Tabac Classic Grand Prix
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Assen, located in a sparsely populated area halfway between Amsterdam and Bremen, is best known for the Dutch TT Motorcycle Grand Prix. On 13-15 September, it hosted the 3rd Tabac Classic Grand Prix. Jurriaan Tas and Marcel Hundscheid report…..
Photo Courtesy TABAC Classic GP Assen
Making Some Noise
First run in 1925, the Dutch TT has been won by every superstar motorcycle racer in history, from Valentino Rossi all the way back to Tim Hunt in pre-war days. It remains one of MotoGP’s flagship events with its off-track entertainment often matching the excitement on-track. The circuit was shortened by one third in 2005 for reasons that remain somewhat mysterious. The now unused parts of the track lay almost untouched, albeit used as parking lots. What remains, though, is more than challenging enough to keep even the best on their toes. The fast sweepers from “Mandeveen” back to the pit straight are particularly rewarding, not quite flat out for all but the most sophisticated machinery.
Daniel Schrey in the Porsche 935 K1 in the YTCC Photo Marcel Hundscheid
In line with the circuit’s legacy, the inaugural Classic Grand Prix focused exclusively on motorcycles, but that was not a viable option says promotor Leen van Dam, who was team manager to multiple sidecar world champions Egbert Streuer and Bernard Schnieders back in the 1980s. “Historic automobile racing is much more popular with both spectators and competitors, so we adapted our programme. Circuit rental is extremely expensive, especially for the high-decibel days necessary to facilitate Formula 1 cars. It was necessary for us to attract racing that could make a substantial financial contribution, which meant series with large grids to spread the cost.” As a result, the weekend’s offerings were heavily biased towards tin-tops with quite a few competitors lining up in more than one class.
Alexander Weiss won both single seater races in his Reynard 873 Photo Marcel Hundscheid
One of the highlights of the event was the appearance of former world champion Emerson Fittipaldi, who got behind the wheel of the black and gold Lotus 72 with which he won his first F1 world title in 1972. Demo runs also included the Benetton B192, in which Michael Schumacher claimed his first F1 victory, demonstrated by Lorina McLaughlin.
Top race billing went to the Tourenwagen Legenden, the German-based DTM revival series also catering to the odd Porsche Cup car, running in their final three races of the season.
Read the full report in our November issue, digital edition also available.
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