Showdown at the ADAC Rallye Deutschland

The ADAC Rallye Deutschland (23 to 26 August 2012) is just days away. Some 200,000 fans are again expected to flock to the greater Trier region to watch the German FIA World Rally Championship rally, one of the highlights on the international motor sport circuit.

The supporting events of the WRC rally will also present a top-notch starter field. Many motor racing vets and their historic cars will start in the Histo Rally, including illustrious names like Stig Blomqvist, Björn Waldegaard and Jacky Ickx. Harald Demuth, a legend of national-level rally racing in Germany will be among the starters.

In Trier, Stig Blomqvist (SWE), the World Rally Champion of 1984 and winner of eleven rallies, will drive an Audi Sport Quattro E2. His fellow countryman Björn Waldegaard was the first official World Rally Champion in 1979. In the Histo Rally he will drive a Mercedes 450 SLC. At the wheel of another Mercedes 450 SLC will be Harald Demuth (GER), the German Rally Champion of 1984. Jacky Ickx is one of the best all-round drivers of all times. He is a two-time Formula 1 Vice World Champion (1969 and 1970) and six-time winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours to name just two major competitions. He also won numerous touring car races, hillclimbs and rallies, most notably the Paris-Dakar in 1983. At the Histo Rallye he will regale the fans in a Porsche 4x4 Dakar.

On Friday (24 August 2012) and Saturday (25 August 2012), 50 historic “Slowly Sideways” rally cars will start after the WRC and the cars starting in the national German championship “Deutsche Rallye-Meisterschaft” (DRM). They will drive the morning sections of the “Mittelmosel”, “Moselland”, “Grafschaft”, “Stein & Wein”, “Peterberg” and “Arena Panzerplatte” Special Stages. On Sunday morning (starting around 10:23hrs), during the regrouping at the “Eurostrand Leiwen” (open air pool), enthusiasts will have the opportunity to view the gorgeously restored historic cars up close and talk to their drivers. They will be seen racing again in the afternoon before the WRC starts into the final Power Stage Circus Maximus in Trier.

Another highlight not to be missed among the supporting events, on Sunday (26 August 2012), before the Circus Maximus in Trier is the Red Bull NASCAR show run. Former F1 driver Patrick Friesacher (AUT) will show what an official NASCAR race car can do. Provided he/she wins the draw, one lucky fan will have the chance to take the co-driver’s seat in the show run. For more info please go to www.adac-rallye-deutschland.de. Of course, the NASCAR vehicle will be on show at the Service Park Trier from Thursday through Saturday.

Said Clerk of the Course Armin Kohl: “I look forward to the ADAC Rallye Deutschland. In this anniversary year we have managed to include more highlights among the supporting events than ever. From the Histo Rally, to the Deutsche Rallye-Meisterschaft, to the NASCAR show run – there is some action on and off the Special Stages to be caught for any motor sport fan.”