In beautiful Niederpöring, a district of Oberpöring in Lower Bavaria and close to Dingolfing, a spectacular event took place from May 24 to 26, 2024. The first cement track race with old Vespa models was held. The event was a great success and is expected to be repeated next year.
Where, who, what – information on the Vespa oldies cement track race
The heart of the event was the “Velodrom Isar-Radstadion” in Niederpöring. This cycling stadium, still impressive despite its age with its high banked curves, provided an unforgettable backdrop for the exciting competitions.
Organizer: Raphael Knespel, known and called Raphi by everyone. He organized his vintage festival for the first time, with food trucks, Vespa dealer mile, Vespa parts market, brass band and DJ night. A really likeable guy who could be found everywhere and was approachable. A native Bavarian, so to speak, responsible for everything and everyone. As this was the first event he had organized, there was a lot of improvisation involved. However, this in no way detracted from the enjoyment and the Bavarian, sometimes beer-soaked atmosphere.
And last but not least, the spectacular cement track race on the steep face. Even heavy rain in the meantime could not spoil the good mood of the racers and visitors.
Conditions of participation
Anyone who wanted to take part in this extraordinary race had to own either a Vespa, a Lambretta or a Ciao. But that wasn’t all: this vehicle had to have been built between 1945 and 1977. The main thing was that it had to be Italian and old. A real classic car was required.
You can find the right spare parts and accessories for your own vintage Vespa in the SIP Scootershop.
This was not actually a real race as we imagine and know it (based on speed), but a so-called time race. This means that the winner is not the fastest participant, but the one with the most consistent time on the first lap. How is that supposed to work?
This is how this special race worked
After a so-called standing start, in which the first lap was decisive because it was counted as a reference time, the exact same time as the first lap had to be achieved on the following laps.
It doesn’t sound that difficult, but the details are quite tricky:
There was an official test for the participants in this oval, although to call this a race would be commenting right off topic.
A regularity drive is more appropriate for the event. After exactly 10 minutes of driving, the participants had to be exactly in a section of the track of only 5 meters. As if that wasn’t “chicanery” enough, there was a further restriction. Only those who were within exactly ONE METRE of the specified track point within these 5 meters could collect the full number of points. For a change, it didn’t matter how much horsepower a scooter had to offer or how many kilometers per hour it could cover on the track. Only timing and skill were decisive.
A speed race was not feasible due to the high risk of accidents. Daredevil overtaking maneuvers would have had to be expected, which could inevitably lead to serious accidents.
However, the event in this unusual variation did not take much getting used to, as most of the Vespisti had come for the fun and the exchange with like-minded people.
Participants from all over Europe were present
- Germany
- Austria
- Switzerland
- Belgium
- Italy
- England
- the Netherlands
A total of 200 racing licenses were available. You had to hurry to get a coveted license. On Friday, from 2 p.m., it was possible to train for the first time on the steep slope track with the most important players: the aged Vespa oldies.
These arrived in large numbers from many parts of Europe for three days. Only some of them were actually allowed to take part due to the limited conditions of participation and safety regulations. The bikes had to undergo a technical inspection beforehand. Only the fully intact machines were allowed to participate.
As we can see, safety is always the top priority when it comes to Vespas.
Participants from our well-known SIP scooter store in Landsberg were also spotted. They took an active part in the attractions and side events on offer, such as the dynamometer, used parts market and Bavarian gastronomy.
Of course, the physical well-being was well catered for. A total of four food trucks had set themselves the task of spoiling the guests with all kinds of delicacies and hearty Bavarian cuisine. In addition, a beer garden-like atmosphere provided the basis for the right folk festival atmosphere. At the end of the day, who really cared which place had been achieved in the race? Fifteen dealers provided entertainment with a wide range of Vespa-related products.
Where did the idea for this event come from?
It was initiated and implemented by organizer Raphael Knespel after he had already attended such a race in Darmstadt a few years ago. He was so enthusiastic that he decided to establish this event in Bavaria.The spark was indeed quickly passed on to visitors and Vespisti, which would justify a repeat of the cement track race in the foreseeable future or even on an annual basis.The sense of togetherness and the feeling of freedom were fully established at this event.
With this in mind: Have a safe journey!
