CHGP 2024 – DTMs Are Back!

ANOTHER HIGH-OCTANE WEEKEND

Ever since 1996 when Copenhagen Classic Car Cup was born, there is one weekend in August filled with high-octane fuel, smell of burnt grip-seeking tires and sheer racing emotions. This year was no exception! The streets of Copenhagen morphed into a circuit drew thousands of spectators yearning some vintage track action. After a year of absence, I heard that call, too! Following the Prelude Rally at the Copenhagen City Hall on Friday there was only one place to be that weekend – Bellahøj Park!

It was my third time visiting the race after 2017 and 2022 and the first impression was quite strange… is it smaller? Indeed, the program did not cover all racing classes present in the previous years. Missing were the modern TCR Championships and classic Royal Pro/Am Class – oh, so popular in the past, when HRH Prince Joachim partook. Yet, the racing spirit remained the same and to my delight, the new class introduced last year made a reappearance. Can you guess which one?

TOURENWAGEN LEGENDED – OR SIMPLY DTM

It doesn’t take a Danish-speaking expert to decipher what Tourenwagen Legenden means. The class introduced at the Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix in 2023 pays a well-deserved tribute to the original German championship series for production cars - DTM. The original series was brought to life in 1984 and with time became an incredibly popular phenomenon – with admiration sometimes nearing that of Formula 1.

DTM rules were simple, especially at the very beginning. Very restrictive FIA Group A regulations governing the series from the get-go allowed plenty of private racing teams to join. For quite a while grid cars were nearly standard, without extensive body-kits or mechanical modifications. Resulting, to ensure competitiveness on track, manufacturers needed to produce better, faster road-legal vehicles. A perfect symbiosis, where racing directly benefits consumer products, wasn’t it?

That was until 1993, when the Group A regulations were abandoned for less restrictive FIA Class 1 Touring Cars rules, featuring carbon fibre bodies, four-wheel drive or extensive electronic driver aids. That turned the series to a classic arms race, with new bolides hardly resembling their everyday counterparts. This year at CHGP the class was populated mostly by vehicles falling into the mid-DTM era, with plentiful of iconic Mecedes-Benz 190E Evo and their fierce competitor – the BMW E30 M3. Somehow, this class also included three Porsche 996 GT3 Cup and… a 2008 Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Not the fairest of fights, if you ask me!

But if you are into vintage motorsport, you must be now wondering – won’t he say anything about the liveries? Don’t worry, the iconic paintjobs of the DTM are one of my favourites, too! Whilst I really missed the E30 in Tic Tac that advertised Tourenwagen Legenden debut at CHGP last year there was abundance of interesting racing attires this year. Two of my favourites? Doubtlessly the yellow Kärcher and a witty twist done by one of the drivers, painting his car into West… pardon, Wüst, livery. A job well done, Max Wüst!

NO SPEED LIMITS AT BELLAHØJ

Despite being the quickest around the fast-paced Bellahøj Park this year, it wasn’t only the DTMs that rocked the world of classic racing. Competitive as ever were the SixtyFivers, bringing second largest grid to the game, only a few cars short of the Youngtimer class. However, for me the most memorable was the show put one by slightly younger ’71 Class.

Fierce fight over every centimetre of the racetrack across the entire stake ended up with a complete domination of three Ford Escorts BDA. Prepared by Race Group, a total of four Escorts and one Datsun 240Z wore a rather sleek McDonald’s & Mascot Workwear livery known from the team’s TCR appearances and you need to admit – they did look spectacular in the first corner!

Similarly stunning was the sight of a flamethrowing Porsche 935 driven by Tommy Olsen in even younger class of Historic ’90. The iconic racer most famously known for its 935/78 ‘Moby Dick’ incarnation put on a show also at Bellahøj Park. Nearly at every downshift its turbocharged engine spitted an immense amount of flame from that naked exhaust set-up. Overaggressive tune-up? Probably, as the car was retired after just one outing.

THE PADDOCK LIFE

Whilst the drivers were fighting for pole or chasing the win, the live in the paddock was following a slightly calmer routine. The number of classes allowed sufficient time between the runs even for the amateur teams to comfortably work on their machines. Mechanics fine-tuned carburettors, worked on the suspension or replaced worn brake pads, so that everything is fit for fight.

Not far away from the paddock action were thousands of visitors enjoying their racing weekend in a slightly different manner – with a hot-dog and beer occupying their hands, rather than a steering wheel. They calmly strolled large premises enclosed by the circuit, admiring countless exhibitions prepared by various car clubs and vendors. Everyone could find something that suits their taste – from MG and Austin Healey, through Porsche all the way to the Italian classics featuring Alfa Romeo and Lancia. There were even racing overalls or scale models autographed by Jan Magnussen.

SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY OF BUGATTI TYPE 35

Over the years, Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix developed not only a well-tested formula for bona fide racing, but also a great set of extracurricular activities on the track. Nearly everyone recalls the renowned Race for Riget, where professional drivers lap the circuit with spectators for charity or the historic parade featuring classic vehicles near and dear to every petrolhead’s heart.

The latter had a special trick down its sleeve this year! Commemorating the 100th anniversary of Bugatti Type 35 were… 12 specimens of this jaw-dropping racer. After an eye-catching, colourful like the wings of butterfly line-up for the parade, these impressive two-seaters headed out to the track amidst a beautiful cacophony of their straight engines. My favourite? Hands down the 1927 Bugatti 37 – which is an evolution of the Type 35 utilising the same chassis but fitted with wire-wheels and a simpler straight-four engine. Oh, how photogenic it was, with its yellow-on-red colour scheme!

STRAIGHT THROUGH THE FINISH LINE

And just like that, in a blink of an eye, the 2024 edition of CHGP has come to an end. The race weekend once again attracted thousands of visitors, forming doubtlessly the hottest spot on the automotive map of Denmark. Grandstands were simply bursting at their seams. When all engines were turned off what remained were good memories and cheerful chatter reluctant to stop, celebrating the vintage motoring life. Tak for sidst, Bellahøj Park, vi ses næste gang!

Text & Photos: Adam Pekala ©