By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica
Traditionally, the European historic motorsport season starts on the first weekend of May with the Bosch Hockenheim Historic. Held in honour of wo-time Formula 1 World Champion Jim Clark, who was killed in an accident on April 7 1968 at Hockenheim, the meeting gives the race cars of yesteryear the chance to take to the track once again.
The program for the 18th edition of the BHH – Jim Clark Revival is one to enjoy. For the first time, Masters Historic Racing is present with three tasteful grids. Masters Racing Legends for 1966/1985 F1 cars presents 3-litre Formula 1 cars from two decades in which Cosworth DFV power and a creative car designer could win races.
Classic GTs and touring cars are combined into Masters Gentlemen Drivers & Pre-66 Touring Cars. Masters Gentlemen Drivers provides mini endurance races for pre-1966 GT cars such as AC, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Austin Healey, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Jaguar, Lotus, MG, Morgan, Porsche, Triumph and TVR with one or two drivers. In Masters Pre-66 Touring Cars, BMWs, Ford Falcons, Ford Mustangs, Lotus Cortinas and Mini Super Coopers run alongside the Masters Gentlemen Drivers.
In its sixth year of existence, Masters Endurance Legends features prototypes and GTs from 1995 to 2017, including a wide variety of cars that participated in major endurance racing events from 1995 – 2016. The series is split into two main eras of cars; 1995-2010 & 2011-2016. Each era is also split into six different categories for Prototype 1, Prototype 2, Prototype 3, GT1, GT2 & GTC/3.
The British Historic Sports Car Club (HSCC) will be present with single seaters that were built according to rules applicable from 1967 to 1978, also welcoming Formula 2, Formula Atlantic and Formula B cars, gathered into Historic Formula 2.
For the third time in a row the Group C Supercup is part of the extensive three-day program. Back in 1986, the German DRM championship (Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft) was replaced by the Supercup created by the ADAC. The championship lasted until 1989. Fans can enjoy the presence of former Group C and IMSA GTP cars.
The fastest and without doubt the most noisy cars of the weekend are the former Formula 1, GP2, Indy Cars, World Series by Renault, Superleague Formula and A1GP cars gathered into Big Open Single Seaters (BOSS) GP. The BOSS GP series are divided in two different categories. In the OPEN class, the fastest and most powerful cars, such as Formula 1 and IndyCar, will fight for the championship. In the FORMULA class, mainly GP2, AutoGP, Renault’s World Series and the cars of the Superleague Formula will battle for the podium positions and championship points.
Relive touring cars from the golden era with a massive 55 cars grid including the mighty Audi V8 Quattro, Audi A4 STW, BMW M3, BMW 3.0 CSL, BMW 635CSi, BMW E21 320, Ford Mustang Gr. A, Ford Sierra RS500, Honda Accord, Vauxhall Vectra and many more. The Historic Racecar Association represents six different racing classes strictly limited to single seaters such as Formula 3, Formula Ford 1600 and 2000, Formula Renault Turbo, Formula Junior and Sports 2000 sports prototypes. The extensive three-day program is completed with the Lurani Trophy for Formula Junior cars and the historic cars from Raceclub Germany.
We will be heading out to enjoy the meeting and capture the action, and can’t wait to get the 2023 historic motor racing season under way. Tickets for this stunning event can be bought online https://www.hockenheim-historic.de/en/info/tickets/
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