Ramstein Airbase Drag Race

In the early 1960s the American Forces in Germany allowed their soldiers to drag race at some air bases. The first were Ramstein and Sembach. They called it "Moral Support". In 1966 Bengt Wennergren and a friend drove, Bengt's 1931 Ford Roadster to Monaco for a vacation. On their way they stopped by Ramstein. They stayed with Mr Jones at the airbase for a week, and attended the drag race. Bengt drove his hot rod to the final against a Renault chassis. The guy driving the Renault chassis started half way down the track, and Bengt weren't able to beat him. The crowd were screaming "sandbagging" Bengt remembers. Bengt received a nice best of class award, and he and his friend became members of the Ramstein Auto Club.

About 1968 they moved the drag races to Fliegerhorst air strip in Hanau near Frankfurt. According to SSgt Paul M. Creamer, vice-president of the Hanau Racing Association, they wanted the guys to do their racing on the strip and not the streets. By 1968 the Hanau Racing Association was supported by 117 members, both German and American. The club began organizing in December, 1967, and the first race at Hanau was held on March 20, 1968. CWO David Dohm became the head of the club later on in 1968. To compete, a driver had to be a member of the association or one of the German national sports commision clubs. At the drags, the Germans ran by the rules established by the National Hot Rod Association. A member driver paid a $5 annual fee. All races were German national open events and they were recorded for national points.