89 cars entered the grueling 1000-kilometer classic, the 1000km race on the Nürburgring, gathered in brilliant sunshine. The large-scale weather situation, which predicted no rain whatsoever, apparently didn't apply at the Nürburgring – who would be surprised? Fortunately, only a drizzle set in around 5:20 PM. It was evident from Georg Griesmann's appearance as he handed over to his heavier brother Björn that such a race, contested by only two drivers, can be physically demanding. Georg – a James Hunt fan with a corresponding helmet design – like Olaf Manthey, Frank Stippler, and Michael Funke, had already set his personal best through the „Green Hell“ on the second lap. The pole position was held by the Porsche RSR of Michael Hess, Frank Stippler, and Matthias Wasel, who had taken the spot originally intended for Altfried Heger – who lacked a valid racing license. Stippler, also named on his father's and wife Eve's BMW 2002, said: „I'll only jump in then if Eve and Dad can't anymore.“
Early failures of all kinds in the 1000km race
That Ingo Pütz had to step in as the fourth man alongside Robin Chrzanowski and Peter Scharmach in Kersten Jodexnis's Porsche 911 SR, as a replacement for his son Richard-Sven, was due to a „thumb guillotine,“ a knife with which Richard-Sven wanted to shorten the stems of a bouquet of flowers for his girlfriend. In doing so, he cut off the tip of his thumb. Even a click insurance policy couldn't help the overall winner from 2021, Kersten Jodexnis, with his bad luck this year. After 19 laps, his initially leading 911 RSR had to IMSA to be parked with engine damage. The 911SR, which was clearly leading its class in the 1000km race at the Nürburgring two years ago, was hit later. It reached the pits along with Scharmach on a tow truck: torn clutch! The first setback in the Pütz pit occurred as early as the seventh lap, as the RSR of Markus Dünkelmann, Andreas Gülden, and Christoph Breuer, who qualified third, had to be retired. After a spin by starting driver Andreas Gülden, the throttle linkage had come loose. After two pit stops, unpleasant noises from the gearbox were also reported, as third gear had failed. After a sensational advance from 54th to 27th place overall within four laps, the drivetrain of the Volvo 850 T5 Estate driven by Klaus Niesen and Helmut Baumann failed. Only one hour had passed when the Opel Kadett E GSI driven by Michael Nolte also dropped out with bearing damage – he had entered Hatzenbach first in his starting group and was then in the lead. A rather cold Nolte with a hoarse voice said: „I only feel sorry for Tamara because she couldn't drive today.“ Only the Ford Mustang of Klaus Hormes and Wolfgang Schmidt (gearbox damage in practice) and the Manta of Hans-Olaf Beckmann, Peter Hass, and Volker Strycek had a shorter lifespan. This „cult car“ with the rear inscription „God created the world, but Adam Opel created the Manta“ was missing one mechanic's statement on the hood: „Engine damage, please not when you need it most!“
Material defect?
While there was no shortage of BMWs retiring in qualifying, including one shortly before the Breitscheid Bridge, there was also a Porsche 944 Turbo Cup driven by three Swiss drivers that slipped on its own oil. Their reason for retirement: „After a connecting rod failure, our engine was completely out of oil.“ The 1000km race began with fewer yellow and Code 60 phases. Jochen Wilms: „Fortunately, enough absorbent material had been used, especially on the racing line in the Pflanzgarten.“ Wilms then had other worries. His fast teammate Christian Dannesberger had withdrawn due to circulatory problems, and the Alfa Romeo GTAm suffered from unexplained misfires. Even changing the ignition coil didn't help. In addition, there was a restriction in the fuel supply. Romeoracing boss Markus Niestrath couldn't explain it either, although one could never be sure if aftermarket parts were good or genuine. Eve Scheer also thoughtfully commented on the message from her father-in-law that he had retired with a gearbox failure. Eve: „That was a brand-new gearbox!“ Hermann Stippler then left the BMW 2002 by the side of the track and gladly accepted the offer to be transported to the paddock. Frank Stippler could now concentrate entirely on his 911 RSR campaign, which was rewarded with a third place in the overall standings. However, he was not pleased at all: the left rear wheel had lost almost all of its wheel bolts, causing a slow puncture. Fortunately, this incident occurred near the pits.
Unforeseen events at the 1000km race
Reigning Youngtimer Champion Chris Rothoff, nicknamed „the Bitch,“ was initially without his „workhorse.“ After colliding with a sideways-parked Porsche in Assen, his BMW was only worth scrap metal. As a guest driver in Helmut Schäfer's BMW E36 325i, he was briefly out of action due to an engine failure. Schäfer sourced an almost production-standard replacement BMW, which naturally lacked some horsepower. The Dutchman commented, „Just being there is everything.“ He then found himself among the 54 cars that saw the checkered flag, finishing third in his class after 36 laps. In third place overall, nearly halfway through the race, was the Porsche 993 driven by Heiko Hammel and Jürgen Rudolph. Rudolph explained, „A slightly garbled radio call distracted me for a moment, and I missed my braking point.“ The Porsche then scraped along the guardrail. When the radio connection between Alexander Kolb and Patrick Simon at the command board failed, Kolb used the helmet harness to drink – specifically at Döttinger Höhe. Kolb admitted, „I drank a good liter there.“ Rumors that he had cut the connection to avoid Patrick's constant commentary proved untrue. When handing over to his son Vincent, the connection was restored by a new battery. The 993 driven by Arne Bast and Kurt Strube, however, made it into the top ten without any commentary, followed by the Cup Porsche of the duo Markus Noelken/Thomas D. Hetzer.
Claudia Hürtgen: Double Success at the 1000km Race
Together with Michael Funke, Claudia Hürtgen had so expertly driven André Kunkel's Porsche 911 RSR that this car from Pütz-Garage finished fourth overall. Like Funke, who also traditionally drove to a class victory in the over three-liter category in a Morgan Plus 8 with Christian Bock and Oliver Louisdor, Claudia also competed twice – in an all-female team. She drove the final stint in Gaby von Oppenheim's BMW 2002, which Norbert Engel had meticulously prepared with „angelic patience.“ Célia Martin, the Frenchwoman based in Adenau, completed a double stint in between, and starting driver Gaby rejoiced: „The first laps were pure racing and incredibly fun.“ The all-female trio was in a class of their own. So were Ralph Oehme and his sons Niklas, Leonard, and Moritz in their Porsche 911 ST. The Bavarians Peter Oberndorfer and Paul Singer in a Porsche 924 were also aiming for a class victory. Michael Wittke's mid-engine team had indeed faced an obstacle course. A cable fire in the first qualifying lap necessitated starting from the back due to a lack of practice time. The quartet of Dirk Baumann, Markus Diederich, his son Ben Bünnagel, and Ben's „buddy“ Fabio Grosse was already in the top six overall standings after two laps. During the last driver change by Ben – who came in a lap earlier than planned – they lost two minutes. Fabio wasn't immediately present for the driver change and unfortunately sat on the securing strap, making it difficult for Michael Wittke to buckle him in. This might have cost them a position in the overall standings, but they had the class victory firmly in hand.
Unexpected drizzle at the Nürburgring
Despite all the weather reports, a mass of clouds had moved into the sunny high pressure over the Nürburgring, which then unleashed a drizzle. A bit hastily, Markus Niestrath had rain tires fitted to his GTAm. Vincent Kolb, traveling in fourth place overall in the 1000km race with his father Alexander in a Porsche 964, had not only consulted the weather radar but also benefited from his extensive Nordschleife experience. His opinion: „The tires stay on, the track is still warm.“ The Griesemanns had also decided the same. Jürgen Schumann observed in his slight Saarland dialect: „It's not raining anymore on the Döttinger Höhe. We're not putting rain tires on, they'll get destroyed.“ On the still slightly damp terrain, Olaf Manthey launched a chase, initially 30 seconds faster than Georg Griesemann. But as the track dried, he was able to counter and slow the further shrinking of his lead. Jürgen Schumann: „Well, it might rain a little in the last lap after all.“ His words, of course, did not end up in „God's ear.“.
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Photos: Nils Ruwisch Archive, Jochen von Osterroth, Porsche Historic Archive