100 years ago: Great motorsport on the Opel racetrack

Photo credit: Opel

Around 100 years ago, the first races took place on the circuit south of Rüsselsheim - the then brand-new Opel racetrack. It is difficult to prove exactly when the very first racing drivers started on the 1,5 kilometer long oval. However, the “1. Wiesbaden Automobile Tournament ”, which took place on May 21 and 22, 1921. And today, exactly 100 years later, the Opel racetrack is coming to life again - at least virtually. In a video simulation recently posted on YouTube, the course and the racing atmosphere of that time can be experienced in a breathtaking way - it's worth clicking on it!

The Opel racetrack from 2021 will come to virtual life in 1921

According to contemporary reports, “1. Wiesbaden Automobile Tournament “In 1921, twelve races for automobiles and motorcycles were held over distances of up to 90 kilometers. Most of the races also featured Opel vehicles - and most of them were very successful. Right at the front: Fritz von Opel, the grandson of company founder Adam Opel, and works driver Carl Jörns. At the steering wheel of the 14 hp Opel Jörns scored two victories, Fritz von Opel crossed the finish line once before everyone else - he achieved an average speed of 113 km / h. The 13th race, originally planned as a record attempt for cars and motorcycles, finally had to be canceled - because the audience at the edge of the track “had become too careless”.

Because although the Opel racetrack was considered the fastest racetrack on the European continent in the early 1920s, there were no further safety precautions. The road was quite narrow, the banked curves steep. Barriers, gravel beds or wide run-off zones - as is common on modern racetracks - were looked for here in vain. The spectators simply stood on the edge of the racetrack. Today's fans can see what it looked like and how it must have felt in a YouTube video. With the help of the “Assetto Corsa” racing simulation and AI technology, YouTuber “GPLaps” allows a virtual race to take place. The location of the event is the Opel racetrack from the 3s, modeled in 1920D by Thomas Smele. A trip into the past with all your senses: from the detailed representation of the grandstands, spectators and route advertising to the realistic sound of the engines and the brand logos on the road.

A “revival” that enthuses the community: The users on YouTube report a unique experience and one of the most impressive race tracks in the sim racing world. The “real” Opel racetrack also has top marks to offer. When it was inaugurated in 1920, it was the first race track on the continent - long before the Nürburgring, the Berlin AVUS or the Hockenreimring started operating. The racing oval with a twelve-meter-wide lane and 32-degree banked curves allowed average speeds of up to 140 km / h.

"Rocket Fritz" in the RAK 1 on the Opel racetrack

Races for bicycles and motorcycles as well as cars were held on the Rüsselsheim oval. In its heyday, the Opel racetrack attracted up to 50.000 spectators to the competitions. Famous racing drivers like Rudolf Caracciola started here.

At the same time, the race track also functioned as a test track, as the necessary development tests for new models on public roads could no longer be carried out without any problems. One highlight was Fritz von Opel's sensational test drives in the rocket-propelled RAK 1 in April 1928 - which earned him the name "Rocket Fritz", which is still known today.

Motor racing developed rapidly and steadily from the 1930s onwards. In the course of the opening of the Nürburgring, Berlin AVUS and Hockenheimring, fewer and fewer events took place on the Opel racetrack. In 1946 the line was finally shut down and fell into a deep slumber.

Today the Opel racetrack is considered a "technical cultural monument". Most of the original oval is overgrown by trees and bushes - but the steep wall curves in particular are still clearly visible. And if you want to find out more about the history of the Opel racetrack, you can immerse yourself in the past on site: In 2013, a visitor platform with information boards was built on the edge of the original track.

Of course, that wasn't the end of it!

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