GLASBACHRENNEN
A success-story
The beginnings 1974-1991
On September 7th and 8th, 1974, the drivers of production vehicles, improved touring cars, sports cars and motorcycles met for the first time in the tranquil town of Bad Liebenstein for the implementation of the 1st Glasbach race on the mountain race track in neighboring Steinbach. More than 6,000 visitors experienced the races for the GDR championship, which were designed for best times. From this point on, mountain races took place almost every year and were awarded higher predicates year after year. Due to the internationality of the Glasbach races and the demanding route, more and more drivers from Eastern Europe came along. With the turn of the century, the image of the Glasbach race also changed. The organizers of this traditional MC Moorgrund event at that time teamed up with the NMC Baunatal for the first time in 1991 and carried out the 15th ADAC Glasbach race under race director Reinhard Daum in the now united Germany
The untimely end
Some Group H drivers might still remember a tree-lined hill climb or the dissolving asphalt during the races. Ultimately, it was Dieter Knüttel, Rainer Fink, Dieter Rottenberger and Rüdiger Julius Bernhardt who shone in the overall result despite the circumstances. The prerequisite for a new event in the following year was linked to the requirement for a new asphalt surface and corresponding safety equipment. Thus the Glasbach race was initially dead, because none of those responsible at the time could afford this financial and sporting set challenges.
The New Beginnings 2005-2009
As early as 2005, in the newly founded racing community Altensteiner Oberland eV in the ADAC (RSG) under the chairman Marcus Malsch, formerly active rally athletes found a heart and took up the history of mountain racing in the Thuringian Forest again. On one by the club with an additional 1000 crash barriers prepared mountain race track in Winterstein, the foundation stone was laid for the rebirth of the mountain racing tradition on the Rennsteig.
From 2005 - 2009 the ADAC Rennsteig mountain race was held
Problems bring new ideas
Due to problems with the local private forest owner, the RSG had to decide in 2010 whether to further develop mountain racing on another mountain racing track or to discontinue the event, which had meanwhile become a great success. The former was true and so the traditional mountain race track on the Glasbach, which by the way is located directly at the RSG club headquarters, was targeted. Unfortunately, the condition of the track had not changed significantly since 1991 and a solution for the necessary measures had to be found.
The rebirth of a success story
In consultation and with the support of the Free State of Thuringia, ADAC Munich and ADAC Hessen-Thuringia, as well as an investment of €350,000 and more than 10,000 hours of voluntary work by the RSG, not only the longest hill climb in Germany was created, but also the most modern and safest hill climb Europe. The specially developed route safety system celebrated its premiere at the rebirth of the Glasbach race in 2011. This extraordinary commitment did not go unnoticed by the responsible world motor sport association FiA and led to the award of the highest predicate of the European Mountain Championship (EBM)
After the crisis comes the restart
Due to problems with the local private forest owner, the RSG had to decide in 2010 whether to further develop mountain racing on another mountain racing track or to discontinue the event, which had meanwhile become a great success. The former was true and so the traditional mountain race track on the Glasbach, which by the way is located directly at the RSG club headquarters, was targeted. Unfortunately, the condition of the track had not changed significantly since 1991 and a solution for the necessary measures had to be found.
The rebirth of a success story
In consultation and with the support of the Free State of Thuringia, ADAC Munich and ADAC Hessen-Thuringia, as well as an investment of €350,000 and more than 10,000 hours of voluntary work by the RSG, not only the longest hill climb in Germany was created, but also the most modern and safest hill climb Europe. The specially developed route safety system celebrated its premiere at the rebirth of the Glasbach race in 2011. This extraordinary commitment did not go unnoticed by the responsible world motor sport association FiA and led to the award of the highest predicate of the European Mountain Championship (EBM)
European Championship back in Thuringia
At its meeting on December 6th, 2023 in Baku, the World Motorsport Federation FIA awarded the highest award in international motorsport to Thuringia after a four-year break. We will again host the 26th International Glasbach Race as a round of the European Championship from June 14th to 16th, 2024 in Bad Liebenstein/Steinbach.
We were able to score points with the World Motorsport Federation FIA with our outstanding organization and reliability and thus prevailed against the French organizer.
The fact that the Glasbach hillclimb race track is the longest in Germany and the most modern and safest hillclimb race track in Europe also contributed to this decision.
In addition to the European Hill Climb Championship and the German Hill Climb Championship, the 26th International Glasbach Race is also included in the Austrian and Luxembourg championship calendar.
