In a mouth-watering start to the season, a wide range of youngtimer and vintage formula-class racing, sports and touring cars will take to the track as part of the Bosch Hockenheim Historic 2016. Fans can look forward to nine racing classes and as well as four top-level demonstration runs at the Hockenheimring.

One of real attractions over the past years has been the “FIA Lurani Trophy”, which always boasts exciting duals. The origins of this series date back to 1958 when Count Johnny Lurani launched a young-generation class for Italian drivers in Monza. The idea took off, and went international. Top drivers such as Jim Clark, John Surtees, Mike Spence and Peter Arundell earned their colours in the small single-seaters.

The fastest racing cars of the 80s and 90s internationally line up against each other under the “BOSS GP” banner. Formula 1 cars from Arrows, Benetton and Jaguar face off against the only American Champ cars and Indy cars sill racing for championship points. GP2 series cars and World Series cars from Renault, which are just as fast, are also competing at the event.

The first US formula Vee championship took place in 1963, when Ferry Porsche and the then Porsche racing team coach Firtz Huscke von Hanstein, excited by the American idea of an affordable Volkswagen-based entry racing class, struck upon the idea and established the successful racing series in Europe in 1965. The Historisch Formel Vau Europa e.V classic racing car club has been ensuring that this success story is preserved and continued for more than 20 years. The new “Formula Vau” championship season starts at the Bosch Hockenheim Historic.

Demonstration runs with formula-class cars are also on the programme in addition to the race series. The presentation of “Team FNT”, the contemporary Formula 1 cars with a focus on the Toyota brand, is also eagerly anticipated, the highlight of which will be the presentation of the pit stop, which has been kitted out in original equipment. The “Raceclub Germany Historic” runs will give the spectators a rare glimpse a formula-class cars from right across Europe. The oldest vehicles are the Grand Prix cars from the 40s and 50s, such as the Maserati 250F once driven by Stirling Moss. Lotus, March and GRD are on the starting grid among the Formula 2 and 3 cars, which were driven for decades by race car legends like Jochen Rindt and Ronnie Peterson. These demonstration runs give visitors the opportunity to see the technical development of the one-seaters through the years.

Sports and touring cars
The CANADIAN-AMERICAN Challenge Cup, “CanAm Cup” for short, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The most spectacular racing series in the world at that time broke spectator records from 1966 to 1974. 71 races were held over a total of nine years, sometimes even stealing the show from Formula 1. The American powerhouses are fighting it out over two races at the Bosch Hockenheim Historic.

The European counterpart to the American CanAm Cup was the “Interserie”, which was launched in 1970 by the Nuremberg and Stuttgart motorsport clubs. The Hockenheimring was one of the regular venues. Jürgen Neuhaus, who won the first championship, will be the guest of honour at this year’s Bosch Hockenheim Historic, and will give the send-off to about 30 CanAm and Interserie cars each day as they conduct their demonstration laps around the circuit. The Hockenheim-Ring GmbH and Solitude GmbH has extended a special invitation to Interserie cars in particular, such as Porsche 917s, 910s and 908s.

Penske – this name has been synonymous with the highest level of motorsport since time immemorial. Christian Boe, Managing Director of the Porsche Zentrum Mannheim-Penske Sportwagenzentrum GmbH, has picked up the mantle of this success story, and this year his team will continue this motorsport story at the Bosch Hockenheim Historic. The demonstration run in honour of the Porsche legend Herbert Linge will be held at the Hockenheimring this year after two years at the Nürburgring. This run gives fans of classic racing and GT cars (preferably Porsches) the chance to drive their cars as they were intended.

No-one could have predicted in 1986, when the “Spezial Tourenwagen Trophy” was launched, that today the series would be a permanent fixture in the classic car racing programme with a record participation of 46 cars. The focus has long shifted to current GT3 racers, but newer DTM cars and powerful V8 STAR cars are also very much in the fray. Record champion Rolf Rummel, with 30 years of experience under his belt, will be on the starting grid once again when the Spezial Tourenwagen Trophy H&R Cup starts its new season at the Bosch Hockenheim Historic.

In the Dutch “Youngtimers Touring Car Challenge” (YTCC), drivers from all over Europe will be competing in pre-1990 touring cars. Ford Escorts, Sunbeam Lotus, VW Beetles, Trabants and Renault A310s are vying for top spots against Lotus Esprits, BMW E30 M3s, BMW M1s BMW 635CSi’s, Opel Asconas and Porsche 911s and 944s. As many of these cars have long since disappeared from our roads, the YTCC runs are particularly exciting for spectators.

Brand cups are also being contested at the Bosch Hockenheim Historic, such as the traditional Triumph Competition and British GTs. These are internationally recognised historic FIA racing series of the TR Register Deutschland e.V racing car club, one of the largest brand clubs in Germany.

The “Scuderia Alfa Classico” also makes sure that the glorious and beautiful models from the Italian automaker are given a new lease of life. Thanks to the cooperation with the Dutch Alfa Romeo Challenge, an average of 45 Italian racing cars will be on the starting grid.

The “Lotus Cup Europe” is the only official Lotus racing series in the world. It is started in accordance with FIA rules. Divided into five classes, the cup represents the wide range of Lotus vehicles produced, from the Elise to the Exige Cup V6. Because the name Lotus is firmly connected with Jim Clark, and because the two-time World Champion also drove Lotus touring cars, the “Lotus Cup Europe” is the perfect event to round off the Bosch Hockenheim Historic.

Youngtimer and classic car clubs, as well as owners of historic sports cars will have the opportunity to display their cars at the brand club site near the Mercedes stand and to drive presentation circuits around the course. The enthusiastic club scene, top-level racing series, numerous special attractions and displays as well as the freely accessible drivers’ area make this excellent motorsport weekend a must for any classic car fan. It is the long-awaited start to the new season.