2024 - Vollgas-Rennspass, Darmstadt, D
Banked Turns Into the Past and Back
When they announced a race meet steeped in tradition, more or less round the corner from W&W headquarters, and to top it off the name’s "Full Throttle Racing Fun", we just needed to have a look. Pointing to "full throttle" in the literal sense is the venue: it’s a racing oval with banked turns just like in the good ole times in the 1910s when board track racers in the USA drove their murdersickles around ovals that had been built like European bicycle ovals. Classic motodromes were popping up left and right, some of them still in use for NASCAR racing. But here, on the Darmstadt velodrome it’s a lot less NASCAR, and a lot more racing FUN, due to the extremely mixed field of vehicles: Classes such as "cult scooter", "mopeds up to 50 cc", "Velosolex", "Postwar/Wirtschaftswunder", "historic automobile" and "three wheeler" made sure of a varied afternoon.
But us wouldn’t be us, if we hadn’t come
for the "loud and fast" type of locomotion. Our friend Speed MacLean with his 1958 XLRTT Sportster and his awesome 1941 4 1/2 Stroker Knucklehead Beach Racer filled the bill perfectly between classes such as "classics", "veteran", race bike" etc.
There were no timed runs, no racing and trophies, still there were a few medals given away:
"Oldest Machine" went to Rainer Dittmar for his 1914 992 cc MAG V-twin powered (OK, 7 - 10 hp in all) Matchless.
"Vintage Class Best Presentation" went to Thomas Bund and his Excelsior "short coupled" of 1920 vintage, 1.000 cc, direct drive, no clutch, no gearbox.
"Vintage Class Best Presentation LIFE" was won by Max Kunz and his 1938 251 cc NSU OSL with 15 hp.
The "Rookie" award went to Mofafreunde Traisa: Hennes, Valentin, Aram, Friedo, Joakim and Emilia.
We congratulate all and one and would like to thank the organisers for their tremendous work setting up a safe and super fun afternoon!
