22.07.15 Pole Position and an early end at the Spa Youngtimer Festival

Wolfgang Kaufmann fastest man in Belgium but technology fails him on lap 1. DMSB causes consternation among Youngtimer competitors.

The professional racer then took the start of the race, and was in the lead through the famous complex of Eau Rouge and Radillion. But as early as the long straight following Les Combes, the Escort coasted to a halt without any forward propulsion. An initial, cursory check of the engine bay gave no clues as to the malfunction; upon further inspection, a broken throttle cable was identified as the reason for this early end to the race.

This, however, was only the unhappy ending to the Youngtimer Trophy weekend. Shortly before the start of the event, the organizers had to announce that the following races in Zolder would have to be called off following pressure from DMSB. The German motorsport authority had withdrawn its approval of the series rulebook on short notice; at the same time, it had through the Belgian racing federation tried to prevent the Belgian championship round at Spa from going ahead.

In order to at least save the Spa race meeting, the promoter accepted an agreement that stipulates a fine in case the Zolder round is held. This is unfathomable for Wolfgang Kaufmann (and many other active racers): “At the moment, I don't understand the actions of DMSB at all. First we have these decisions that were made about the Nürburgring Nordschleife, which are strange and hard to comprehend. Now, this is happening around the Youngtimers. The Youngtimer Trophy is a perfectly organized series where all competitors can still enjoy real motor racing. There is no paternalism, there are no speed limits or anything of that nature. Just pure motor racing which is supported by many active entrants and a great promoter. Do they want to destroy this part of motorsport at all cost?”

For Kaufmann, who has more than 20 years of experience as a professional driver, the current developments are dramatic. “There is a danger that DMSB might force motor racing in Germany back to a very low level with all these interventions. The only objective seems to be the fleecing of promoters and active racers. Advancement of the sport, especially on the amateur enthusiast level, really isn't happening anymore. There is no longer any detectable interest in the sport itself.”

The German racer is saddened by the fact that this tendency now seemingly is carried over into historic racing: “I am glad for the opportunity to do a lot of racing in the historic sector in such series as 60s Endurance or CER where it is still all about racing, and enjoying it.”