12th Oschersleben Opel Meet 2007
"We gave it some revs!"
54200 participants and over 17600 vehicles
The 2007 Opel Meet is history and when we look back over the past four days, we really can say with pride, "We gave it some revs!" 54 200 fans in over 17 600 vehicles came to the 12th edition of the biggest Opel meet in the world in the Magdeburg Börde area. There were number plates from all over Germany and abroad in the grounds of the Motorsport arena. All over the place you pitched your tents, got partying, and had tuning talk and fun. Yet again the weather turned out to be a lottery. While it was sunny and warm on Thursday and Friday, on Saturday there were showers and chilly temperatures. But what does that matter when you can spend simply the best four days of the year with over 54 000 like-minded souls?!
Already on Thursday the organisers were ecstatic, because twice as many participants arrived as was the case in 2006! The campsites in the Motorsport arena filled up in next to no time, the first stage of the public race already counted almost sixty vehicles and the cover band 'Die toten Ärzte' were given a huge welcome in festival tent I.
And ecstatic beginnings reached their climax on Friday and Saturday. On both days ever more fans arrived to fill the last free spots. This year's cup for the biggest club went to the Opel club Jena-Leuchtenberg, who made their pilgrimage to Oschersleben with 27 cars and 40 lads and lassies. Pirmin Jöhl reaped the reward for the farthest journey from a location 825 km away in Switzerland. He profited from the fact that guests from Great Britain and Sweden unfortunately didn't compete for this honour.
The first heat for the 1/8 mile sprint began with a sensational field of contestants - 109 vehicles - and a breathtaking backdrop. There was a new record in the final rounds of the traditional acceleration race: with 178 signed up for the event, 35 more put their foot on the gas pedal than last year.
Verena Jana Voß from Geldern in North Germany admittedly didn't put her foot on the gas pedal, but she was obviously a hit with Opelians. The 20 year-old blonde was elected "Miss Opel 2007" on Friday evening and was delighted to receive spot prizes, a string of PR appearances and an invitation to participate in the election to "Queen of Germany".
Things that couldn't be missed at the Oschersleben Opel Meet were of course - alongside the 1/8 mile sprint - the burnout and donut contests, the drift challenge and the fireworks display. Participants at the burnout enclosure on Friday evening put on a fantastic show for everyone who gathered to watch. With a mixture of madness and vehicle control they managed to leave skid marks several centimetres thick on the tarmac and to temporarily reduce visibility levels to zero.
Lots of smoke was also to be had on Saturday at the drift challenge in the Hasseröder bend. Crowds gathered on the stand and at the fences as the ten participants came racing around the bend, tilting on two wheels and spinning their vehicles in the floodlights. Saturday reached its high point and end near midnight with the fireworks display.
44 Old-Timers Turn Out For The 7th Vintage Opel Meet
The 7th Vintage Opel Meet was organised parallel to the Opel Meet. 44 participants presented their prized pieces at a separate exhibition space in the drivers' field. On Saturday afternoon the old-timers set out on their traditional Bördeland rally, which went this year to the border monument at Hötensleben. In single-file, participants criss-crossed c.50 km of the Bördekreis at a relaxed pace. Vehicles built before 1978 are eligible for the Vintage Opel Meet.
At this point, we'd like to say a few heartfelt thank-yous. Thanks to our hard-working helpers, without whom we would not be able to put together such a meet. We thank in particular the team from opelmissy.de, who, amongst other things, lent a much-needed helping hand at the information stand, the show & shine competition and in dealing with the retailers. We would also like to thank Markus Schenk, the Bördekreis VW team, Möckern Opel Club, opelclub.at and the 1st Bördekreis VW team for their specialist competence in evaluating the show & shine competition.
Our thanks also to the team from Live4u-Radio, who entertained both us and you. Thanks to Rudi Füssel and his dragster team, Oschersleben town, the Berlin-Brandenburg Vintage Opel Club and the team from Oschersleben Motorsport Arena! As always, it was fantastic fun and we're delighted to have such support and confirmation! Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you…
We'll see one another again - at the 2008 Opel Meet in Oschersleben!
Text: Sabrina Gorges
Photos: Susan Schubert
