If our riders are artists and their motorbikes are their brushes, then the many race tracks on which the ADAC MX Masters takes place are the canvases on which great things are created. When you look back on 19 seasons of the ADAC MX Masters, it is impressive to see what the organising clubs and their many helpers have achieved. Thank you very much for your tireless efforts!

The very first ADAC MX Masters race took place on 9th and 10th April 2005 in Tensfeld. At the premiere of the newborn racing series, Ken De Dycker secured a double victory ahead of Max Nagl and Aigar Leok. By the end of 2023, a total of 139 events had been held at 23 different tracks in four racing classes. Seventeen races have taken place outside Germany at five tracks in Austria, the Netherlands and Denmark. From sand to mixed terrain and hard-packed sand, from dust to mud, the series has seen every conceivable condition, challenging riders, teams, organisers and helpers.

In 13 years, eight events were held during the season, four times seven races were organised in a year, even in the two Corona years, two races were held in the ‘short season’ of 2020 and in 2021, five events were held again. The ‘International German Motocross Championship’ title was always on the line, except in 2020 when the two events did not count towards the title under the regulations.

The longest-serving

The longest-serving circuit in the ADAC MX Masters is Tensfeld. Not only was the series opener held there, but it has been a fixture every year since then, with just one exception in 2008. The reason for the break? At that time, the rule was that an organiser had to take a break after two to three events in order to give other organisers the opportunity to hold a race, a ‘mandatory break’, so to speak, for ADAC Schleswig-Holstein and MCE Tensfeld, who will have held 18 events before the 2024 season. Tensfeld has also celebrated several milestones, including the 100th ADAC MX Masters race in 2017 and the 250th round in 2021. MSC Fürstlich Drehna is second on the all-time list of venues in terms of the number of events held. The 2006 season opened on the sandy track in Brandenburg and, with three exceptions, the season opener has been held there ever since. In 2020, the race had to be cancelled completely due to the coronavirus pandemic. In 2021, the date had to be postponed until the autumn due to the effects of Covid, and in 2022, the season finale was held for the first time before returning to the traditional opening date in 2023 with the 17th event. With 16 events, KfV Kalteneck, the club behind the race in Holzgerlingen, is in third place. Holzgerlingen and Tensfeld are the only organisers who have been involved in the ADAC MX Masters since its inaugural season and have regularly hosted races to this day. Apart from the two years that were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the only year that the series did not visit any of the circuits was 2015. Six of the venues have only staged one ADAC MX Masters event. Schefflenz and Wächtersbach-Aufenau were only part of the line-up in the inaugural season. The guest races in Emmen/Netherlands in 2012, Lichtenvoorde/Netherlands in 2015 and Randers/Denmark in 2023 have also only taken place once. The 2020 season opener was held at Grevenbroich as part of the ‘short season’.

No borders: the foreign stops

Seventeen ADAC MX Masters races have already taken place at five tracks in neighbouring countries. As an international series, the organisers have always wanted to look across the border, and to this day, foreign clubs also apply to host an event. Even though the travel costs for many participants are a little higher – they try to organise the races near the border – there is always a special atmosphere. The cards are often reshuffled at the guest races abroad, as many riders do not train or race regularly or for years on the tracks. In addition, fast ‘local heroes’ in the various classes are particularly motivated to show their fastest side in front of their home crowd. Guest races were held as early as the second year of the series. In 2006, the series went to Austria twice, with races in Ried im Innkreis and Möggers. After that, there was only one foreign race per season. Ried has hosted an ADAC MX Masters race eight times, while Möggers has hosted six, with the last one taking place in 2022. The Dutch guest starts in Emmen and Lichtenvoorde, as well as in Randers in Denmark, only took place once on the calendar.

Mudder

When a motocross rider reads the word ‘mudder’, it usually gives him goosebumps, because in MX jargon it does not stand for ‘mother’ in dialect, but for a mud race. And these write their own laws. Both man and machine are pushed to their limits in the wet and deep conditions. Engines overheat, coolant boils over, clutches burn out, brake pads wear down to the metal of the carrier plate, and deep ruts, extremely slippery conditions and deep mud holes throw the results into confusion. On top of that, riders have to struggle with visibility, as their goggles are often unusable after just a few minutes of racing, their grip on the handlebars is gone after a crash due to the mud on their gloves and handles, and the willpower of some is already broken at the prestart.

Over the years, the ADAC MX Masters has also seen some now legendary mud races. The sporting director is often faced with the tricky question of whether the race can still be held and scored as normal. In some cases, the race distances are shortened and races are cancelled, at least in some of the classes. The track crews and club volunteers do everything they can to get the adverse conditions under control as best as possible, and the mechanics go to the limit to get the bikes as clean as possible between training and race sessions and prepare them for the next session. No one really needs mud races, but when there is one, it is an experience to remember forever...

Side events

The races in the ADAC MX Masters classes are, of course, the main attraction of the race weekend. But the racing action is always accompanied by other side events. The side events are often very competitive. The long-jump contest on motorbikes at Ried is legendary, with the best racers jumping 50 metres on Saturday evening for the chance to win additional prize money. The various ‘Slip and Slide’ events were a fun-filled affair, with participants sliding over plastic tarpaulins with full physical commitment, either planned or spontaneously due to a rain shower. Pit bike or (e-)mountain bike races were held on two wheels. In addition, there were football matches and much more, with fun for everyone present every time.

Let me entertain you

There is also entertainment for the spectators in addition to the races. Besides autograph sessions with the top riders at every event, there are many smaller and larger attractions from the organisers, teams and partners. For some organisers, the festival tent with live music and DJs is often just as much of a highlight for visitors as the races, and an important source of income for the clubs to finance and carry out the event. In Gaildorf, for example, the huge tent is used for an afternoon event for senior citizens on Thursday, and from Friday onwards there is a top-class festival every evening until the big after-race party on Sunday. In Holzgerlingen and Aichwald, too, the festival tent is an integral part of the event. The freestyle motocross and freestyle trial shows were spectacular, with riders like Busty Wolter, Kai Haase, Fabian Bauersachs and Adrian Guggemos, or the stunt shows with the unforgettable Chris Pfeiffer. The bodypainting by the Kosak team or the MSC ‘Eiserne Hand’ Aichwald has always caused a stir in the paddock. Celebrities who are otherwise only known from TV were also frequently in attendance to get a whiff of the racing air. Fans and spectators are often offered more than just racing when they come to the track.

What the organisers say

What is your best memory of your races in connection with the ADAC MX Masters?

Jörg Steinhausen/Bielstein: ‘Over the years, I have collected many wonderful memories and met great people. If I have to choose just one, it would be my first visit to the first qualifying session of the ADAC MX Masters class in 2015, when I got goosebumps standing in the ‘ball pit’ – that's the spectator area between the beer stand and the tunnel table. The speed was so incredible! And the second highlight would be Sunday evening in 2015, when we celebrated a first victory with the core team. Unfortunately, I don't see much of the racing itself during the event. But Max Nagl's charge through the field after a poor start on a track where overtaking is supposedly difficult was just as impressive as Dennis Ullrich 2019, who stuck to the rear wheels of Herlings and Jonass for quite a while.’

Thorsten Schulz/Tensfeld: ‘Over the years since the start of the ADAC MX Masters at Tensfeld, there have been many great events that I could report on. Nevertheless, every year I am delighted to see how every single marshal and helper contributes to the successful staging of the events. It should also be emphasised that we have never had to cancel an event and that we have been able to honour top-class winners at every event.’

Jens Nausch, Holzgerlingen: ‘There are, of course, many things that remain unforgettably in my memory. But what was certainly special was when our club member Dennis Ullrich won the title on our home track. His first championship in a duel with Sebastien Pourcel was hard to beat in terms of excitement.’

Marcel Rentsch/Fürstlich Drehna: ‘There are so many memories that can be described as “the best”. But I would say hosting the 2022 season finale is one of the best memories because it was a worthy finale with a full house on Sunday and a great party afterwards where the teams and riders stayed longer. They even collected money to get the DJ and Radio Betz not to stop, but it didn't work... And that club member Christian Brockel once stood on the podium is also a very nice memory.’

Why do you organise this race every year?

Jörg Steinhausen/Bielstein: ‘We also ask ourselves this question regularly. The answer is simple: it's the best MX series to work towards. The cooperation with the teams, series organisation and the ADAC-Nordrhein team is on an equal footing and in the interest of the sport. This is a crucial component for volunteers. For us, the series is also an important anchor for continuing our history of almost 75 years. If we do a professional job here, we create opportunities for the future.’

Thorsten Schulz/Tensfeld: ‘In the area of the ADAC Schleswig-Holstein e.V., as the northernmost ADAC regional club, we have no permanent race track for automobile or motorcycle road racing compared to others. Instead, our activities focus on off-road motorcycling. It is therefore only logical that we, as an ADAC regional club, should also act as a role model for our local clubs and get involved in international sport by staging the highest MX championship in Germany.’

Jens Nausch, Holzgerlingen press officer: ‘The series is second to none in Germany in terms of its sporting standard and its public image.’

Marcel Rentsch/Fürstlich Drehna: ‘Because we can! We do it because it's a really cool story, the ADAC MX Masters is a good product and it now attracts a huge number of spectators, as you could see from the crowds over the last two years. And because we love it. Every year, we aim to get better and better and to be one of the best organisers in the scene. That's our goal.’

What was the most extraordinary or bizarre thing that happened in connection with the event?

Jörg Steinhausen/Bielstein: ‘That would have to be the viral failed attempt of a bike jump through a campfire that was too big. Snoop Dog probably thought it was funny to see Kevin K. burning.’

Thorsten Schulz/Tensfeld: ‘Unfortunately, one of the most extraordinary incidents was the deployment of a rescue helicopter by the control centre for what was only a relatively minor accident. The pilot of the rescue helicopter decided to land in the medical area and made sure that numerous paramedics held on to their tents to prevent them from being hit by the landing. However, a Red Bull Wigwam, which was also standing close by, did not survive the manoeuvre and collapsed like a house of cards.’

Jens Nausch, Holzgerlingen press officer: ‘Once again, there were many experiences and memories, be it mud races, where you tried to push the mud off the track between heats, or other adverse weather conditions such as strong winds, where you didn't know whether the scaffolding would withstand them, which meant you had to make decisions on the fly. It was bizarre when a shepherd suddenly lost his sheep, which then suddenly appeared in the paddock. This quickly became a running gag in radio communications, as the information quickly found its way to the track.’

Marcel Rentsch/Fürstlich Drehna: ‘There were some bizarre moments. One was when Jef Jansen called me and said I should make room because the clutch of his truck had broken and he could no longer stop or, if he stopped, he would not be able to move forward. The space had to be cleared where he was supposed to stand so that he could park the truck there and then stop, which meant that he was given an extraordinary space right next to the festival tent. On top of that, they then admitted him to hospital with suspected meningitis and there was a risk that the entire event would be quarantined. And one year we received a bomb threat on a Sunday! A crisis team was set up and then a lot of plainclothes police scoured the area incognito to see if there was any truth to the threat.’

What was the most emotional moment?

Jörg Steinhausen/Bielstein: ‘I'm always too touched after the last finish. The pressure on everyone involved to do everything right is quite high. After the accident in 2016, however, the relief on Sunday evening in 2017 was particularly great. The support from Dieter Porsch and also Sven Blümer helped me enormously at the time.’

Thorsten Schulz/Tensfeld: ‘For me, there is no single most emotional moment in the history of the numerous events. I am happy every time the starts to the individual races are successful and all riders are able to take part in the race after the first corner.’

Jens Nausch, Holzgerlingen press officer: ‘As a club, we have a fundamentally emotional connection to the series because some of our members, such as Manfred Deubert and Robert Maurer, were already heavily involved in the predecessor series and thus helped to set a lot of things on the right track, which ultimately led to the creation of the ADAC MX Masters. In this respect, we have a deep connection to the International German Motocross Championship.’

Marcel Rentsch, Fürstlich Drehna: ‘I can only answer that personally, because everyone in the club probably has different emotional moments. But when Max Spies stood on the ADAC MX Youngster Cup podium with his two-stroke bike, it was very emotional for many of the club members. What was also very emotional was when, after the 2022 finale, a lot of people we didn't know came up to us, patted us on the back and said, ‘You guys are awesome! What a great event!’ And the fact that the spectators are now extremely good at cheering on the local heroes is also very emotional.’