Some of you may remember the brief coverage of the classic race as a part of the Jagerhunters series of posts back in May. I had been meaning to go through the images of the classic race in some depth for quite a while and have finally found the perfect excuse now that Old School Month has rolled around. Anyone who has been will most certainly agree just how insane the Nordschleife is but once the 24HR weekend rolls around, it simply goes off the scale. Inspired by the recent photos of Laurent Nivalle, I’ve attempted to treat these with a colour cross processed look with varying degrees of success failure.
Watching the grid form was something of a spectacle. I downed my camera and began videoing on my phone the cars leaving the paddock for the startline. It’s still a video I watch once a week, just to take in the sound and variety of the machines that were present. The M1s were definitely one of the highlights.
Watching the opening laps from the GP circuit was simply magical. However, it’s so easy to forget that even though the GP circuit is a big track, it’s only a trip round the block compared to the mammoth task of tackling the Nordschliefe itself.
Catching a Media Shuttle, myself and US photographer extraordinaire Sean Klingelhoefer headed to the infamous Karussell. We were dropped off between Klostertal and Karussell (Steilstreckekurve ?) where we would need to make the rest of the journey on foot.
Watching and hearing the cars tear around the Nordschliefe was a spectacle I’m not likely to forget any time soon. Most Ford fans will tell you the greatest sound of all was the sound of the Works Cars coming through the forest in the eighties, the BDA engine screaming. This may not of being BDA powered (in fact I think it was powered by a Lotus Twin-cam) but my Lord, the sound was enough to make the hairs stand on the back of my neck.
As the cars run away from you, they need to pick their line for the blind entry to Karussell.
The Karussell itself is probably one of the most famouse race circuit corners in the world. The concrete berm helping to fling the cars around at quite a speed.
Back to the M1. You could hear these cars coming from literally miles away. The scream of the engines, echoing through the forest was insane. You could not only hear it coming, but you could feel its imminent arrival deep in your chest.
Watching the cars exit Karussell is fascinating. Watching the different lines taken by the drivers, how some choose to ride the berm to the end or the more aggressive style of jumping out of it early.
The variety of cars at the Classic Race is just as impressive as the full pro grid on the Saturday. The rule seems to be anything from the mid-eighties and before can compete.
From here it was our turn to hike to the top of Hohe Acht, the highest point of the Nordschleife.
Looking back down from the top, you begin to appreciate the rise and falls of the Nordschleife, something you just can’t fathom from videos and games.
For a course that stretches some 26KM, it’s amazing to see packs of cars still battling each other some three hours into the four hour race. A testament to the dedication and commitment of the competitors.
The cars then disappeared from here where they would tackle Wipperman, Brunnchen and Pflanzgarten amongst others before speeding along Dottinger Hohe into Tiergarten and returning to the GP circuit to start it all again.
Incredible.
Paddy