Series ‘Forgotten Airfield Races’ – Episode 8: Kassel Calden

The 2.6-kilometre airfield circuit at Kassel-Calden was one of the most popular events of its kind in Germany from 1971 to 1987. It was organised by ADAC Hessen in collaboration with the local Kurhessischer Motorsportclub Kassel.

The inaugural race took place in August 1971, initially featuring various touring car classes, Formula 3, sports cars and Formula V. Motorcycle championship rounds also featured on the programme.

At first glance, the circuit appeared to present few difficulties – straights, a back straight, turning points at the top and bottom, plus the usual straw bale chicanes. And yet there was one tricky section in the form of a branching U-bend directly in front of the control tower. It was here that crucial fractions of a second were lost or gained, particularly as the exit from the U-bend led straight into a fast, daring right-hand bend immediately after a very short straight. In purely driving terms, it was in this section that the fractions of a second in lap times were decided amongst the top drivers. And sometimes, weaknesses that were just as serious as they were costly became apparent. I myself experienced the pitfalls of the U-bend during two starts in the R5 Cup in 1976 and 1977, and I can recall competitors who spun out right in front of me here at a snail’s pace. Furthermore, I provided track commentary at several Calden events on behalf of ADAC Hessen.

Die DRM-Meute naht: Hennige, Heyer, Hezemans, Krebs, Grohs, Obermoser

Foto: BMW Classic

With the arrival of the German Racing Championship (DRM) from 1972 onwards, and the European Formula 3 Championship from 1976, the race gained increasing international significance. It was here, of all places, on this circuit, that the nine-time race winner and later DRM champion Hans-Joachim Stuck (Ford Capri RS) lost for the first and only time to his team-mate Klaus Fritzinger in 1972. Fritzinger, driving his privately entered Capri RS, had, for once, broken Stuck’s incredible run of consecutive victories.

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The DRM in general was a chapter unto itself at Calden, at least in 1976. That was when the DRM interest group IPT called for the first and only boycott of the race. Teams and drivers were required to stay away from the race because no agreement could be reached with ADAC Hessen in the run-up to the event regarding the amount of entry fees and prize money.

Sogar ein F3-EM-Finale gab‘s in Calden: Programmheft-Titel von 1973 & 1980

Foto: Archiv ADAC Hessen

IPT boss Wolfgang Schöller said at the time: ‘Those who don’t want to pay must suffer. After all, we’re not a hobby club with charitable status.’ Consequently, at the race on 22 August 1976, the professionally run teams from Ford, BMW and Porsche did indeed heed the call for a boycott and declined to start at Calden.

This was the moment for the purely private DRM drivers, who otherwise stood virtually no chance against the big teams. Victory in the senior class (over 2 litres) went to Jürgen Neuhaus (Porsche Carrera RSR), whilst in the junior class (under 2 litres) it went to Peter Hennige (BMW 2002).

Despite the strike, the DRM and the European Formula 3 Championship remained the centrepiece of racing at the privately operated Calden airfield well into the 1980s. There was also plenty to see for motorcycling enthusiasts at separate events in Calden – rounds of the German Motorcycle Championship were also held here on several occasions.

The wild Formula 3 European Championship battles from 1976 onwards remain unforgettable, featuring, amongst others, Nelson Piquet, Riccardo Patrese, Jan Lammers, Michele Alboreto, the Fabi brothers Teo and Corrado, Emanuele Pirro and Derek Daly. Almost an entire future Formula 1 line-up competed here in Formula 3 over the years, driving the race directors to despair on more than one occasion.

Kollege Jochen Luck aus Kassel am Mikro, seine Frau führt die Rundentabelle

Foto: Archiv ADAC Hessen

Mike Korten from Krefeld was the only German to win a Formula 3 European Championship round at Calden in 1979. Up to 20,000 spectators flocked to the airfield to marvel at the stars of the two flagship racing series, the Formula 3 European Championship and the DRM.

From 1987, however, the fun came to an unexpected end because the operating company stopped issuing further permits. Furthermore, plans leaked out according to which the state of Hesse intended to build a new, fully operational commercial airport with connections to major holiday destinations right next to the site that had been used until then.

This project was actually realised when construction began a good 20 years later. Admittedly, from 2017 onwards, classic events made a comeback on the old airfield circuit for a few years. Right next door, air traffic was already operating at the time at Kassel Calden Airport, which had been completely rebuilt at a cost of around 270 million euros and opened in April 2013.

From 2020 onwards, the coronavirus pandemic prevented any further historic races from taking place on the old site, which has since been converted into an industrial and commercial park. As a result, the Kassel Calden airfield race now has a permanent place only in the history books of motor sport – like so many other venues with a great racing heritage.