Racetrack driving for Mercedes-Benz owners

If you own a Mercedes-Benz vehicle, this perk is for you: get behind the wheel of a racecar and drive yourself around one of the legendary racetracks of Europe, including Hockenheim, with a professional race driver as your guide.

The Mercedes-Benz Classic Trackdays experience is organized by the former racing driver Jörg van Ommen, a  champion in the DTM race series, in a Mercedes-Benz, in 1994 and 1995.  He is assisted by other pro racers and factory test drivers Ellen Lohr, Roland Asch and Kurt Thiim, at each event

There are three Tradkdays experiences this year:

• Hockenheim, March 30, 2017 (with Kurt Thiim)
• Zolder, Belgium – August 3, 2017 (with Roland Asch)
• Oschersleben, September 19, 2017 (with Ellen Lohr)

While Trackdays is open to any Mercedes owner, members of officially recognized Brand Clubs get priority.  Club member or not, the driver can bring up to four guests to watch.  Cost is

One of the racecars you will be driving is the 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II, one of the most famous and successful racing touring cars in DTM history, during the early 1990s.

This one is an authentic copy of the original Group A racing cars.

Mercedes-Benz Classic Trackdays offer a choice of programs:

• Open Pitlane (all-day free driving),
• Tracktime (bookable time slots)
• Club Challenge (tube/light barrier driving with your own classic vehicle).

Cost is 130 Euros, about $150, for a once-in-a-lifetime racetrack experience.

If you choose Hockenheim or Oscersleben, you are close enough to Mercedes-Benz headquarters in Stuttgart to visit the Mercedes-Benz Museum, where more racecars are on display, along with other legendary vehicles.  My personal favorite is the 1936 500K Roadster, one of the most powerful and most expensive vehicles of its time.  The last time I visited the museum, I wore a red top to match the red 500K.

Click here for more information about Trackdays. Note that the website is in German, so you’ll need Google Translate or some other translation service.