mo”, Nunn founded Ensign Racing in 1973. Before Nunn primarily made a name for himself as a constructor, he raced single-seater cars himself during the 1960s. Nunn acquired a three-year-old Cooper-Climax in 1962, with which he made his debut as a driver. Later, he moved to Formula 3 with a Lotus. He achieved considerable success with a Lotus 41, particularly in 1967. In addition to races in Formula 3, Nunn also competed in Formula 2.

When plans to race in Formula 5000 failed, he decided to construct cars himself. He believed he could engineer better designs than the Lotus Works cars he had raced. Under the name Ensign, the F371 appeared in 1971, although the designation LN1 was used more frequently later on, which enjoyed considerable success. Incidentally, he had built the prototype in the garage behind his house. The LN1 subsequently debuted at Brand Hatch in March 1971 and immediately secured second place thanks to Bev Bond.

In 1972, the F372 appeared, proving to be the fastest, particularly on the straights. However, the moment the brakes were applied, it was a different story. Midway through the season, Nunn implemented a number of adjustments that led to the F372 crossing the finish line first again by the end of the season.

1973 was the last year in which Nunn built F3 cars, as he had shifted his focus to Formula 1. Ensign’s best drivers had left for March, while Nunn poached Dave Baldwin from Lotus. He designed a greatly improved car with which Brian Henton managed to achieve victories towards the end of the season.

GRD

Mike Warner, Dave Baldwin, Derek Wild, and Gordon Huckle formed Group Racing Developments by joining forces with the local engineering company, Griston. They were employees who had previously worked at Lotus, but when that manufacturer decided to cease producing racing cars, the staff were looking for new work. Designer Jo Marquart, who had previously worked at Huron, was added to the team. GRD was particularly successful in its early years because Brabham also stopped producing racing cars. Things went so well that GRD merged with Denys Dobbie’s DART team in 1973. However, the tide turned very quickly, as when Dobbie withdrew in early 1974, GRD ceased production at the end of that year.

GRD presented their first F3 creation in 1972, the GRD 372, which was a great success from its debut. In 1972, the 372 scored no fewer than 19 victories. GRD used an aluminum monocoque including a tubular subframe. The 372 was particularly sought after because the car was easy to drive, while the setup was also quite simple.

The 373 appeared in 1973, which was nowhere near as successful as its predecessor. The changes GRD had made were primarily intended to make this model easier to produce. Problems with the chassis were later resolved, after which nine victories could still be added to the record.

1974 was not a positive year for Formula 3, and particularly in the United Kingdom, the starting grids were nothing to write home about. Although GRD decided to use the same chassis, the new nose section and the relocated radiators on the GRD 374 stood out. However, it was of little use, as real successes failed to materialize.

GRD’s final F3 creation appeared in 1975, the 375, which was essentially an improved 374. What immediately stood out were the radiators, which had been relocated to the rear once again. At the end of 1975, the curtain fell for GRD for good, after which the F3 operation was taken over by Van Dieman.

In a next part of F3, The Origins, 1971-1984, we look among others at Lola.

The post Formula 3: The Origins, 1971-1984 Part 6 appeared first on Motorsport Retro.

By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

The 21st edition of the ADAC Hockenheim Historic drew around 46,000 fans to the Hockenheimring for three days of historic motorsport. The attending crowd enjoyed more than 500 participants, with the emphasis this year on the various classes within the touring car categories.

The historic part of the program this year included Tourenwagen Golden Era, Class One Revival, Revival Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft, Golden Era Classic Cup, BOSS GP, Lurani Trophy, ADAC Graf Berghe von Trips Pokal, Formula Vee, and Raceclub Germany. For fans of modern motorsport, there were also races of the Gebhardt Ginetta GT5 Challenge and the Velom Watches Supercup.

The Touring Car Golden Era always provides plenty of spectacle, with more than 50 iconic cars from the DTM era of the 1980s and the STW touring cars of the 1990s entertaining the crowd this weekend.

Add to this the names of a number of stars from that era, such as Altfrid Heger, Sebastian Asch, Kris Nissen, and Marc Hessel, who subsequently also claimed the leading roles, and the picture is complete. 68-year-old Altfrid Heger scored two consecutive start-finish victories in his Audi 200 M86, then drove home a start-win finish, although Ronny Scheer put him under pressure throughout the first race.

The Revival of the DRM Championship always draws large crowds to their feet with a rich reflection of all the fine things this popular championship offered in Europe during the seventies and eighties. In Hockenheim, a varied field of entries was once again on display, including former Group 2, 4, and 5 cars. Although two Zakspeed Ford Capri Turbos provided plenty of fireworks in Group 5, there were no Porsche 935s or BMW CSLs on the starting grid this time.

Peter Mücke and Ronny Scheer’s Zakspeed Capri’s clashed with Michael Kammermann in his BMW M1 Procar during the first race. The Swiss driver managed to break the Capris’ hegemony and claimed second place. However, he had to bow deeply to the 79-year-old Peter Mücke, who drove his Zakspeed Capri convincingly to victory.

During the second race, neither Kammermann nor Scheer took part. It then seemed as though Mücke could drive towards his second victory. However, bad luck struck, and the German was forced to pull his Capri to the side. The win subsequently went convincingly to the 2.4-liter Opel Kadett C Coupe of Giorgis Katzidis.

Single-seater enthusiasts were treated to the speed monsters of the BOSS GP Series and the significantly slower, but certainly no less spectacular, Lurani Trophy for Formula Junior cars during this edition of the ADAC Hockenheim Historic. In the BOSS GP, as expected, Ingo Gerstl took the overall victory twice in a Toro Rosso STR1. In the F1 class of the BOSS GP, these types of cars are only required to clock 15 minutes of race time, which has everything to do with the cost aspect. Gerstl was the only one to start the race this weekend with an F1 car. The other participants, however, had to complete the full race duration.

Alex Ames dominated the first race of the weekend in the Lurani Trophy for Formula Junior cars, impressively holding off Clive Richards. During the second race, it initially looked as though he would also claim the second race. However, as the condition of his tires deteriorated rapidly toward the final part of the race, Richards managed to close the gap. After a short but fierce duel, Richards struck on the very last lap and crossed the finish line first.

Enthusiasts of historic Formula 3 and Formula Ford cars were in for a treat thanks to the presence of the ADAC Graf Berghe von Trips Pokal. Both races were won by Patrick Andriessen in a Ralt RT3/83, who came, saw, and conquered in a very dominant fashion. The Golden Era Classic Cup for historic Porsches featured the smallest field of participants this time around. The first race on Saturday was claimed by Marcel Müller, after pole sitter Thomas Zellweger had to pull his 997 GT3 Cup to the side after three laps. On Sunday, he redeemed himself by claiming the victory following an exciting duel with Müller.

What the public was eagerly awaiting were the former Class 1 DTM cars featured in the Class One Revival. It had been announced beforehand that no race would take place, but rather a high-speed demo for former DTM cars from the period between 1993 and 2020. It brought not only a number of DTM cars onto the track that make their appearance before the arrival of the current GT3 era, but also cars such as the Opel Astra Coupe V8, Opel Vectra GTS V8, and the Audi TTR.

The date for next year’s Hockenheim Historic-Das Jim Clark Revival has already been set. The 22nd edition will take place on the weekend of May 7 to 9, 2027, and we are already looking forward to it with great impatience.

Results ADAC Hockenheim Historic-Das Jim Clark Revival 2026

Tourenwagen Golden Era

Race 1

1. Altfrid Heger, Audi 200 M86
2. Ronny Scheer, Nissan Skyline, + 1.557
3. Sebastian Asch, Ford Sierra RS500, + 37.874

Race 2

1. Altfrid Heger, Audi 200 M86
2. Kris Nissen, BMW E30 M3 DTM, +25.776
3. Thomas Wandel, Audi 200, + 29.531

Revival Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft

Race 1

1. Peter Mücke, Zakspeed Ford Capri Turbo Gr. 5
2. Michael Kammerman, BMW M1 Procar, + 8.283
3. Ronny Scheer, Zakspeed Ford Capri Turbo Gr. 5, + 24.434

Race 2

1. Giorgis Katzidis, Opel Kadett C Coupe,
2. Michael Sadurski, Opel Ascona 400, + 11.785
3. Eddy Althoff, BMW M1 Procar, + 23.925

BOSS GP Series

Race 1

1. Marco Ghiotto, Dallara GP2/11
2. Thomas Zeltner, Dallara GP2/11, + 0.506
3. Paul O’Connell, Dallara World Series V8 T12, + 10.268

Race 2

1. Simone Colombo, Dallara GP2/11
2. Paul O’Connell, Dallara World Series V8 T12, +5.764
3. Marco Ghiotto, Dallara GP2/11, + 12.631

Lurani Throphy

Race 1

1. Alex Ames, Brabham BT6
2. Clive Richards, Lotus 22, +5.412
3. Simon Jackson, De Tomaso FJ, + 23.675

Race 2

1. Clive Richards, Lotus 22
2. Alex Ames, Brabham BT6, + 0.842
3. Manfredo Rossi di Montelera, Lotus 22, + 22.470

ADAC Graf Berghe von Trips Pokal

Race 1

1. Patrick Andriessen, Ralt RT3/83
2. Daniel Hornung, Dallara F388, + 6.815
3. Manfredo Rossi di Montelera, Argo JM10, + 10.926

Race 2

1. Patrick Andriessen, Ralt RT3/83
2. Manfredo Rossi di Montelera, Argo JM10, + 8.641
3. Elio Cocciarelli, Ralt RT3/84, + 12.394

Golden Era Classic Cup

Race 1

1. Marcel Müller, Porsche 997 GT3 Cup,
2. Jeremias-Morros, Porsche 996 GT3 Cup, + 52.434
3. Adrian Grenz, Porsche 911 RSR, + 1 lap

Race 2

1. Thomas Zellweger, Porsche 997 GT3 Cup
2. Marcel Müller, Porsche 997 GT3 Cup, + 1.424
3. Jeremias-Morros, Porsche 996 GT3 Cup, + 1:11.067

The post Report & Gallery: The ADAC Hockenheim Historic-Das Jim Clark Revival 2026 appeared first on Motorsport Retro.

By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

After having looked primarily at the origins of the DRM championship in our first part, in the second part we look back at the early years in which the championship caused a sensation.

The new DRM championship debuted in the World Motorcycle Championship support program at the Nürburgring. Hans-Joachim Stuck set the fastest time in the very first practice session of the championship, driving a Ford Cologne-entered Capri RS 2600.

In reality however, there was no 2.6-liter Ford engine under the hood, but rather a 2.940 cc six-cylinder that delivered around 300 hp. Ford had also used an aluminum cylinder head which saved a considerable amount of weight. Remarkable you might say, yet the regulations at the time offered sufficient scope for this type of application.

The then 21-year-old Stuck dominated the opening race and drove to the top step of the winner’s podium eight more times that year. Ultimately, the Bavarian managed to win nine of the ten races and went down in history as the very first winner of a DRM championship.

Results DRM Championship 1972

1. Hans-Joachim Stuck, Ford Cologne Ford Capri RS 2600
2. Klaus Fritzinger, Ford Capri RS 2600
3. Dieter Basche, GS Tuning BMW 2002

Ford scored again in the championship a year later thanks to Dieter Glemser, who clinched the title with a Zakspeed-entered Ford Escort RS1600. However Glemser did not dominate as strongly as Stuck did in his championship year. Fellow Ford driver Hans Heyer could not prevent Glemser from taking home the title, although the points difference at the end of the season was only one, in Glemser’s favor.

In addition, Glemser drove an Escort, while Heyer lined up with a Capri. The power unit used by Glemser was also not a standard Ford, but a 1786 cc BDA engine used in Formula 2, while the cylinder head with four valves per cylinder was developed by Cosworth, accompanied by two overhead camshafts.

Results DRM -Championship 1973

1. Dieter Glemser, Schwabengarage Zakspeed RTL Ford Escort RS1600
2. Hans Heyer, Ford Cologne Ford Capri RS2600 LW
3. Dieter Basche, GS Tuning BMW 2002

Glemser successfully defended his title in 1974, although the global oil crisis had far-reaching consequences for the championship. BMW and Ford announced they would reduce their racing activities following the business slump caused by the oil crisis. The ONS reacted by including only eight races in its DRM calendar.

Results DRM Championship 1974

1.     Dieter Glemser, Castrol Team Zakspeed RTL Ford Escort RS 1600
2.     Jörg Obermoser, Team Europa Möbel GS BMW Tuning BMW 2002
3.     Klaus Ludwig, Ford Cologne Ford Capri RS 3100

When the oil crisis of 1975 became history, the ONS increased the number of races again from eight to ten. However, when King Winter reigned in the Eifel, they were forced to cancel a race on the Nordschleife, resulting in a total of nine races in which points could be scored. At the end of the season, the championship went to Ford once again, thanks to Hans Heyer.

In 1975 Heyer lined up at the start with a Zakspeed-prepared Ford Escort RS, where he faced Klaus Ludwig as his most significant competitor. With three races remaining, Ludwig switched from the Escort to a Ford Capri RS 3100 in Division 1, thereby avoiding a direct duel with Heyer. However what Ludwig had hoped for failed, as he missed out on the title.

Results DRM Championship 1975

1.    Hans Heyer, Castrol Team Zakspeed Ford Escort RS Mk.II
2.    Klaus Ludwig, General Anzeiger Ford Capri RS3100
3.    Albrecht Krebs, Schnitzer/Rodenstock BMW 3.0 CSL

Effective January 1 1976, the FISA motorsport commission defined new technical regulations in its “Appendix J” to the Sporting Regulations. Modifications to racing cars were significantly restricted compared to their homologation models in Groups 2 and 4. Until then pistons had been unrestricted. From that moment tuners were only allowed to modify standard parts.

Organizers were not always happy with changes to the regulations and the ONS feared that there would not be enough cars on the starting grid at the start of the 1976 season. To prevent this they allowed older Group 2 cars that, however, complied with the new regulations in terms of weight and tire width.

In any case, this had the effect that the well-known participants appeared at the start with technical specifications that still conformed to the old regulations. The negative side of this decision was that the Ford Capri and BMW CSL would not participate in the DRM championship. To prevent this, older Group 2 cars were kept, which, however, met the new regulations in terms of weight and tire width.

Driving with narrower tires was not what the Fords and BMWs were built for. On the other hand, both brands had also announced a new model. Until 1976, Porsche effectively played no significant role. In that year however, the 934 appeared on the grid and immediately made its mark on the DRM championship by winning nine of the ten races in Division 1.

In the end not a single entered 934 managed to take home the title. Hans Heyer won five races and finished second four times with a Division 2 Zakspeed Ford Escort RS Mk.II. This was enough to clinch the championship.

Zakspeed was the team to beat, particularly in the early years of the DRM championship with four of the five Ford titles. In 1977, the ONS decided to amend the regulations again, whereby near-production touring cars were no longer welcome.

 Results DRM Championship 1976

1. Hans Heyer, Castrol Team Zakspeed Ford Escort Mk. II
2. Klaus Ludwig, Europamöbel Team Zakspeed Ford Escort Mk. II
3. Bob Wollek, Vaillant Kremer Team Porsche 934

In part 3 of our overview, we continue with the arrival of Group 5 cars, after which the popularity of the championship soared. Incidentally, not only in Germany but also far beyond.

The post Europe’s finest during the 70s & early 80s, the DRM-championship: part 2 appeared first on Motorsport Retro.

By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

The 17th edition of the Spa Summer Classic was on the calendar for the penultimate weekend of April. The main race of the weekend was the familiar Spa 3 Hours, a 3-hour endurance race for historic GTs and touring cars with a field of fifty-eight cars. Last year’s undisputed favorites, Palle Birkelund Pedersen and Alexander Weiss from Denmark, came to defend their title.

Just how determined both were to successfully defend their title became evident when Alexander Weiss rode the small but oh-so-fast 1720 cc Ginetta G4R to pole position once again. Alexander and Vincent Kolb had no answer with their mighty Cobra to the lightning-fast Weiss, who secured pole position by a margin of 5.910 seconds.

After the first lap it was already abundantly clear that if Weiss and Pedersen managed to bring the Ginetta to the finish line without problems, a second consecutive victory would be secured. And so it happened. The Danish duo did not encounter any difficulties during the race and drove to a controlled victory. After three hours of racing, Pedersen and Weiss held a twol-lap lead over the Ford Mustang of Andy Taylor, Dave Coyne and Mike Wright. The small Danish team once again demonstrated the true spirit of historic racing: achieving great results with a limited budget, optimal preparation, the necessary passion and conviction.

There is no shortage of diversity in the Youngtimer Touring Car Challenge. During this weekend in Spa too, the grid was packed with an array of touring cars and GTs. Daniel Schrey made his mark on the first two races with the bright yellow Porsche 935 K1. During the first race, David Verzijlbergen managed to keep the gap to the leader by no more than about five seconds with his BMW M3 E36. Schrey looked set to score three out of three on Sunday morning, but during the second lap of the final YTCC race the 935 suddenly stalled. The battle for the lead then took place between the BMW M3s of David Verzijlbergen and Sam Adriaans, which was ultimately decided in Verzijlbergen’s favor.

From Germany the Touring Car Legends had once again found their way to Spa. The public was treated to two races featuring mainly BMWs in a number of versions and a wide range of different Porsches. Markus Weege proved to be the fastest in his BMW E46 M3 during the first race of the weekend. Thomas Ardelt dominated the second race of the weekend with his Porsche 997 GT3 Cup.

Popular in Belgium as well as abroad is the Belcar Historic Cup from Belgium. For years this championship attracts interesting starting grids with a wide range of historic GTs and touring cars. During this weekend, Wim Kuijl proved to be a cut above the rest of the competition with his impressive Ford Capri RS3100 and won both races convincingly.

The British Classic Sports Car Club CSCC had brought two series down to Belgium: the CSCC Modern International & Ramair BMW Championship and the CSCC Classic & Morgan Challenge – British GTGT.

Nathan Wells faced little opposition during the first race of the weekend with his BMW M3 E46 GTR. Nigel Mustill and Craig Dolby drove a lonely second race of the weekend in their BMW GT3, where they encountered no opposition from anyone or anything. Louis Workman-Ruff drove his Morgan Plus 4 dominantly and convincingly, crossing the finish line as the winner twice.

The Spa Summer Classic guarantees an international character and to underline this once again, the FHR Historic Championship ’65 and ’81 were present from Germany. HC ‘65 had two half-hour races on the program, while HC ‘81 had a race that lasted 90 minutes.

Bas Jansen drove brilliantly in HC ’65 with his Shelby Cobra 289 and faced no opposition whatsoever. During the second race it was Jac Meeuwissen who set the pace. While the Dutchman had to watch Jansen take the victory unchallenged during the first race, he called the shots during the second with his Cobra Daytona Coupe.

In HC ’81 Maxwell Polzler and Nick Salewsky took home the victory with their Porsche 911 RS. After ninety minutes of racing, they crossed the finish line first although Daniel Schrey, this time in a Porsche 911 RSR, was flagged in second place just two seconds behind.

Touring cars and GTs from the seventies were combined with the European Championship for 1300 cc cars in the ETCC Seventies Revival by 1300 ETC. Daniel Schrey made his mark here with his well-known Porsche 935 K1, which he drove convincingly to victory twice.

The smallest cars of the weekend came from the Kampf der Zwerge, or Battle of the Dwarfs. A large field of Mini Cooper’s, Fiat Abarth’s and NSU TT’s battled for top honors. As is often the case in this series, the best duels were once again fought right to the finish line. During both races, Hans März fought a duel for the lead against Michael Männl and Gregor Nick that lasted until the finish. In both cases, März managed to win the races by the blink of an eye.

The 17^th edition of the Spa Summer Classic proved to be another very successful weekend for the Roadbook organization, thanks to the excellent spring weather, the well-filled starting grids and the large crowds that were present. We are already looking forward to the 18th edition in 2027.

Results Spa Summer Classic 2026

Spa 3 Hours

1. Palle Birkelund-Pedersen/Alexander Weiss, Ginetta G4R
2. Andy Taylor/Dave Coyne/Mike Wright, Ford Mustang, + 2 laps
3. Charles Faber-Castell/Andrew Newall, Shelby Cobra Daytona, + 2 laps

Youngtimer Touring Car Challenge race 1

1. Daniel Schrey, Porsche 935 K1
2. David Verzijlbergen, BMW M3 E36, + 5.750
3. Beat Gubler, Dodge Challenger, + 27.286

Youngtimer Touringcar Challenge race 2

1. Daniel Schrey, Porsche 935 K1
2. Malcolm Harding, Ford Escort Zakspeed Mk.1, + 26.202
3. Dimitri Galanidis, Porsche 996, + 48.610

Youngtimer Touring Car Challenge race 3

1. David Verzijlbergen, BMW M3 E36
2. Sam Adriaans, BMW M3 E30, + 0.702
3. Volker Schneider, Ford Sierra RS500, + 1.178

Tourenwagen Legenden race 1

1. Markus Weege, BMW E46 M3
2. Oliver Menzel, Porsche 997 GT3-R, + 8.720
3. Herwig Duller/Siegfried Kuzdas, BMW E46 M3, + 16.417

Tourenwagen Legenden race 2

1. Thomas Ardelt, Porsche 997 GT3 Cup
2. Markus Weege, BMW E46 M3, + 12.271
3. Oliver Menzel, Porsche 997 GT3-R, + 25.147

Belcar Historic Cup race 1

1. Wim Kuijl, Ford Capri RS3100
2. Luc Moortgat, Porsche 964, + 3.950
3. Michael Wittke, Porsche 911 RSR, + 31.678

Belcar Historic Cup, race 2

1. Wim Kuijl. Ford Capri RS3100
2. Luc Moortgat, Porsche 964, + 7.079
3. Tim Kuijl, Ford Capri RS3100, +8.622

CSCC Modern Int. & Ramair BMW Championship race 1

1. Nathan Wells, BMW M3 E46 GTR
2. Niall Bradley, BMW M3 E46, + 10.150
3. Graham Crowhurst, BMW M3 E46, + 14.503

CSCC Modern Int. & Ramair BMW Championship race 2

1. Nigel Mustill/Craig Dolby, BMW GT3
2. Jac Meeuwissen/Ties Meeuwissen, Ferrari 488, + 52.008
3. Stephen Nuttall, Caterham Seven, + 1:00.347

CSCC Classic & Morgan Challenge – British HTGT race 1

1. Louis Workman-Ruff, Morgan Plus 4
2. Colin Philpott, Jaguar XJS, + 46.513
3. Jason Kennedy/Louise Kennedy, Nissan Skyline GTR R32, + 1:02.677

CSCC Classic & Morgan Challenge – British HTGT race 2

1. Louis Workman-Ruff, Morgan Plus 4
2. Colin Philpott, Jaguar XJS, + 15.321
3. Jason Kennedy/Louise Kennedy, Nissan Skyline GTR R32, + 19.490

Historic Championship ’65 race 1

1. Bas Jansen, Shelby Cobra 289
2. Jac Meeuwissen, Shelby American Cobra Daytona Coupe, + 18.520
3. Christian Bock/Jan-Frederik Bock, Jaguar E-Type, + 48.559

Historic Championship ’65 race 2

1. Jac Meeuwissen, Shelby American Cobra Daytona Coupe
2. Bas Jansen, Shelby Cobra 289, + 10.617
3. Oliver Hartmann, Elva Mk. 8, + 33.816

Historic Championship ’81 race 1

1. Maxwell Polzler/Nick Salewsky, Porsche 911 RS
2. Daniel Schrey, Porsche 911 RSR, + 2.709
3. Markus Diederich/Ben Bünnagel, Ford Escort RS1600, + 1:10.414

ETCC Seventies Revival by 1300ETC race 1

1. Daniel Schrey, Porsche 935 K1
2. Cees Lubbers, BMW 3.0 CSL, + 22.226
3. Lex Proper, Porsche 911 IROC, + 1:25.459

ETCC Seventies Revival by 1300ETC race 2

1. Daniel Schrey, Porsche 935 K1
2. Cees Lubbers, BMW 3.0 CSL, + 6.503
3. Lex Proper, Porsche 911 IROC, + 1:21.750

Kampf der Zwerge race 1

1. Hans März, Simca 1200S
2. Michael Männl, Abarth 1000 TCR, + 0.501
3. Gregor Nick, Rover Mini Cooper, + 1.373

Kampf der Zwerge race 2

1. Hans März, Simca 1200S
2. Michael Männl, Abarth 1000 TCR, + 0.161
3. Gregor Nick, Rover Mini Cooper, + 0.850

The post Report & Gallery: The Spa Summer Classic 2026 appeared first on Motorsport Retro.

By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

We are pleased to present a new series on Motorspor Retro in which we look back on the life of a racing driver who is sadly no longer with us.  Accompanied by unique and historic photographic material from Dutch motorsport photographer Winau Berkhof, in this episode we look back at the life and racing career of Graham Hill.

Graham Hill (1929–1975) was a British Formula 1 icon, best known as the only driver to win the ‘Triple Crown of Motorsport’: the F1 World Championship (1962, 1968), Indianapolis 500 (1966), and 24 Hours of Le Mans (1972). Known as “Mr. Monaco” for his five wins there, Hill was a charismatic driver-turned-team owner who died in a 1975 plane crash.

Incidentally, it took a long time before Hill came into contact with cars, let alone motorsport. He was a late bloomer who initially had no interest in cars. He did not obtain his driving license until he was 24.

Hill was much more into rowing; he rowed at the Southsea Rowing Club and became a member of the London Rowing Club in 1952. In the period between 1952 and 194, he participated in twenty finals. At that time, the Briton did not yet have a real life goal.

His father was a stockbroker and through him, he began an apprenticeship with an instrument maker. He completed his compulsory military service with the Royal Navy. Two years later, he returned to his job with the instrument maker.

However, an advertisement in the monthly magazine Autosport for the Universal Motor Racing Club at Brands Hatch would bring about a radical turning point. A few laps in a 500cc Formula 3 car ensured that Hill would be given a very clear direction.

That same day young Hill became an instructor for the racing school at Brands Hatch. And if he did his best, he was even allowed to participate in a race. Subsequently he submitted his resignation to Smith’s Instruments.

Sometime later Hill met none other than Colin Chapman in a cafe. Without hesitation, he asked Chapman for a job as a mechanic. In 1956, he was allowed to participate in a number of races with a Lotus Eleven that he had worked on as a mechanic. Hill subsequently won four races.

Chapman was impressed and made Hill a full-fledged Formula 2 driver in 1957. With a Lotus 12 however, he didn’t stand a chance against the rear-wheel-drive Coopers.

On May 18, 1958, the then 29-year-old Hill lined up at the start of the Monaco Grand Prix for the first time. It was also the debut of Lotus in the pinnacle of motorsport. In those days the Lotus team was nothing like what it would eventually become: an amateur team that entered the race with substandard equipment and rarely, if ever, reached the finish line.

The following year, nothing would change for Lotus, and in 1960 Hill had had enough and left Chapman’s team. Consequently, Hill signed with BRM, which, as it later turned out, would be the right choice. Hill battled Jim Clark for the world title throughout that season, and the decision would not be made until the final race in South Africa.  Clark initially took the lead and built up a substantial advantage. Mechanical failure prevented him from reaching the finish line and claiming the world title, which subsequently went to Hill.

Although Hill and Chapman were not the best of friends, he was brought back to work on the development of the Lotus 49. In 1967, he was still struggling with the reliability of the Lotus 49.  In 1968, he initially battled Jim Clark for the world title. However, Clark tragically lost his life during a Formula 2 race at Hockenheim. Hill subsequently became 1^st driver at Lotus and claimed his second world title in 1968.

The Lotus 49 was anything but a safe car, which became all the more apparent when Hill crashed during the race at Watkins Glen and broke both legs. His career came to a sudden, temporary halt as a result, and although he returned later, he did not achieve the successes of yesteryear.

Chapman was convinced that Hill was past his prime, after which he placed him in Rob Walker’s team with the Lotus 72 for the 1970 season. Hill proved to be anything but fit, and he did not score points until towards the end of the season.

For the 1971 and 1972 racing seasons, he moved to Brabham. In 1971, he stood on the top step of the podium for the very last time, after winning the non-championship International Trophy at Silverstone with the Brabham BT34.

Just like many of Hill’s colleagues at the time, he did not race only in Formula 1. Hill competed in a wide range of diverse racing series. One of his highlights was winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans together with Frenchman Henri Pescarolo in a Matra MS670.  In 1966, he had also won the Indianapolis 500. Because he had also won the Monaco Grand Prix in 1963, he simultaneously claimed the Triple Crown, an unofficial title. To this day, no one has ever matched that achievement. Incidentally, he also won the Monaco Grand Prix in 1964, 1965, 1968, and 1969.

Finding a seat with a factory team proved to be more than a challenge. When that turned out to be more of a pipe dream than a reality, Hill decided to found his own team in 1973 under the name Embassy Hill. He secured sponsorship from Imperial Tobacco.  Initially the team raced with Shadow and Lola cars. From 1975 onwards, he entered the grid with his own design, although he failed to make an impact. In stark contrast to his five victories in the streets of Monaco was the harsh reality that he could not even qualify for the 1975 Monaco Grand Prix.

Hill subsequently decided to stop racing and focus on managing his team. In addition, he also had the up-and-coming talent Tony Brise under his wing.

On the evening of November 29, 1975, Hill was returning with his team from training at the Paul Ricard circuit. Hill was piloting his own aircraft, a twin-engine Piper PA23-250 Turbo Aztec. During the night approach in dense fog, the aircraft crashed north of London near a golf course. All occupants, including Hill, Tony Brise, and the members of the Embassy Hill Team, perished in the crash.

In this tragic way, the life of Norman Graham Hill, the only racing driver ever to win the Triple Crown, came to an abrupt end. Fate had not struck now on a race track where he had played the unpredictable game between life and death for years.

The post Gone But Not Forgotten: Graham Hill, Prototype Of A Gentlemen Driver appeared first on Motorsport Retro.

By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

Throughout the history of motorsport, we have encountered various high-profile touring car championships over the years. However, there are only a few that have created a true cult following and remain a topic of conversation to this day.

In a series of articles, we look back at the origins of the renowned DRM championship from Germany, or the Deutsche Rennsport-Meisterschaft. It was the ancestor of the current DTM championship, which saw the light of day in 1984.

The DRM-championship was immensely popular, and in the late 1970s, it was Europe’s most important motorsport championship after Formula 1. However, the championship did not have a long life, as will become apparent from our description. At its peak, the DRM fell victim to changed regulations by the then FISA, and the starting grids became dramatically smaller in size in 1985.

In the 1970s, a great deal was possible in motorsport. An example was the American-Canadian CanAm championship, where regulations were virtually non-existent and it was effectively known as unlimited motorsports. Formula 1 gained access to slick tires from 1971, and it was notable that racing cars in general were increasingly equipped with spoilers. Within a few months, the previously used racing cars looked like relics of a bygone era.

In this environment, the German Racing Championship (DRM) was established. It represented a complete new beginning consistently abandoning old traditions.

Until 1970 Germany had the DARM Championship (Deutsche Automobil-Rundstrecken-Meisterschaft), or German Circuit Racing Championship. This championship was particularly known for its very complex regulations. Various classes were permitted that raced together for the championship. An example of this complexity was that GT car drivers earned “good points” if they drove faster than comparable touring cars.

However, it could get even crazier: Additional “bonus points” were awarded to drivers who covered at least 90 percent of the distance of the respective class winner and whose average speed was no more than 10 percent lower than that of the class winner. In theory, this ensured perfect equality of opportunity.

It hardly needs explaining that the car manufacturers were deterred by the high degree of complexity. In theory, a small car could even end up ahead of a much faster car on the track in the championship standings.

However when Hugo Emde, Bilstein’s sports and PR manager, Jochen Neerpasch, Ford’s sports director and Fritz Jüttner of Bosch joined forces, a new championship was born. This trio was able to carry enough weight to persuade the National Motorsport Commission in Germany (ONS) to implement new regulations in 1972.

The trio’s intention was to rekindle the automotive industry’s enthusiasm for a championship comprising a maximum of two different divisions. Under the new regulations, engine displacement was the decisive factor in determining which of the two divisions a car was classified into.

Division 1 was open to cars with an engine displacement between 2 and 4 liters. In the smaller Division 2, cars with an engine displacement of less than 2 liters were admitted. In this way, a clear distinction was also made between touring cars and GTs. Additionally, special touring cars from Group 2 and GTs from Group 4 were welcome in both divisions.

To give the new series even more substance, the ONS wanted top drivers to compete in Division 1 for the German car manufacturers BMW, Ford Cologne, and Porsche. At the same time, the name DARM (Deutsche Automobil-Rundstrecken-Meisterschaft) was changed to DRM, Deutsche Rennsport-Meisterschaft. Incidentally, in its early years, the championship consisted of a combination of circuit races and a limited number of hillclimb races.

To enhance the race days, the ONS launched the new circuit racing cup for up-and-coming drivers as a foundation for the major championship.

The ONS decided to retain the already thirteen proven classes. For cars like the Abarth 1000 TC, Alfa Romeo 1300 GTA Junior, Ford Escort 1300 GT, Morris Mini Cooper and NSU TT this meant that they had a platform too. Besides this these cars completed the racing program over a DRM weekend.

In the second episode, we take look at the inaugural season of the DRM Championship in 1972.

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