Aerodrome course
An airfield course is a motorsport racetrack that is temporarily set up on an airfield .
Military and civil airfields usually allow larger events such as B. Music festivals or car races on their spacious paved areas .
Due to the existing infrastructure - compared to a street circuit - the conversion of the airfield into a racetrack usually requires little effort. Insofar as barriers with fences, spectator stands , pit systems and buildings that can be used by the race management are not already in place, these can usually be set up and dismantled quickly and easily.
Examples
More or less important or well-known airfield races are (in selection):
- Mainz-Finthen airfield races 1964–1990, including races in the German Racing Championship (DRM) 1972–1983 and the successor series, the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) 1984–1990
- ADAC airfield races at Mendig Army Airfield 1969–1970
- ADAC airfield races at Geilenkirchen NATO airfield in 1970 and 1971
- Diepholz airfield races 1984–1996, including 11 races of the DTM and the successor series International Touring Car Championship (ITC)
- Siegerlandring races at Siegerland Airport near Burbach 1978 / 80–2000, partly as runs of the German Production Car Championship (DPM) or the DTM
Airfields and drag racing
Due to their structural design with long, straight runways to airfields are generally suited as a venue for drag race over a fixed distance, the so-called "drag racing". The racetrack of Santa Pod , according to its own (undisputed) statement the "birthplace of European drag racing", was built, for example, from 1966 on the former site of RAF Podington . The origins of German drag racing also go back to airfields that were used by the US troops: the first races took place at the US bases in Hanau / Erlensee and Giebelstadt , which were then active . After German reunification , it was possible to use several former facilities of the National People's Army and the Soviet armed forces , which were structurally suitable . The routes in Alteno (known as MZA Luckau), Groß Dölln and Wittstock were the venue for several events from the mid-1990s, but could not hold their own due to a lack of profitability. In some cases, attempts were made to run races on active airfields around the 2000s (± 5), for example at the Atlas Airfield in Ganderkesee with the "Atlas Race Days" and at the Mühldorf airfield with the "Dragster Power Race", which took place nationwide became known.
A main problem of the events at active airfields for the organizers has always been the lack of the possibility of a professional runway preparation , as the safety for the aircraft taking off and landing after the event had to be guaranteed. Therefore, only smaller, so-called sportsman classes could compete in these races .
The tracks on the former military airfields with their massive concrete ceilings offered a good " grip ", and a corresponding track preparation for the dragster professional classes would have been possible, but the costs associated with it and through additional security systems, grandstands, etc. were due to spectator money not to cover these structurally weak areas.