1000 km Zeltweg

The 1000 km Zeltweg (originally known as the 500 km Zeltweg) was an endurance sports car event held near Zeltweg, Austria. Originally based at the Zeltweg Airfield, the race moved to the Österreichring and was lengthened to a 1000 km distance and there it continued to be a regular event in the World Sportscar Championship until 1976.

History

The Zeltweg Airfield circuit used from 1966 to 1968

The Österreichring, used from 1969 to 1976

The A1-Ring, used from 1997 to 2001

In 1963, Formula One held its first exhibition event at the Zeltweg Airfield, located in Styria. The airfield had been modified in 1958 to allow it to be used for motorsports, using the runway and taxiways for straights. Following the successful event, the Austrian Grand Prix joined the Formula One calendar for the 1964 season. However complaints from drivers about the poor surface led to the FIA abandoning the circuit before a 1965 event could be held. Left without a major event, the organizers turned to the World Sportscar Championship and offered a 500 km event to take place starting in 1966. This event proved more successful due to the ability of the sportscars to handle the bumpy surface better than a Formula One car.

In 1969, due to demands once again from racers for a better circuit, the Österreichring was built in the mountains less than a mile from Zeltweg Airfield. Once the new circuit was completed, the sports car event moved to its permanent home. Due to the freshness of the track, the organizers expanded the event to a 1000 km endurance. The smoothness of the new racing surface allowed for greater reliability and greater ease in achieving the longer distance. The high-speed nature of the layout also allowed for quick races, with some events running under five hours. However, with rule changes in the evolved World Championship of Makes in 1976, the event became limited to a maximum of six hours due to the decrease in overall speed of the competitors.

The 1976 event also became the final 1000 km race at the Österreichring. A second Austrian race was added to the separate World Sportscar Championship, held at the smaller Salzburgring. Due to safety concerns and a shrinking schedule, the Österreichring was dropped from the 1977 season, leaving the Salzburgring one final event before it too was abandoned, marking the final Austrian event in the World Sportscar Championship.

Following the rebuilding of the Österreichring into the new A1-Ring in 1997, the FIA GT Championship briefly resurrected the sportscar endurance race in a modified form. A four-hour event was run in 1997 covering nearly 700 km, followed by 500 km races in 1998, 2000, and 2001. The FIA chose not to return to the circuit after the 2001 event, and the A1-Ring was eventually partially torn down in 2004, until it was rebuilt as Red Bull Ring in 2011.

Winners

Year	Drivers	Team	Car	Time
Zeltweg Airfield
1966	Gerhard Mitter Hans Herrmann	Porsche System	Porsche 906	3:07:52:550
1967	Paul Hawkins	Paul Hawkins	Ford GT40 Mk.II	3:15:54.530
1968	Jo Siffert	Porsche System Engineering	Porsche 908	2:55:17.790
Österreichring
1969	Jo Siffert Kurt Ahrens, Jr.	Freiherr von Wendt	Porsche 917	5:23:36.980
1970	Jo Siffert Brian Redman	J.W. Automotive	Porsche 917K	5:08:04:670
1971	Pedro Rodríguez Richard Attwood	J.W. Automotive	Porsche 917K	5:04:26.100
1972	Jacky Ickx Brian Redman	SpA Ferrari SEFAC	Ferrari 312PB	4:58:46.280
1973	Henri Pescarolo Gérard Larrousse	Equipe Matra-Simca	Matra-Simca MS670B	4:48:57.800
1974	Henri Pescarolo Gérard Larrousse	Equipe Gitanes	Matra-Simca MS670C	4:51:20.270
1975	Henri Pescarolo Derek Bell	Willi Kauhsen Racing Team	Alfa Romeo T33/TT/12	3:34:50.550^†
1976	Dieter Quester Gunnar Nilsson	Schnitzer BMW	BMW 3.0 CSL	6:00:16.400
A1-Ring
1997	Klaus Ludwig Bernd Mayländer	AMG-Mercedes	Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR	4:00:55.816
1998	Klaus Ludwig Ricardo Zonta	AMG-Mercedes	Mercedes-Benz CLK LM	2:47:34.975
2000	Mike Hezemans Tom Coronel	Carsport Holland	Chrysler Viper GTS-R	3:00:01.811
2001	Peter Kox Rickard Rydell	Prodrive Allstars	Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello	3:00:09.952

† - The 1975 event was scheduled for 1000 km, but was stopped after 600 km due to heavy rain.

External links

Motor Racing Circuits Database - Zeltweg Airfield (1958-1968)
Motor Racing Circuits Database - Österreichring (1969-1976)

Automobile endurance races

24 hours	24 Hours of Le Mans Spa 24 Hours 24 Hours Nürburgring Dubai 24 Hour 24 Hours of Daytona Longest Day of Nelson 24 Hours of Zolder 24H Silverstone – European Touring Car Edition Willhire 24 Hour Bathurst 24 Hour 2CV 24 Hour Race Tokachi 24 Hours Barcelona 24 Hour Fermín Vélez Trophy KL 24 Hour GT City Cup

12 hours	12 Hours of Sebring Bathurst 12 Hour Sepang 12 Hours 12 Hours at the Point 12 Hours of Reims Rothmans 12 hours 12 Hours of Brno

10 hours	Petit Le Mans

6 hours	LA Times GP 6 Hour Le Mans 6 Hours of Atlanta 6 Hours of Bahrain Bathurst 6 Hour 6 Hours of Castellet 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas 6 Hours of Donington 6 Hours of Estoril 6 Hours of Fuji 6 Hours of Imola 6 Hours of Mexico Mid-Ohio 6 Hours Monterey 6 Hours Mosport 6 Hours 6 Hours of Nürburgring 6 Hours of São Paulo 6 Hours of Shanghai 6 Hours of Silverstone 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 6 Hours of Vallelunga 6 Hours of Watkins Glen 6 Hours of Zhuhai

1000 miles	Mille Miglia Mil Milhas Brasil

1000 km	1000 km Algarve Bathurst 1000 Baja 1000 1000 km Brands Hatch 1000 km Buenos Aires 1000 km Catalunya Fuji 1000 km 1000 km Jarama 1000 km Le Mans 1000 km Monza 1000 km Mosport 1000 km Okayama Sepang 1000 km 1000 km Suzuka 1000 km Zeltweg Race of a Thousand Years

Other	Carrera Panamericana Kyalami 9 Hours Targa Florio 25 Hours of Spa Charge of the Headlight Brigade

Defunct races are indicated in italics

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