After a one year break, in 2020 the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix took place with a limited number of visitors, the 49th edition of the OGP had been eagerly awaited as it is one of the most popular events of historic motor racing in continental Europe.
However the organization of this weekend, in special for the press-photographers was not professional. Only 60 vests were available for 300 photographers and to go to the track to take pictures of the action you need to wear a vest. But the staff from the AvD in the press-center could not do anything, but they tried very hard to help us and were very friendly, and finally they managed it.
Also the entry fee for Saturday, which is the day with the most action on track, was with €59 very, very high. At the paddock area not only the Porsche company was missing, the whole area was much more exciting in the past. So the cars on track took the longer way of the Mercedes arena to surround the Grand Prix track instead of the shorter and familiar way through the „S“ curve after the start- and finish straight.
The grids were smaller than the last years, but this is a negative effect of the „Brexit“ I think it isn’t easy and also very expensive to bring a car to continental Europe for British owners of classic race cars.
But the races and the action on the traditional Nürburgring circuit were very good indeed. Many interesting cars raced against their opponents in 14 races. One of the highlights were presentation laps of 1961 Grand Prix cars which a replica of the famous Ferrari 156 F1, the car in which Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips nearly won the 1961 world championship but sadly had a fatal accident in Monza by colliding with Jim Clark’s Lotus.
Another favorite of mine was a light blue painted Lotus Europa. I love the shape of this car since my childhood and a Matchbox scale model, I owned. The fastest cars on track were the Le Mans Legends, Sport-Prototype-Cars of the early 2000 years and of course the Master Formula One Legends. All in all it was a colorful weekend, with a bad start, but with the typical atmosphere of the Oldtimer Grand Prix. It is one of my favorite events and has a place in my heart for ever.
I still hope that the next year with the 50th anniversary of this famous and fabulous event will be better organized and bigger grids than this years edition.
But maybe it could be the future that such an event grows a bit smaller in the next years. Smaller sometimes can also be better ,but I am not quite sure about it. Anyway, I will be there in 2023 and you should be attending too. The traditional Nürburgring track with the old castle in the heart of the Eifel is such a nice place to be. Hope to see you there when the 50th anniversary will be celebrated. Find out more about our photographer Ralph Lüker.
