Series ‘Forgotten Airfield Races’ – Episode 9: Erding, Neubiberg, Kaufbeuren

Full throttle in the south: Hardly any other region had more airfields to offer for car racing than southern Germany. The best-known circuits included Erding, Neubiberg and Kaufbeuren.

I’d like to begin the penultimate instalment of my series with the Bundeswehr airbase in Erding. On the 2.5 km-long circuit north-east of Munich, ADAC Südbayern, in collaboration with the local MSC Erding, organised the International Erding Airfield Race for nine years.

Between 1978 and 1986, usually in June or July, all the racing series popular at the time – such as Formula 3, the Interserie, the Circuit Cup, Formula Ford and various manufacturers’ cups – took place here. Even the DTM made a one-off guest appearance here in its second year, 1985, with victories for Peggen Andersson (Race 1) and Heinz-Friedrich Peil (Race 2, both in Volvo 240 Turbos).

DTM champion Manuel Reuter is unlikely to have fond memories of Erding. At the final event in 1986, as a young Formula 3 driver, he had an accident on the rain-soaked track that began innocently but ended badly. Like many others, his F3 racing car veered off the track and, unfortunately, rumbled across one of the notorious runway lights on the grass. This tore the underbody to shreds and forced Reuter to take an extended break due to serious foot injuries. The accident also signalled the end of his initially intended Formula career – he continued from 1987 onwards with Ford as a DTM driver.

Another race at Erding was scheduled for 1987 but was cancelled at short notice. This also marked the end of the airbase’s racing history; it continued to be operated by the German Armed Forces and the Bavarian police as a technology and training centre. A new drone defence facility was only recently opened there.

Next stop: Kaufbeuren in the Allgäu, where the first airfield races took place from the late 1960s onwards. At irregular intervals, the MSC Kaufbeuren, with the active support of ADAC South Bavaria, used the grounds of the Bundeswehr base until 1984 for races counting towards various championship standings.

A colourful mix of Formula V, Formula Super V, Formula Ford 1600/2000, as well as touring cars and GT cars – the latter competing for the German Circuit Championship – took to the track here. In Formula 3, Tecno driver Hermann Unold won in 1969, whilst Franz Konrad (Anson) and Kurt Thiim (Ralt RT3) were crowned champions in 1983 and 1984 respectively.

Other prominent winners at Kaufbeuren included Hans Joachim Stuck (BMW 2002) and Prince Poldi of Bavaria (BMW CSL 3.0) in the touring car class in 1971, as well as Reinhard Stenzel (Porsche 911) in the GT class.

Incidentally, the turnout was enormous, with up to 20,000 fans lining the track, which was initially 4.5 km long but was later shortened to 2.5 km. The last races were held in 1983 and 1984; after that, the MSC Kaufbeuren decided not to organise any further events due to increasing protests from the environmental movement and stricter safety requirements. It is certainly a fond memory of a race with plenty of character and a great atmosphere, which I, too, very much enjoyed attending as a reporter.

From Kaufbeuren, just outside Munich, to Neubiberg and its approximately 5.5 km-long airfield runway, where the joint organisers AC Dachau and ADAC Südbayern hosted major races featuring an international field, particularly in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Initially, the centrepieces were Formula Junior, followed by Formula 3 and even Formula 2, albeit without European Championship points. Sports cars and touring cars rounded off the packed programme. From 1961, the first year, to 1974, the last, the large crowds of spectators were able to marvel at a mixed programme of car and motorbike races.

Neubiberg was always surrounded by a certain air of Munich’s high society, whose leading figures were indeed keen to have their photographs taken in the paddock with the drivers and team bosses, and who paid visits to the teams accompanied by their respective court photographers. Every now and then there was even a VIP race featuring identical cars, such as in 1970 when a field of Formula V racing cars, each with around 90 PS, took to the track. The Munich-based VW branch, MAHAG, had organised a special race for local sporting celebrities.

Alongside boxer Bubi Scholz, Munich 1860 goalkeeper Petar ‘Radi’ Radenkovic and the Prince of Thurn and Taxis, the 20-year-old Rosi Mittermaier – who would later become a double Olympic champion – was also on the starting grid. For her, it was her first – and probably only – car race. Although she had only held her driving licence for a few months, she resolutely took the lead and won by a comfortable margin ahead of the Prince of Thurn and Taxis and Audi-NSU board member Paul Schönbeck.

Rosi Mittermaiers Formel V-Sieg 1970 in München-Neubiberg

Foto: FV Europa

All onlookers were thrilled by the ski racer’s performance. “Rosi drove cleanly and really fast,” praised Formula V Secretary-General Anton Konrad over the track announcer’s microphone at the prize-giving ceremony, “and she even brought the car back without a scratch. Well done. If she’s up for it, we’d be happy to offer her further starts in our racing series.”

Despite the cheerful, fun-filled race and the hype surrounding winner Rosi Mittermaier, the race on the last weekend of October 1970 went down in Neubiberg’s history as a sad event, as the BMW Formula 2 works team was forced to bid farewell to racing here. The board had ordered the withdrawal, which is why drivers, mechanics and team management wore black armbands at the final race as a sign of mourning.

BMW-Männer mit Trauerflor beim F2-Abschied 1970 in Neubiberg

Foto: Fausel

No wonder that the Formula 2 race on the last weekend of October, in front of their home crowd, was treated like a funeral by the BMW team. The entire BMW Formula 2 team wore black armbands; black armbands adorned the mechanics’ overalls and the drivers’ racing suits.

Whether it was head of engines Paul Rosche, head of testing Alex von Falkenhausen or chassis engineer Dieter Basche – they had all joined in the silent protest against the board’s decision. This decision stipulated that the works Formula 2 programme would be wound up at the end of the 1970 season. Images of the mourning BMW crew made their way around the world at the time.

Ironically, a race on their own doorstep became the final appearance of the successful BMW Formula 2 team. After this last race, the team had to bow out of Formula 2 because the board’s decision left them with no other choice. Dieter Quester secured the final F2 victory as a works driver in Neubiberg, with Vittorio Brambilla and Peter Westbury (both Brabham-Ford) standing alongside him on the podium.

At the podium ceremony, there was no celebration amongst the mechanics; instead, they covered the winning car with black canvas and wheeled it away. A successful chapter in German motor racing history was laid to rest on 25 October 1970.

Incidentally, no one really understood the decision to withdraw at the time. BMW had enjoyed its best Formula 2 season to date in 1970, with works drivers Jacky Ickx, Jo Siffert, Dieter Quester and Hubert Hahne securing a host of strong finishes. The 1.6-litre engine was finally considered reliable and capable of winning.

The main reason for the ordered withdrawal was probably the fact that the powerful BMW board member Paul G. Hahnemann, following visits to the Formula 2 European Championship rounds at the Salzburgring and Hockenheim, expressed his horror at “the mercilessly hard driving on display there – that sort of thing cannot be in our interests”.

Although BMW’s head of motorsport witnessed victories by its works drivers Jacky Ickx and Dieter Quester at both venues, they were only able to prevail after some serious tussles with their rivals. In particular, the wild tussle between Tecno driver Clay Regazzoni and Quester on the final lap of the European Championship final at Hockenheim in 1970 displeased Hahnemann, despite BMW’s fortunate victory.

Furthermore, the aftermath of Jochen Rindt’s death, which had occurred just a few weeks earlier, played just as much a part as the fatal accident involving BMW Formula 2 works driver Gerhard Mitter a year earlier at the Nürburgring.

The final straw, of all things, came from BMW F2 works driver Hubert Hahne with his ill-chosen musical accompaniment to mark the end of his racing career.

Via the *Bild* newspaper, the Düsseldorf native announced his immediate retirement on the front page of the mass-circulation paper in bold print, citing a failed Formula 1 deal with March two months earlier: ‘Racing is far too dangerous and borders on idiocy these days.’

What a disservice … Big Boss Hahnemann felt further vindicated in his decision by the rather undiplomatic remarks from his well-paid employee and, for his part, declared: “We at BMW are no idiots.”

In the final, 10th instalment, I will be looking at the three airfield races at Mengen, Leipheim and Laupheim around Ulm, as well as the two STW strongholds of Lahr and Zweibrücken.