AvD Oldtimer - Ferrari Owners' Club

This huge event is one of the biggest in Europe and brilliantly organized by the “Automobil-club von Deutschland” (AvD). Looking at the preliminary time-schedule it certainly looked very appetizing. After scrutineering on Thursday, Friday was filled with roaring, leaping, crashing and banging on the legendary “Nordschleife” where the 14th Historic Marathon 400 took place. Incidentally, the special guest at this event was Alain Prost, so I guess he was the Grand Prix Oldtimer of the title!

The race programme itself included a number of classes - first of all, there was my favourite, the Shell Ferrari Maserati Historic Challenge grids A, B and C. Next to those beauties there were categories like Formula Junior, F1 Classic Grand Prix Masters and FIA TC/GTC. Add to these Bugattis, pre-1940 sports cars, pre-1960 racing and GT cars, pre-1960 Grand Prix and last, but by no means least, the “Orwell SuperSports Cup” for Can Am cars, there was something to satisfy even the most avid of historic racing fans.

On Saturday and Sunday there would be a real Le Mans start for the drivers of the Shell Ferrari Maserati Historic Challenge and the Historic Racecars up to 1940. (For the benefit of younger readers – the drivers line up on the opposite side of the track to their cars, at flag fall they run to them, leap in, fire them up and race away - Ed).

So, to the New Track. Last year, I enjoyed the changes they made at the track, to the Castrol-S curve and the Mercedes Arena, it slowed the cars down and gives a clearer view to the spectators in the Bilstein and Mercedes Grandstands. The Nürburgring is one of the safest tracks for the drivers as well as for the spectators, marshals, photographers and TV crews. There were organized Shuttles, but my trainee and I walked from the start to the Mercedes Arena between the fences and tires/crash-barriers and on the coarse gravel - sometimes there was a need for acrobatic feats, but we made it! It wasn’t easy to find the right spot and still I don’t know which part I like best. I know the rest of the track very well by now, but when you’re a photographer, you’re always worried about missing THE picture!

On Saturday my trainee and I left for the ‘Ring very early and collected both our Media Passes. After a quick drink in the Media Center we went via the pit-lane to our first place to take our shots. My trainee used his own camera first, but had to use mine during the day as he was so excited he filled the memory card on his before the meeting had even started!

We had enough time to search the pit-boxes for interesting things on our way to the first curve. Of course I was mainly interested in the Ferraris, but Maserati also has my attention nowadays, especially on the track. I like the older cars best and there were plenty around and the Bugattis were wonderful as always. We photographers were taken by surprise when first Shell Ferrari Maserati Historic Challenge warmed up for the first race. Fortunately there were some time after the lights went out for the real race and soon my camera was working overtime. It was fantastic to see the two Ferrari BB LMs blasting through the first corner, followed by the 365 GTB/4 Daytona, a Dino206 S, a REAL 250 GTE, several SWBs, all making the most wonderful noises and the drivers trying for all they were worth. Every time I see those beauties I’m thrilled! The race result was predictable: BB LMs first and second with the Daytona third, but I enjoyed the GTE best, of course it couldn’t compete with the winners but I had great respect and admiration for its driver.

After this race there was a quarter of an hour before the start of the FIA GTC – 65, which gave us the time to look for other places to take pics - I wanted to be at the other side of the track before the first Shell Historic race. We made it and I was able to also take some wonderful pictures of an exciting race. At the end of the afternoon it started to rain and we decided to go home before it started raining cats and dogs (one of this circuit’s less endearing traits) and the light became too bad.

Again the AvD succeeded in organizing a marvelous event and all along the track, in the pit-lane, paddock and parking lots I heard the same remark: “Ahhh… Mensch… dass ist Geil!!”.