NitrolympX

At night you can see the exhaust flames particularly well

"Rico Anthes Quartermile"

The NitrOlympX ( original spelling of the organizer) - abbreviation "NOX" (until 2002 Nitrolympics ) is a drag racing event with acceleration races that has been held annually in August at the Hockenheimring since 1986 . The name refers to the fuel nitromethane of the "top fuel" class, as well as the Olympic Games, which is why the spelling had to be changed.

Until 1988, the 1/8 mile was only driven on the home straight, contrary to the usual direction of travel. Then over the 1/4 mile (402.34 m), out of the Motodrom into the then still existing straight forest straight towards the east curve (again against the usual direction of travel). This dragster racetrack , which is prepared with liquid glue for optimal adhesion, was relocated closer to the grandstands when the track was renovated in 2002 and renamed "Rico Anthes Quartermile" in 2008, after the longstanding organizer.

Starting in 1991, an entertainment element was added to the program with the night show on Saturday evening, which has since become one of the highlights of the event. In addition to (non-rated) show runs under floodlights (which take place under race conditions), there are various motorcycle artists, stunt car drivers and jet dragster demonstrations. Around 50,000 spectators are counted every year, so the NitrOlympX is not only the largest event of its kind on the European continent, but also outside the USA .

The runs at the NitrOlympX are counted for the so-called " Pro-Classes " as part of the respective FIA Dragster European Championships for automobiles or the UEM (since 2013 "FIM Europe") European Championships for motorcycles . The results of the sports men’s classes are included in various scoring, for example by the DMSB and the DMV .

On the weekend before the NitrOlympX, the venue is also used for the smaller event "Public Race Days", where amateurs with regular road vehicles (so-called "Run what you brung"), but also pro teams, vote their vehicles for the NOX , can go to the start. The heavy use of the route and the rubber application due to burn-outs flow into the preparation of the route.

Records

In 1994 the top speed record of 436.3 km / h in Germany since 1936, held by Rudolf Caracciola in a Mercedes-Benz, was improved to the new record of 447 km / h by the German driver Rico Anthes with his Top Fuel Dragster. A "big step forward" for European drag racing was the "First 4 times in Europe", which the Swede Kent Persson, who competed for the Peter Lantz Team, at the 1997 Nitrolympics with 4.98 seconds (top speed 472.87 km / h) scored.