The day the prototypes returned to the Green Hell

1983 was the final year prototypes raced on the legendary Nordschleife of the Nürburgring. The Green Hell was deemed too unsafe, and racing moved to the new Grand Prix layout. Now, for one day only, the prototypes and Group 5 cars from the sixties and seventies returned to the old track.

Seeing a Porsche 917 on the Nordschleife was rare in its day already, when Porsche’s drivers preferred the nimbler 908. Witnessing the return of the most intimidating of the prototype racers to the old Nürburgring was nothing short of breathtaking.

The historic paddock

The prototype and Group 5 revival on the Green Hell came about as the 1000 Kilometre race returned itself, on the old Nürburgring, no less. The 1000 Km was a historic touring car and GT affair, with prototypes and turbocharged Group 5 cars running demo-laps on the 20-km Nordschleife before the main event. Warming up on the pre-grid in the old paddock – the best possible location – the sound of the sixes, eights and twelve-cylinders reminded you of the old days, when the ADAC Nürburgring 1000 Km-race was one of the main events on the sports calendar.

(Kremer) Porsche line-up

Porsche was easily the best-represented brand, with examples of the 904, 906, 908, 910 and even a Kremer-modified 917. The Porsche 917 from the Nationales Automuseum, the Loh Collection was on display in the paddock. The Porsche 914 rescue car was the unofficial pace car during the demo laps. Furthermore, you had a Lola T210, Lotus XI, Nomad, Alpine A220. Courtesy of Kremer Porsche came the entire Kremer Porsche 911 Turbo history, represented by the K1, K2, K3, and the newly revived K4.

King Klaus

Driving the K1 was Altfrid Heger, whilst Klaus Ludwig got behind the wheel of the ‘Vaillant’ K2. Klaus Ludwig: “Of course this brings back memories. Every turn, every hump on this circuit means something to me, even if we were driving at a much more sedate pace today. That was just the thing I was thinking about behind the wheel: my fastest lap here was 7’33” in the K3. Today, I can longer begin to fathom how we used to go so fast on this track. There were sections where we had the front wheels in the air, losing the ability to steer. You had to be precise in advance, because once you were committed, there was no going back. Incredible. Mind you, after three laps, you were usually completely done physically.”

Porsche 910, as raced in 1972

Most remarkable participant, hands down, was the duo Bernd Becker and Elmar Clever. They drove Becker’s Porsche 910 around, the car which they raced in the 1972 and 1973 1000 Km race! “The car has never been restored, just repaired when it was needed,” Bernd Becker explained. The duo brought the cup from that race along.

“Human toll was too high”

Another honoured guest was Kurt Ahrens, 85 in the meantime, but not showing his age. The winner of the 1970 1000 Km of the Nürburgring – with Vic Elford – in a Porsche 908/3. “I never really liked the Ring, this track claimed too many lives. Unacceptable. We lost 30 to 40 people here, but you only heard about the most publicized cases. But I found the toll from the Nürburgring simply too high.” Ahrens stopped racing at the end of the 1970 season.

The 1970 race at the Ring still brings back great memories. “With the Porsche Salzburg team, we had come testing before the race and we had noticed there was a risk the engine would overrev when the car was airborne over the bumps. So, we were asked to lift off when the wheels came off the ground. Porsche failed to disclose that information to the Wyer team. The Gulf boys were plenty fast, but they didn’t last long in the race: Siffert and Rodriguez blew up their engines.”

Jochen Mass

Ahrens was present for the memorial in honour of Jochen Mass. Over lunch, sat at one long table, all participants and guests brought back memories of Jochen Mass, who passed away in May. Next to Ahrens, Nürburgring speaker and author Rainer Braun, ‘Jägermeister’ Ecki Schimpf and many others spoke of Mass. “Always such a gentleman. In a conversation, he’d always be asking how you were doing. He never put the emphasis on himself.”

The main event, the 1000 Km of the Nürburgring revival, saw Altfrid Heger, Michael Hess and Matthias Wasel triumph in their Porsche 911 RSR.