Televised broadcasts today offer top-quality sound and video footage, yet they will never be able to properly convey what it is to be at the Nürburgring, let alone drive around it. It was a motorsport fan’s dream come true for 20 Opel employees – plus guests – during their visit to the ‘OPEL 6h ADAC Ruhr-Pokal-Rennen.’ An ‘OPC ring drive’ was also scheduled, and a total of 15 Opel OPCs raced round the legendary Nordschleife. Opel employees won tickets to the ‘Green Hell’ in a company raffle.
Lena Mauer, an Opel employee, and her boyfriend Markus Menger enjoy the race from the VIP lounge.
Fans’ eyes light up upon hearing words such as Schwedenkreuz (‘Swedish Cross’), Schwalbenschwanz (‘Swallow’s Tail’), Fuchsröhre (‘Fox Hole’), and ‘Hohe Acht’ (name of a mountain nearby). These are the names of sections of the Nürburgring, each having its own unique story. Lena Mauer, who makes clay models at the development center in Rüsselsheim, especially enjoyed the Caracciola-Karussell (‘Carousel’). This bend is a patchwork of surfaces, with only the inside of the corner sharply steeped. “It’s hardly surprising that even the best drivers in the world don’t dare exceed 80 km/h there.”
TV host and Opel director: great chauffeurs
Leading the pack of Opels was TV host Tim Schrick, who was behind the wheel of an Astra OPC Cup, while Volker Strycek, Director of Performance Cars and Motorsport at Opel, brought up the rear in the ‘Corsa OPC Race Camp.’ The pair were official drivers for two of the race’s six hours, with both still insisting on chauffeuring the Opel employees.
The delegation got to experience the start from the stands. Then, in the afternoon, they were given the chance to take a look behind the scenes at this major event, including observing the timekeepers and race announcers in action. They were even allowed to pose on the podium, where the top three finishers would take their places just a few hours later. This was a particular highlight for Rade Drbic, who works at the Dudenhofen proving grounds, and his ten-year-old son, Nikola: “It had been an incredible day leading up to this point, but now we can finally say that we are champions.” It is safe to say that all Opel employees felt like this too.
Strycek is unstoppable in his Beckmann Manta
Meanwhile there was still plenty of excitement to be had in the lounge watching Opel Director Strycek, who had his work cut out for him out on the track. At 12 p.m. on the dot he started the race in a ‘ring’ legend, the Beckmann Manta. Opel enthusiast Hans-Olaf Beckmann’s 30-year-old race car had a particularly special anniversary to celebrate as it was its 100th time on the track. By the end of the day the classic car had clocked up 71,302 kilometers on the most demanding racetrack in the world, completing both the 24-hour race and the VLN endurance race on the Nürburgring.
The winner is without a doubt an Opel, as Volker Strycek is presented with the Astra OPC Cup.
After an hour-and-a-half in the Beckmann Manta, Volker Strycek took over the ‘third shift’ in the works Astra, who was invited to take part in the Astra OPC Cup, a unique endurance race started by Opel in 2013.
popular sport offering pro-level standards
All racing teams and individuals who take part in the VLN series compete in racing versions of the Astra OPC. Opel offers extensive technical and organizational support to everyone involved, with the overall winner looking forward to €32,000 in prize money. “The Astra OPC Cup aims to support a grassroots sport at the highest level, professionally organized and open to participants at a manageable cost,” explains Joerg Schrott, Commercial Director for Motorsport and OPC. The 300-hp racing version of the Astra was the product of a collaborative effort involving Opel and Kissling Motorsport.
Heinz-Harald Frentzen’s eye-catching DTM Vectra is there to greet visitors at the entrance to the ring°boulevard.
On this particular Saturday, 12 Astra OPCs were in the starting line-up. The B. Lubner Event and Motorsport team, whose members include Juergen and Heinz-Otto Fritsche, as well as Thorsten Wolter, took top place. Volker Strycek, 57, who would then go on to claim top spot overall, presented the well-deserved trophy. He would later have the chance to hold the trophy himself thanks to his victory in the Beckmann Manta.
Opel and MSC Ruhr-Blitz Bochum make for a strong team
Wolfgang Schwenk, Volker’s boss and Director of the International Technical Development Center, also happened to be watching him from the stands at the Nürburgring. Was Schwenk at all worried that his employee might not be up to the task? “There was no doubt in my mind. Volker is amazingly fit. He could have driven all six hours.”
Every year, the six-hour race, put on under the auspices of the VLN (Association of Nürburgring Endurance Cup Organizers), is the highlight of the series. MSC Ruhr-Blitz Bochum is the organizer responsible for this event, with Opel gladly there to provide support. In fact many Opel employees, including Volker Strycek, are also MSC club members.