47th AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix: Mega Gallery and Report

By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

53,500 spectators visited the 47^th edition of the annual AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring over the 9th to 11th of August, for a spectacular celebration of motorsport history. Twenty races and regularity tests made up a packed programme of motorsport featuring cars from the pre-war era all the way through to the prototypes and sports cars of the world endurance championship of the 2010s.

The AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix is considered the highlight of the German historic motorsport season, drawing around 500 historic race cars to the Grand Prix loop of the Nürburgring for three days of historic competition.

Among the many highlights were three FIA Masters Historic championships, including Formula 1 cars from the Cosworth era, sports cars from the ’60s and ’70s and the Formula Junior cars of the Lurani Trophy. As well as these, sports cars and GTs of the ’50s and touring cars of the former DTM and DRM (Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft) were celebrated.

Besides the spectacular trackside action, spectators could enjoy the presence of numerous stars of yesteryear, including Leopold Prince of Bavaria, Klaus Niedzwiedz, three-time Le Mans winner Marco Werner and ex-DTM driver and Porsche team boss Olaf Manthey.

When we take a closer look at the results below, you’ll see that wins were earned from hard fought battles in several of the races.

Martin Stretton repeated his strong performance from last year in a Tyrrell 012 in Benetton-livery, entered in the FIA Masters Historic F1 Championship. The Briton claimed two victories.

In the FIA Lurani Trophy it was Italian count Manfredo Rossi di Montelera who scored two hard fought victories in his Lotus 22. No one had an answer to the commanding speed of Jason Wright and Andy Wolfe’s Lola T70 Mk.IIIB in the FIA Masters Historic Sports Car Championship.

One of the biggest fields of the weekend was entered by the Revival of the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft, which featured a grid combined with cars from the FHR 100 Miles Trophy. This resulted in a colourful mix of CanAm beasts, former Group 5 monsters and other cars from the predecessor of the DTM championship. McLaren M8s battled it out against fast Lolas, Porsche 935s, a Ford Zakspeed Capri Turbo, several BMW M1, Porsche 934s and many more.

Three-time Le Mans winner Marco Werner entered the race with a mighty McLaren-Trojan M8F. As he suffered from a braking issue, Felix Haas grabbed victory in his Lola T294. During the second race, however, it was Werner who crossed the line first, with Haas less than a second behind the Le Mans legend.

Another crowd puller were the former DTM and STW cars gathered into the Tourenwagen Classics. This series featured a great variety in cars and was ultimately topped by the mighty Ford Zakspeed Capri Turbo driven by Peter Mücke.

Belgian Christophe D’Ansembourg scored two straight victories in the Aston Martin Masters Endurance Legends in his Lola-Aston Martin DBR1-2. Other class winners included Michael Gans (Lotus 15) in the two-seat sports cars and GTs up to 1960/1 during the dusk race on Saturday, as well as Mark Lewis and Julian Majzub, who claimed first place in a Lister Chevrolet Knobbly on Sunday.

Michael Gans claimed another victory during the first race of the Historic Grand Prix Cars on Saturday in a Cooper T79. Peter Horsman crossed the chequered flag first on Sunday in a Lotus 18/21.

Britons Thomas Julian and Andy Wolfe had an interesting battle with Dutchman Nicky Pastorelli in his Ferrari 250 GTO. Although Julian and Wolfe drove the entire 90 minute race in front, Pastorelli remained in striking distance. In the end the Shelby Cobra Daytona turned out to have a higher top speed over the priceless Ferrari 250 GTO.

We are already looking forward to the 48^th edition of the Oldtimer Grand Prix, expected to be held during the summer of 2020.

Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica