The DSC Editor caught up with Capricorn Managing Director Carsten Schumacher (in charge of the business direction of the Nurburgring), and DMSB President, racing legend and 2015 6 Hours of Nurburgring Grand Marshal Hans Stuck in the fringes of Tuesday’s WEC Press Conference to launch the 2016 race to the German media
This is potentially a very important race for the Nurburgring. With the vaguaries of Formula One, how big a part of the plan for the Nurburgring might the WEC be?
Carsten Schumacher: “This race is the first of course, with a one year contract. But from a management point of view we are now planning for the mid-term and the long-term so we are planning now for season 2016 and beyond, this race is very important.
“We are currently discussing with the WEC how we can work together moving forward and are definitely planning ahead from our point of view for at least the next three years.
“The WEC is tremendous and I really like this type of racing and I am very sure this is a beginning of what I believe can be a successful history.
3000 people in the rain yesterday for a test not a race must give you really high hopes for this race?
“We are planning for more than 20,000 people for the Sunday here. We think that’s realistic. We can’t expect to put a new race Series here and immediately expect 40,000 or more but this is the basis for the coming years. I expect it to grow here.
This is a very special place for racing, and for sportscars in particular. You seem very excited by the prospect of the WEC coming?
Hans Stuck: “I am, I really am. I had the honour of course of racing in the 1000 kms here before with 150,000 plus spectators.
“We haven’t had it though for a long time. In Germany just now we don’t have many World Championship races this year, especially with Formula One not coming here this year.
“So WEC has a great chance here.
“This place is, of course very special to me, I have raced many many times here and the WEC brings a good story here after some difficult times.
“What the Championship is doing with real, relevant technology is just great. Look at all the different approaches and concepts we have here? That’s a real interest to many people and from what we have seen so far in the season there is still really very close racing.
“It’s a long race, you have time to walk around to different parts of the track, you can visit the Boulevard here for Currywurst and french fries, this is the perfect venue for that, for families and for the real race fans.
People look back at the times when you were racing in sportscars as a golden era. Are we in the midst of another?
“Let’s take it easy. We have a little baby here that is looking at the world with interest in its eyes.
“What I hear outside of our discussions to bring the race here, what people like about the WEC who may not be normal race fans but rather in the automotive industry is that they are asking:
“Hey, what’s going on there, here is a proving ground for our technology, we can prove our technical competence”.
“That’s what is making this so exciting, it is bringing industry, and new fans to the sport.
“If we take good care of this baby I think it can grow into a really strong kid!”
GG
