Bergparkrennen 2024 — safety first

Safety cars and splendid racing scenes

“There were no duels, but there were splendid racing scenes,” the magazine Motor und Sport wrote about the Herkules hill climb almost a hundred years ago.

Back then, in the mid-1920s, a distinction was still made between private and works drivers. The former were mostly wealthy gentleman drivers. One of them was Alfred Rosenberg, who at just 23 was already among the most successful racing drivers in Europe. He competed in famous cars such as the Benz Tropfenwagen, the Mercedes-Benz SSK and the supercharged Mercedes, and won the Kassel Herkules hill climb three times in a row (1925–1927).

Works drivers, by contrast, were men who made their living with cars: factory drivers for manufacturers such as Mercedes and Opel, but also workshop owners and car dealers.

On 27 and 28 April 2024, the Mars Orbiter team was at the 101st Bergparkrennen — not as works drivers, but with two Tesla Roadsters serving as safety cars. Alongside the two Roadsters accompanying each run, the recovery vehicle was in action as well.

A few impressions of the Bergparkrennen — including the Tesla Roadster safety car — can be seen here.