Time travel at the Ring

How fans once experienced the races in Spielberg

This is what the pit lane (left) looked like during the construction work in 1969(Bild: Ingomar Gröbl)

Racing started at Spielberg 55 years ago. What went on at the old Österreichring back then can no longer be compared with what the Red Bull Ring offers today. Contemporary witness Ingomar Gröbl looks back.

The circuit in Spielberg was the first permanent race track in the country to open its gates. On July 26, 1969, a touring car race became the first event in history and a test run for Formula 1, which set up camp in Styria for the first time a year later. Back then, the glitz and glamor of today was still miles away. Contemporary witness Ingomar Gröbl, who himself worked for many years as a marshal and paddock manager, remembers:

This is how the asphalt was laid in Spielberg in 1969(Bild: Ingomar Gröbl)

THE TRACK
The old Österreichring was 5.9 kilometers long and included the western loop, which is no longer used today. Due to the nearby woods, deer used to regularly stray onto the track: "Then a hunter would be called out and fifteen minutes later there would be a bang."

The cows marched back and forth next door. Deer even strayed onto the racetrack from time to time.

Ingomar Gröbl, einst Streckenposten und Fahrerlagerchef

THE SAFETY
Guard rails were already mandatory in Formula 1 back then, but safe run-off areas were a long way off. "There was gravel next to the track. If someone came out, they took stones 40 or 50 meters onto the asphalt." These were swept away by the marshals with brooms - in the middle of the race. "One of us stood further ahead and blew his whistle to signal when the next car was coming. We then moved to the left and right."

Helmut Marko (right) is a Ring veteran from the very beginning(Bild: Ingomar Gröbl)

THE ARRIVAL
Back then, many spectators came from the region, traveling on foot, by bike or moped. "Those who came by car had to park on the meadows, which had not yet been drained. When it rained, farmers earned good money by pulling out the stuck cars with their tractors." There were no highway connections at the time, but international fans would still jam the track. In the early years, it was mainly the red Ferraristi from Italy. "Many of them arrived on Monday and bought and drank their way through Zeltweg and the surrounding area." Stores spontaneously roasted chicken in front of their restaurants because the pubs were overcrowded.

THE PROGRAM
Nowadays, fans are well entertained away from the racing - with a show program, exhibitions and food miles. In the early years, the races had the character of a village festival: "The local fire departments set up tents, served beer and grilled sausages. Back then, it was a family affair, not yet as highly professional as it is today."