Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 - Hungaroring Classic 2017
The Hungaroring Classic 2017 was staged 29 September to 1 October at the 14-turn, 2.72-mile Hungaroring in Mogyorod, Hungary. Organised by Peter Auto, the debut event represented the first time an international historic meeting has been held on a Central European circuit. By bringing together 150 vintage racing cars, 700 collector cars and more than 20,000 spectators, the inaugural staging of the Hungaroring Classic has been deemed a success.
The Hungaroring left its mark in the history of Formula 1 by opening the gates of Iron Curtain 31 years ago. The Circuit has crowned two drivers in its 20-year history — Nigel Mansell in 1992 and Michael Schumacher in 2001 were able to win the World Championship title. Moreover, the Williams F1 Team and Scuderia Ferrari also secured the Constructors’ Championship at the Hungaroring, Williams in 1996 and Ferrari in 2001, 2002, and 2004.
At the Hungaroring Classic 2017 the circuit was again at its best as it hosted the first event for historic cars in Central Europe. Hungarian spectators flocked to the track in large numbers and a total of more than 20,000 visitors attended the event, some of whom drove there at the wheel of collector cars rarely seen at Peter Auto meetings. Models produced in the ex-USSR at ZAZ (Ukraine), Trabant (East Germany) as well as Moszkvics (Russia) and Pannonia (Hungary) gave the immediate surroundings of the circuit a particularly exotic allure. Many exhibitors, manufacturers and bands of musicians added to the party.
The Hungaroring track too was a new experience for the drivers in the seven Peter Auto grids as they had to adapt to the constraints of a tortuously twisty layout completely the opposite of Monza in July. The ‘Temple of Speed’ was replaced by the twists and turns of the Budapest roller-coaster. Those who could modify the setup of their cars like the Group C prototypes set their wings in the maximum high drag configuration to generate as much downforce as possible. The others just adapted their style to the conditions like Emanuele Pirro entered in CER 1 at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo T33, which had no aero devices: “I really enjoyed myself driving on this circuit. The very slippery tarmac suits our historic cars down to the ground as they’re made to take corners in four-wheel drifts. And the ambience here is quite simply fantastic!”
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