Histo Cup: feast for fans of the smell of petrol
Sports
At the Histo Cup with historic racing cars, the paddock on the Salzburgring is open to visitors again this weekend. Wheel-to-wheel duels, fast corners, the smell of petrol and open bonnets await the fans. The mix has made the Histo Cup one of the most recognized racing series in Europe for 25 years.
The success story began in September 1997 and quickly became a great constant in the motorsport scene.
From seven drivers to more than 400
The main actors stayed the same, over the years there were only more and more, says inventor Michael Steffny: “In the beginning the series was a vision. We were seven drivers in the first race, today there are a good 400. It is high-quality motorsport and racing where things really get down to business on the track.”
After the end of the Austria Ring, the Salzburg series has the largest increase. Some participants have been there for more than 20 years. Guido Kieselbach came for the first time in 1998: “Everyone drives their car at the limit here and tries to achieve the best time based on their ability.”
Car rebuilt from junkyard
Nina Gumpendorfer is a former Histo Cup racer: “I joined in 2008 and rebuilt a car from the junkyard. Then I got in here.”
On Friday the historic vehicles from the sixth century were unloaded from the trucks and prepared for the weekend’s racing action. Thousands of motorsport enthusiasts will soon be romping around in the paddock, wanting to know what’s hidden under the bonnet.
Junior will modernize the series a bit
The organizers say that the Histo Cup can also be seen and touched. The idea of inventor Michael Steffny will now be implemented by the next generation in the future, as his son David emphasizes: “If he has his way, then very little can change. But I’m going to make it a little bit younger, more modern and more dynamic.”