Congratulations: Peter Oberndorfer turns 70

Peter ‘Obi’ Oberndorfer began his racing career in 1977 alongside his Munich-based party-loving mate Christian Danner in the wild Renault 5 Cup. Whilst Danner had his sights set on a Formula career from the outset, Obi couldn’t see the appeal of open-wheel cars and preferred a future in touring cars.

Following some breathtaking battles in the R5 Turbo European Cup, where he had to hold his own against tough competitors such as Jan Lammers, Jean Ragnotti, Hans Heyer and Dany Snobeck, things moved on at breakneck speed. He competed in the DTM for Helmut Marko’s RSM team in an Alfa GTV6 and a Mercedes 190E, switched to BMW Alpina, and subsequently became an Opel works driver in the Kadett GSi and Omega.

Sorgenkind Opel Omega: Obi gab sein Bestes, aber oft versagte die Technik

Foto: Opel

Among Obi’s most notable successes from this period was his overall victory in the 1984 Nürburgring 24-hour race in a BMW 635 CSi Coupé. He considered his greatest regret to be the fact that “I didn’t become champion in the German Renault 5 Cup in 1979, even though the opportunity was there.” That is, however, putting it very politely, as the R5 escapades of Messrs Oberndorfer and Danner are among the absolute laugh-out-loud moments in the Cup’s history.

It was only when Opel withdrew from the DTM at the end of 1991 that Oberndorfer bid farewell to professional racing to work as a freelance motoring journalist. At *Auto Bild* and *Auto Zeitung*, he headed up the test department at times, though in between he would occasionally get behind the wheel as a hobby.

“I think I only missed a very few starts at the 24-hour race back then,” says the Nordschleife fan, looking back with pride. Obi describes the Raeder Lamborghini as “the most remarkable car I’ve ever driven”. “That car was a real experience, especially on the Nordschleife.”

From 2002, former racing driver Oberndorfer joined Audi AG in Ingolstadt. Initially in the Product Press and Motorsport department, and later as Head of Technical Communications. Every day, he would cover the 100-kilometre stretch of motorway between his home in Starnberg and Ingolstadt, both in the mornings and in the evenings. Speaking of his home: in Starnberg, his old racing mates Danner and Prinz Poldi are also part of his extended neighbourhood.

And in 2023, the three of them even shared another racing and driving experience together in that very BMW M1, with which they had lined up as a trio at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 42 years earlier, sporting the famous ‘Munich pub livery’. Munich pub-keepers had also been involved in that endeavour back then. To mark the 100th anniversary of the French endurance classic, BMW sent the iconic car, complete with its original driver line-up, to the Le Mans Classic. “It was such a lovely memory and the three of us thoroughly enjoyed this trip down memory lane,” said Obi.

Wirtshaus BMW M1 von 1981 mit der Fahrer-Besatzung Poldi, Danner und Obi

Foto: BMW

In fact, the racing paths of the old R5 Cup ‘Gaudi boys’, Oberndorfer and Danner, have crossed time and again throughout their professional careers since 1978. They competed as rivals in the BMW Procar Series, as team-mates at BMW Alpina in the DTM, and on other occasions both alongside and against one another.

For Peter Oberndorfer, racing was never really a thing of the past and remained a current focus even after his time at Audi came to an end in 2021. The classic car scene, in particular, remains his new playing field to this day. The Goodwood Revival has so far been just as much a part of his historic racing programme as appearances in the Touring Car Classic with a replica of his bright green BMW Alpina from the 1988 DTM. Furthermore, he oversaw the classic car events in the DTM support programme on behalf of the ADAC for two years.

Obi is unlikely to get bored even after turning 70, as he already has new plans in the pipeline. He wants to continue driving his beloved classic cars on the road and at classic car events, as well as going on a few trips and, as an art and music lover, visiting the odd exhibition or even an open-air concert.

Happy Birthday, Obi. It’s great that you’ve always provided top-class entertainment both on and off the racetrack. I particularly remember the 1978 Avus race with you and your colleague Danner …