C-fresh

For years now, a series for historic Group C sports cars from the eighties has been persistently attracting over 20 participants overseas. And from 2021, a race of the mighty prototypes is also set to take place in Germany for the first time – as part of the Jim Clark Memorial at the Hockenheim Ring.

Translation of the original text from Norbert Ockenga published in PITWALK Magazine #56

Peter Reinisch’s smartphone almost falls clean out of his hand. "What's planned?" asks the eccentric personality from German motorsport into the earpiece in an excitable voice. “A Group C race? I have to be there!"

He cheers. And makes a note of the date straight away: 8th and 9th May 2021. On those days, the Hockenheim Ring will once again host a race for the sports car class whose years are still worshipped among endurance fans as "the golden era of the sport".

Peter Reinisch was at the heart of the boom, and also of the tragedies. As team principle of Walter Brun's private Porsche team from Switzerland, Reinisch won the world championship title, against the works team from Weissach. And in 1985, he lost Stefan Bellof forever at Spa-Francorchamps.

The momentum of historic events has long since spread to Group C as well. Just not in Germany. Because a race series for these endurance cars has developed out of England and is now embedded in a highly exclusive event package for classic sports car fans: "Peter Auto" hosts nine race weekends every year with different sports car classes, starting with cars from the fifties.

In 1994, Frenchman Patrick Peter was the "P" in the acronym "BPR Series", which was intended to revive endurance racing when Group C came to an end – with GT cars. The other two initials were contributed by co-founders Jürgen Barth, former Porsche works driver and director of customer sport, and Frenchman Stéphane Ratel. After three years, the trio fell out over the direction of the series. Ratel initially embarked on works racing, although two WRC attempts ended in wreckages, and he went on to eventually devise today's GT3 class with a concept that combines professionals and amateurs.

Style and charm

From the outset, Patrick Peter wanted to build more on gentleman drivers. He formulated a national GT series for them in France, with his agency "Peter Auto", and delivered the exquisite event package for historic motorsport, traditionally a stomping ground for racing car owners and collectors with money and style.

However, the memory of Group C was treasured for many years; above all in England. Although constant discord prevailed, even in the "Historic Group C". In particular with regards to the question of whether the third generation with its 3.5-litre engines based on the technical Formula 1 model belonged in the field of the historic series, or if it was too complex and expensive to be fairly classified.

Peter squeezed all three generations of Group C1 together in one – and also included the half-brothers from the IMSA series, which differ from the European Group C cars, especially when it comes to engine regulations. Furthermore, the unrefined C2 cars, comparable to the LMP2 vehicles seen in today's Le Mans, also found a home in the Historic Group C Series. "But Peter doesn't seem to want to drive in Germany," ponders Fritz Gebhardt.

The man from Sinsheim, who together with his brother Günther brought his own designs to the C2 grid in 1984, will close this gap in May 2021 – with two invitation races. Wolfgang Huther, organiser of the Hockenheim Historic, and Jochen Nerpel, one of the two managing directors of Hockenheim-Ring GmbH, are already on board. The general concept and even the schedule are already in place.

Old love revived

Gebhardt's passion for Group C has been newly rekindled. He was last involved in endurance racing back in 1998. At that time, the International Sports Car Series ISRS was still running. Englishman John Mangoletsi devised it for open prototypes that were still running in the USA after the end of Group C, but had no platform in Europe. Gebhardt built the C4 model for the ISRS, a successor to his C2 models. “When the Mangoletsi series began, I largely took care of our company and the day-to-day business," Gebhardt reflects back. "But now that I'm retired, I can finally devote myself to motorsport again."

He has already repurchased three old Group C2 cars and is currently having them restored. And he rounded up old confidants from the heyday of Group C in a box at the Hoffenheim football stadium, including his long-time driver Frank Jelinski from Hanover and Porsche 956 designer Norbert Singer. And so it was that the idea took shape that will be presented to the public on 19th September at the Monza Historic: the Group C Festival Hockenheim Ring with one 45-minute race on the Saturday and Sunday respectively, as a new main attraction at the Jim Clark Revival, the Hockenheim Historic.

The technical and sporting rules are strictly based on the Group C Ltd. Regulations V3 for all three Group C, IMSA and Japanese sports car generations and the C2 cars; one or two drivers per car; one pit stop without refuelling with a two-minute minimum standing time between race minutes 17.30 and 27.30. Additionally: any team that puts a professional driver with a minimum FIA Silver rating status behind the wheel, who is aged 46 or less, and who has participated in a current motorsport series in the last three years, must pit for 20 seconds longer than gentleman driver-only team. And Article 8 demands that respect and fairness prevail on the track: any contact will result in an investigation under sports law and the party responsible for the accident may be instructed to pay up to half of the victim's repair costs.

C-Invest

And that can be quite expensive. "A Porsche 962C can be worth at least a million euros these days," says Marco Werner. "It depends entirely on the history and victories of the car – as well as its past drivers. If you had the car that Ayrton Senna and Stefan Johansson drove at Joest back in the day, you could demand at least 1.5 million euros for it.”

The former Le Mans winner from Recklinghausen is now involved exclusively in historic motorsport, which is why he is putting out feelers in the field for Gebhardt. Werner believes the race has a good chance of being well attended: "There are a number of Germans who drive Group C cars – including some who have never actually raced in them. They use the cars exclusively for track days. Perhaps it is because you have to pay an entry fee of over EUR 3,000 with Peter, and then you just get two bands that allow you to eat in a giant tent."

Gebhardt is planning greater style and exclusivity for Hockenheim, including dedicated hospitality for the Group C community. "If he is successful then the ambience will certainly draw some participants out of the woodwork, who have never raced before," predicts Werner. The race is set to take place one week before the Peter Auto in Spa. "That would mean the English teams having to leave their cars somewhere here and prepare them," Ralf Kelleners points out. "We'll have to wait and see whether we can inspire them to do that. For his client, who hires him for the races, Hockenheim would be ideal: "There was supposed to be an event at Nuremberg’s Norisring two years ago. Someone got in touch with me about it. But it was only supposed to be a demo event; a spot of driving around, not a race. My guy is not interested in that. But if it were actual racing, he would probably be available at Hockenheim as well."

An idea with Zeitgeist

Because Gebhardt’s idea is befitting of the era and the world. Historic motorsport with cars from the eighties is experiencing a boom everywhere. In touring car racing, a series consisting of old Group A cars like the Ford Sierra Cosworth, BMW M3 and Mercedes 190 is attracting a growing number of celebrities such as Armin Hahne and Kris Nissen to the paddock. However, there are two historic series in the touring cars that are at loggerheads with each other. And that sucks up potential. Crowds jostle in front of the Group B cars from Audi, Lancia, Ford, MG and Peugeot at the Eifel Rally Festival. Christian Geistdörfer, the legendary rally co-driver for Walter Röhrl, asserts: "The young fans from back then come today as fathers with their sons – and they pass on the fascination and enthusiasm for the cars to their offspring, so that we constantly get new fans. Perhaps also because the cars are still allowed to be a bit wild – and not as politically correct as everything has to be today."

Ralf Jüttner, the long-time team manager of Joest-Racing, is confident: "Something like that could also emerge around Group C. Because the cars remain fascinating. And the races are truly spectacular. In the Sunday race at Le Castellet in July, Ralf Kelleners and Raymond Narac endured a really hard battle for six laps."

Kelleners is not only active in Provence, but has been one of the main protagonists in Historic Group C for years. He shares a former Obermaier Porsche 962C with car owner Ivan Vercoutere, an investment banker. Between races, Kelleners also coaches the gentleman driver, who owns a fleet of Porsches, Jaguars and Sauber cars. "He only has the Sauber because he can park it there," smiles the man from Düsseldorf. "That's why it only ever moves a few laps during testing. But he also races with the other models." Either with Kelleners, or with Alex Müller from Rhees on the left bank of the Lower Rhine.

The two are not the only professionals racing in the amateur field. Éric Hélary and Nicolas Minassian also compete regularly. Dominik Farnbacher drove at Le Castellet because his father's team, Farnbacher Racing, had just restored a 962C for Dane Lars-Erik Nielsen – father of the IMSA driver Christina Nielsen.

Pros in the field

The many gentleman drivers are a thorn in the side of former Brun team principle Peter Reinisch: "The Group C cars are extremely tough to drive. You can't just sit behind the wheel as a wealthy businessman. I only know one person who could really push these cars to the limit consistently, and that was Stefan Bellof." But Kelleners dispels these concerns: "One of the reasons Porsche is so successful is because they build cars that everyone can handle. They are quite easy to drive up to a certain level; they have a lot of grip on the rear axle. It’s only when you want to use the special feature, namely the enormous downforce, that things get difficult. You have to challenge yourself to drive in this range. Most vehicle owners can't do that nowadays."

Nonetheless, the sporting and technical level is enormously high, assures Marco Werner. "If you show up there with a standard 962, you will never win," he explains. "Ralf Jüttner and Joest engine expert Michel Demons worked on the Kelleners car. Michel set up a computer wall there just like the Audi one in the LMP1 pit – and kept writing a different EPROM for the ignition and engine management."

New business case

Gebhardt's passion for Group C has been newly rekindled. He was last involved in endurance racing back in 1998. At that time, the International Sports Car Series ISRS was still running. Englishman John Mangoletsi devised it for open prototypes that were still running in the USA after the end of Group C, but had no platform in Europe. Gebhardt built the C4 model for the ISRS, a successor to his C2 models. “When the Mangoletsi series began, I largely took care of our company and the day-to-day business," Gebhardt reflects back. "But now that I'm retired, I can finally devote myself to motorsport again."

He has already repurchased three old Group C2 cars and is currently having them restored. And he rounded up old confidants from the heyday of Group C in a box at the Hoffenheim football stadium, including his long-time driver Frank Jelinski from Hanover and Porsche 956 designer Norbert Singer. And so it was that the idea took shape that will be presented to the public on 19th September at the Monza Historic: the Group C Festival Hockenheim Ring with one 45-minute race on the Saturday and Sunday respectively, as a new main attraction at the Jim Clark Revival, the Hockenheim Historic.

The technical and sporting rules are strictly based on the Peter Series: classes for all three Group C, IMSA and Japanese sports car generations and the C2 cars; one or two drivers per car; one pit stop without refuelling with a two-minute minimum standing time between race minutes 17.30 and 27.30. Additionally: any team that puts a professional driver with a minimum FIA Silver rating status behind the wheel, who is aged 46 or less, and who has participated in a current motorsport series in the last three years, must pit for 20 seconds longer than gentleman driver-only team. And Article 8 demands that respect and fairness prevail on the track: any contact will result in an investigation under sports law and the party responsible for the accident may be instructed to pay up to half of the victim's repair costs.

When & where?

7th, 8th and 9th May 2021
Hockenheim Ring

One 45-minute race on each day, with pit stops for two drivers per car directly after the lunch break.

Technical and sporty

Class 1a = Group C1 and IMSA-GTP (Year of construction 1987 to 1990)
Class 1b = Group C1 and IMSA-GTP (Year of construction 1982 to 1986)
Class 2a = Group C2, Junior, IMSA (Year of construction 1986 to 1990)
Class 2b = Group C2, Junior, IMSA Light (Year of construction 1982 to 1985)
Class 3a = Group C, IMSA, Japanese Group C (Year of construction 1991 to 1993)
Class 3b = Special invitation from the organiser